"He's looking for you," Livia said, glancing sideways at me.
Maybe he was, but he'd never see me up here, almost high enough in the stands to reach the clouds, and only one of fifty thousand other Romans in attendance. Since I wasn't close enough to see his expression, I chose to believe he wasn't entirely annoyed with me.
Cautiously this time, the gladiator got to his feet, testing his balance before taking his first step forward. I allowed that and instead focused on his sword, pouring heat into the metal until the gladiator's fingers began twitching. When the metal itself began to smoke, he threw it onto the sand and then gently rubbed his burned hand.
Livia giggled. "What's next?"
"A terrible fit of hiccups, I think." I smiled over at her, though I doubted that trick was within my abilities. It would be fun to see.
Aurelia tugged at my arm. "What is Brutus doing?"
Brutus had leaned in toward Emperor Probus and was speaking to him while gesturing down at the gladiator fight. After a moment, Crispus noticed the conversation and spoke too, though the emperor was looking only at Brutus.
"I don't like this," Livia said.
I didn't either. From this distance, it was difficult to see anyone's expressions, but Crispus's body was rigid, and Brutus was clearly angry. Probus nodded, and then Brutus stood at the edge of the imperial box and raised his arms for the attention of the crowd. Everyone grew silent, and the gladiator stood with one arm across his chest, in respect of the emperor.
"Nicolas Calva!" Brutus yelled. "The emperor demands you show yourself at once."
Livia gripped my arm, her nails digging into the flesh. Beside me, Aurelia gasped and whispered, "You shouldn't have heated that sword."
"Do you really think the sword is the problem?" I scowled. "It's the reason Brutus and I are not friends -- that's what you think?"
"This is what I warned you about before," Aurelia said. "You take the wolf by the ears and expect it won't try to bite!"
"The wolf down there is already biting!" I said. "Better me than Radulf!"
"Show yourself, Nicolas," Brutus repeated. "Or I will order this match to end."
Just beyond the arena wall, I saw archers positioned with arrows already nocked in their bows. All it would take was an order to fire. I could shield Radulf from their arrows, and even from the gladiator's blows, but not permanently.
To make his point, Brutus nodded, and the gladiator suddenly lunged at Radulf, knocking him down onto his back. Along with most of the crowd, I stood, trying to see better, and realized the gladiator was fighting Radulf for the mace. They exchanged a few blows, though Radulf was in the much weaker position and received far more hits than he gave.
Livia cried, "Help him, Nic!"
By the time I had a clear look at what was happening, the gladiator had the mace in his hands and had already used it to take at least one hard swing at Radulf, who still lay on his back, either unconscious or close to it. I used magic to take control of the mace and raise it high in the air. The gladiator had been holding it so tightly that he rose with the mace and dangled midair. He wouldn't dare let go now.
"Do you think I won't let the gladiator die?" Brutus yelled. "Do you think I won't sacrifice as many people as it takes until you kneel before me in this arena?"
Crispus was on his feet, speaking to Probus, and this time he had the emperor's attention. But whatever he said clearly wasn't going well, because when Probus stood, Crispus went to his knees and was shaking his head.
Brutus signaled to his archers, who raised their bows to the gladiator. I didn't want him killed for my actions. This was between me and Brutus, not someone who was probably as much a slave of the empire as I had once been. So I lowered him to the ground, then raised a shield around Radulf.
Surprisingly then, Probus said something to his guards, who shouted an order into the arena that I couldn't hear.
Livia gripped my arm. "What's happening?"
Before I could answer, the gladiator bowed to the emperor, dropped his weapon, and was escorted out of the arena. Radulf remained in there alone. He was also on his knees now, though I suspected that had more to do with the injuries he had just received than with his respect for the emperor.
A hush fell over the crowd as they waited for what Probus would do next. Had Radulf been pardoned -- would he go free? It certainly looked that way.
"This is your chance," Livia said. "Go down there and disappear with him."
"Don't go down there," Aurelia said. "It's a trap, but I can't see how, and that worries me."
"He has the Malice," Livia said. "Even if it's a trap, Nic can win!"
"No, I can't." My heart sank. Those same guards brought Crispus to his feet and thrust a bow into his hands, then walked him beside Decimas Brutus at the front of the imperial box. They stood behind him with swords raised, communicating a very clear message. Should Crispus refuse the orders he had obviously just been given, the swords would fall on him. Crispus was supposed to shoot the arrow to end Radulf's life. They were making Crispus do it.