Wrath of the Storm (Mark of the Thief 3)

"What good would that do? She's promised to you."

"Only to save her life; that's all."

I turned back to him. "No, that's not all. Right after she accepted your offer, I asked her not to marry you. She would not change her mind."

His eyes widened. Apparently, he had not known that. "If not for the Praetors, I'd have released her from the promise already. You could take her."

I snorted. "As if the Praetors don't already have enough ways to manipulate me?"

"When this is over, we can sort this out, all of us together. One of us has to take Aurelia. Then I could --"

"How dare you?" Aurelia appeared through the rear doorway with her hands on both hips, and her face red as a ripe tomato. "How dare you speak of me like I'm cattle to be traded or a bargain to be negotiated?"

Crispus and I backed away from her, standing rigidly beside each other, both afraid of what she might do next.

She started with him first, marching forward to face him directly. "I don't need your protection and certainly don't want it from those foul Praetors. I hate that armband and hate that you're one of them!" Then without warning, she raised both arms and shoved Crispus backward into Radulf's bath.

I laughed only for a single second before Aurelia was in front of me. "And you! How is it that you can battle a dragon or collapse an entire building over yourself, but you lack the courage to honestly tell me your feelings?"

I glanced backward at Crispus, who was still in the water and seemed happy to remain there where it was safer. He was staring up at me, waiting for an answer.

"Well," Aurelia demanded, "do you love me or not?"

Foolish though I knew it was, I barely managed to keep a smile off my face. "If I'm being honest, then right now, I'm more afraid of you than in love with you. And I'm already wet."

Aurelia's face pinched, and she shoved me into the water too. Then she wiped her hands on her tunic and marched out of the room, muttering, "I hate you both."

When she had gone, Crispus looked at me with a mischievous grin. "That could've gone better."

We knew we were both in trouble, and each had a fair amount of work to repair our friendships with Aurelia. But not tonight. For now, we just lay in the water and laughed.

When we finally calmed down, I swam toward him and said, "You're right, my family must go to Britannia. But I will stay in Rome and end this, somehow. If you arrange a carriage to take them there, they'll leave tomorrow."

"Then I'll stay too," Crispus said. "I know Aurelia won't leave without you, and I won't leave without her. Besides, you can't do this alone, and maybe it will turn out that having a Praetor on your side is a good thing."

Maybe. But I really couldn't see how.

Over breakfast the next morning, I told Livia and my mother about Crispus's family home in Britannia.

"I won't go," Livia said. "Not until we all go together."

"I agree," Mother said. "We've been separated enough already."

Crispus was seated beside Livia and leaned forward to appeal to her first. "Nic is safer without you here. If either of you were captured by the Praetors, think of what he would give up to save you."

Mother spoke. "Then let's leave together, all of us."

I barely heard her. Atroxia had found a way into my head again, and her pleas for help were stronger than ever before. "Do not leave me here," she cried.

"It'll be safe there," Crispus said, still trying to persuade Livia. "My mother was raised in Britannia and speaks fondly of her childhood."

"Am I safe here?" Atroxia asked. "Please help me, Nicolas."

"Livia and I shouldn't travel alone," Mother said.

"Radulf is still a general," Crispus said. "He has the respect of most Romans. Even if he is not quite well enough to travel as a proper escort, he will get you there safely."

Now Atroxia's softer whispers darkened as they became the Mistress's raspy voice. "There is no safety for your family, Nicolas. Swear loyalty to me and help me use the amulets, or they will pay!"