Wrath of the Storm (Mark of the Thief 3)

Brutus had probably tried to put a hand on me within the same second as I had vanished from the dungeon. I'd reappeared here, somewhere in the Cloaca Maxima, as lost as I ever was in this place. At least when I'd come here before, I'd had some orientation as to where I entered. Now that was impossible. I could be anywhere within the maze. I was lying on the narrow walkway only inches above where the sewage flowed, which was disgusting, but it was enough for now. I needed to heal.

Without magic, I never could've survived that fall, and even with magic, I knew how damaged my body was. I lay there for almost an hour just to regain enough strength to begin healing myself.

The process was slow, but I worked in order of places that hurt the most, or that seemed the most vital to be healed. My chest and ribs first. My leg nearer the end. Even after I was healed, it was at least another hour before I could do anything more than sit up. And that was with the help of magic. No wonder it was taking Radulf so long to regain his strength.

Once I was on my feet again, I debated what might be the best next step. Brutus was the chairman of Radulf's trial, and I suspected once he lost me, he had gone directly to the trial. It was probably over already, and maybe had ended a long time ago. I doubted Brutus would mak

e it any longer than it had to be. He wasn't interested in fairness or justice. He wanted Radulf's execution. I had to find out where it would be and stop it.

Aurelia and Livia would know. They would have been at the trial and would follow Radulf as far as they could to his end. I still wasn't as strong as I could've been, but time was not on my side and so I only hoped I was not about to send myself to a place where a fight was already under way. The way I felt, I wouldn't do much good there.

I closed my eyes and pictured Aurelia in my head. Her smile, the gentle curls of her hair. The way her eyes had looked the first time I saw her, in a field outside of Rome. It was so easy to picture her, and suddenly, I saw that image moving. She was in a crowded place. And I was there with her.

As it turned out, I did arrive at a place where there was fighting, though it fortunately wouldn't involve me.

Aurelia was headed out of a tunnel of the amphitheater, toward the seats. Below her, the crowd cheered. A bulky gladiator was already in the arena, his arms raised in victory while slaves carried a still body out of the west gate, known as the Gate of Death. The gladiator pumped his arms in victory, calling for even more cheers and admiration. The slave boy Donnan had told me there were games today.

"Nic? Where did you come from?" Aurelia grabbed me and pressed me against the wall, blocking my body with hers in case others had seen the unexpected mode of my arrival. "How did you know I was here?"

"I didn't. I just --" I searched for the right words, and failed. "Why are you here?" There was only one reason Aurelia would've come to the amphitheater today.

Her eyes darted sideways. No one was paying us any special attention, at least not right now. "Radulf's trial is over."

"And this is his sentence?" I stepped out of the tunnels where I could see into the arena better. "He's to be executed in the games?"

"It's not an outright execution," Aurelia said, following me. "He has a chance, but not a good one." She pulled me aside again, out of the main flow of the crowd. "The trial didn't go well at all. Radulf put up no defense for himself. He barely spoke a word the entire time. I think he's so lost without his magic that he really doesn't care what happens to him. Because of that, nobody could vote for his innocence."

"What about Nasica?" I asked. "The bribe?"

She nodded at the bracelet on her wrist, the one that had been a gift from Crispus. "This is the only thing I have left of any value. You were right not to trust Nasica." Her sigh that followed was filled with regret. "He accepted money from Brutus as well, more than what I had to give him. Crispus did suggest to the other judges that Radulf should be shown mercy, given that Radulf is a war hero and has been popular with the people. Nasica wasn't convinced until he thought about the games today and realized maybe he would be more popular if he could donate another fight to the mob."

"Brutus allowed this?" I had expected he'd prefer a more certain execution.

"He was furious, but he had no choice. The judges had spoken. Radulf was taken immediately here, where they are preparing him for one of the upcoming fights."

"He can't save himself." My heart was already pounding in anticipation of what was coming. "I saw him before they took him away for the trial. He won't last a minute in there."

"I know," Aurelia said. "But until you came just now, nothing more could be done for him."

"Is Livia here?" I asked. "And Crispus?"

Aurelia took my hand and led me back into the crowd of onlookers. "Although Radulf lost at trial, Crispus made a passionate speech to save him, which impressed the emperor. You should've heard it, he was amazing! Because of that, he's been invited to sit near the emperor for the games, which is a great honor."

I scanned the lower seats until I saw the imperial box. Our new emperor was named Marcus Aurelius Probus. He was standing in his box and had just waved his arms, permitting a new fight to begin. Emperor Probus was tall with short brown hair and a long, narrow face. He was said to have been a skilled military commander who was tough but also fair. I hoped that was still true. If Probus was fair, we at least had some chance today.

Crispus sat tall behind Probus, clearly proud to have been invited into the imperial box. Usually, that was reserved only for the emperor's family and his closest counselors, but his family didn't seem to have come and the counselors were pushed to upper rows. Crispus's speech must've been as impressive as Aurelia said, though it had failed to win Radulf's freedom. That was all I really cared about. As I watched, Probus said something to Crispus, who nodded and replied. I wanted to think Crispus was still trying to win mercy for Radulf.

And perhaps he might've been successful, if another man had not entered the imperial box as well. Decimas Brutus had come, though he was in an expensive yellow toga now, not in the dark tunic in which I had last seen him. He bowed low to Probus, at first kissing the hem of his purple robes, then kissing his hand as well. Once he rose, he seemed to offer a greeting to Crispus. Crispus looked at Brutus, then, without a word or even a nod of acknowledgment, turned away.

My heart sank. Whatever argument Crispus might make in Radulf's favor, Brutus would be there to immediately counter it.

Aurelia released my hand to point out where my sister was sitting. "People have begun staring at you, Nic, and not in a good way. Let's go sit down. Livia is in the upper tier, waiting for me. She'll be relieved to see you too."

Their seats were high in the amphitheater stands, where only the poorest of citizens could afford to sit. That certainly described me and Livia, and Aurelia now as well.

The sounds from the arena still carried up here, but we were so far from the action on the floor that I'd have only a vague idea of how Radulf was doing. Not that the outcome was in any doubt. Radulf was strong and a good fighter, but his many victories as a gladiator had come because of magic. Now, weakened, out of practice, and with little enthusiasm for his own life, he had no chance at all.

Aurelia looked back at me as we climbed. "No offense, but you smell awful. Almost like you were in the sewers again." As I remained quiet, her smile fell. "Nic, you weren't."