Rise of the Wolf (Mark of the Thief 2)

I handed her the sack of lead tablets, as I had all the others I'd collected since I began racing. "There weren't as many as I hoped for," I said. "We ran into trouble, or I'd have gotten more."

"What happened at the circus?" she asked. "Everyone is asking questions, but Pater won't see anyone."

She still called him that, hoping if she treated him like a grandfather, he would stop treating us like prisoners. It was a foolish wish. I doubted whether Radulf felt any emotions at all other than greed and envy. Certainly there was no room for love of his grandchildren.

"We're leaving," I whispered. "Tonight."

Livia's eyes widened. "Why? Why now?"

There was so little I dared explain to her. Telling Livia I had seen our mother would give her false hope. Explaining anything about the Praetors would terrify her.

"Because we're out of time." I nodded at the curse tablets. "Do we have enough?"

"There's no way to know. But they'll have to do."

My door opened, and one of Radulf's pig-snouted servants filled the frame. "The general asks you to join him for a private supper."

There was little difference between Radulf asking me to do something and ordering it. All I could do was nod in reply.

"Your sister will eat alone tonight," the servant said.

All the better. She had an important job ahead. Livia nodded to the servant and said, "Please have some food brought to my room." She took the heavy curse tablets with her when she left.

With that, I followed the servant to Radulf's tablinium. This area was usually reserved for him to work, so when he brought me there to eat, I understood why: I was work for him, not family. This wasn't our first supper in private, though I had spent most of them refusing to say a word to him. Tonight was different.

We had no sooner been left alone when I asked him, "How did you make us disappear?"

"It's not complicated magic. I think of where I want to go, picture it as if I were already there, and then let go of my surroundings. It feels like jumping off a cliff at first, but you get used to it." Then Radulf drummed his fingers against the table while he looked me over. "It takes practice to master, but of course, without magic, that trick will be impossible for you. Won't it?"

The way he said it worried me. Did he know my magic had returned? If so, why didn't he say something? Surely he knew I would never volunteer such dangerous information.

Which also meant I couldn't ask the biggest question on my mind -- why all of my magic had vanished when the Praetor grabbed me.

So instead I said, "Without magic, I'm no good to help you destroy Rome. There's no point in keeping me here."

Radulf smiled as if he knew something I didn't, then sat back to eat and invited me to do the same. I remained where I was.

I said, "Crispus told me that Diana is in rebellion against the other gods."

"Valerius told me the same thing. It's a secret the Praetors have guarded for three hundred years." Radulf grimaced. "For the sake of the gods, Nic, sit down and eat."

This time I did, and reached for some bread and dipped it in warm honey. Maybe I was a prisoner in Radulf's home, but I was a well-fed prisoner. If it wouldn't have made him suspicious, I'd have loaded my arms with every bite of food at this table, in preparation for Livia's and my escape.

Radulf continued, "Because he had descended from Venus, Emperor Julius Caesar was a favorite of the gods. Venus powered his bulla, which he used to achieve glory. With every victory of Caesar's, Venus also gained even more honor, and Diana became jealous. After all, Diana had descendents in Rome too, and they'd been given no special treatment. So when Caesar abandoned the bulla -- his protection -- Diana launched her war. She wanted Caesar dead."

"Caesar was stabbed to death by Marcus Brutus." I finished the bread and reached for fish now. "That Praetor who tried to take me from the circus was named Decimas Brutus."

"That's no coincidence." Radulf finished chewing his bread, then added, "Decimas is from the same family as Marcus, and Marcus comes from --"

"Diana," I breathed. "Marcus was her descendent."

"Decimas comes through the same family line." Radulf leaned forward. "Diana stole the Malice from the heavens and gave it to Marcus, who used it for the murder. Then Diana filled the bulla with her powers, expecting it would also fall into Marcus's hands. She poured into it her strength, her anger, and her jealousy."

I thought of the jealousy I had felt when seeing Crispus and Aurelia together earlier that day, or really, any time I had ever seen them together. It was one emotion of Diana's t

hat I completely understood.

"Upon Caesar's death, a war erupted in the heavens, between those who favored Venus and those who felt Diana had been wronged." Radulf leaned forward and locked eyes with me. "The war followed to this earth, where the Praetors are still fighting Diana's battle. Nic, when Valerius spoke of the Praetor War, this is it. We are only pawns in the war of the gods. To lose means death, but to win --" Radulf's smug smile widened. "My boy, this is why I am keeping you here. Winning will make us gods as well."