I stepped into the fields with every sense on high alert. Something rustled in the reeds behind me. It was the wind, perhaps, or a small animal? Dark shadows lay nestled within even darker shadows. Was it Praetors, lying in wait for me?
To get to Callistus, I would have to cross the open field and then sneak into the vines, where I could hide better. My instinct told me to run, that I should be out in plain view for the shortest time possible. But it was already hard to think straight. The Mistress was crying in my head again, and pounding on a door or on the wall of whatever tomb they had put her in. Despite what Valerius had said, it seemed impossible that I was only listening to an echo of the past. Because if this was real, if it was happening now, then no matter what he had warned, I wanted to get her out as quickly as possible.
The instant my foot touched down on the netting hidden beneath the grasses of the field, I knew I was in trouble. It released a spring that closed a claw trap over my leg. I cried out and summoned magic to open it again. But before I could act, a rope pulled tight, yanking me off my feet where I fell hard on the ground. I sent out magic intended to cut the rope, but it either missed or there was more than one rope.
I was dragged across half the field before I finally severed the rope, but getting the claw trap off my leg wasn't as easy. I sat up and used magic to separate the two pieces of metal. The spikes on them were short, so although they'd broken the skin, it wasn't a terrible injury.
And then I sent out a ball of magic into the weeds ahead of me. Someone over there had pulled on my rope. I heard the yelps of at least three or four men and smiled. If I had hit them hard, then it still wasn't half of what I had intended.
I gathered more magic, but then a voice behind me said, "We've got you, Nicolas."
And immediately, Brutus had a hand on my shoulder. Every feeling of magic within me went to dust.
I had no magic, but that didn't mean the fight within me was gone. On the contrary, I lashed out like I never had before. I kicked, and threw punches, and even used a few choice curse words, in case that helped. But each time I got one hand off me, another hand took its place, and more Praetors were coming.
Finally, there were enough of them to force me down flat, facing the ground. I squirmed and rolled, trying to make it impossible for them to get hold of both my hands and feet together, but even then, I was failing.
"Put a hand directly on his shoulder," Brutus ordered. "That's where he's marked."
Someone ripped my tunic at the neck, and a hand came down on the Divine Star like a boulder landing there. It sent a wave of pain through me, enough to make me nauseous, and instantly, I lost all fight. I barely could move.
Brutus knelt on the ground and carefully the Praetors rolled me to my side so I could face him. Still, the hand never left the Divine Star. The pain from it brought tears to my eyes, but I blinked them away. I refused to let them think it hurt as bad as it did.
"This was easier than I thought it'd be," Brutus said.
"This isn't over," I said. "I'm letting you get comfortable before I end this."
"Oh, you already tried ending this, and failed." Brutus clucked his tongue. "I expected more from you, to be honest. After you dropped my men in the sewers, there were many injuries."
"Only injuries?" I muttered. "Then I should've dropped them harder."
"It did have some effect," Brutus answered. "I had trouble convincing everyone to come here tonight. Having seen for themselves what you can do, several of my men are reluctant to face you."
"So you brought the stupid ones," I said. "Because they haven't seen half of what I can do."
"What you could do," Brutus said. "Until we took it away just now, and if you don't tell me what I want to hear, I'll take everything else. Where's the key?"
"Where's my mother?" I asked. "You promised to trade her for the key, so she must be nearby."
"Oh, she is." He brushed the sweat-dampened hair from my face. "The key, Nicolas. We've waited almost three hundred years for someone with magic to hold the key -- do you think I can't feel it with you now?"
"Before I give it to you, I have to see my mother. I demand to talk to her alone."
"Impossible," Brutus said. "Once I remove my hand, your magic will return, and you can understand why that puts me at a slight disadvantage." With that, the hand pressed deeper on the Star, reminding me that for all the power I had, it could disappear so quickly.
Disappear. If I could get to my mother, we could disappear.
"Do what you want to me," I said through gritted teeth. "Nothing will get you the key until I see my mother, alone!"
"It's not what I'll do to you." There was growing tension in his voice. "Remember what happens to your mother if you refuse to cooperate!"
"You will not touch her!" I yelled. "Take me to my mother!"
"Never!" Brutus shouted back.
"I'll stay with you." That was Aurelia. I looked up and saw her standing on a mound of dirt with a nocked arrow in her bow. Praetors were looking her way, hungry to grab her, but not wanting a poke from that arrow.
"Ah, the sewer girl," Brutus said. "I'm delighted to see you again, my dear."