CHAPTER FIFTEEN
My eyes are heavy the next morning, and I briefly consider rolling over, burying my head beneath my blankets, and skipping my training with the imperius. We’ve been given a day off from gladian training after the challenge, and my body aches.
But I know better than to test Tiernon. Vampires may not be able to enter private spaces unless invited, but I’m sure he’d send one of his sigilmarked imperiums to haul me out of bed in front of the other gladians.
I sit up in bed, finding Tolva already awake in the bunk next to me, staring into the distance with her arms wrapped around her knees.
I won’t ask what’s wrong. We’ve all got our problems, and she probably wants to be left alone—
“Another body was found last night,” she whispers. “That’s six so far. That we know of.”
“Who was it?”
“A guardant.”
My heart sinks like a stone and my whole body goes cold. I haven’t seen Leon since before I walked into the arena. I’d figured he was too angry with me for letting Baldric almost ruin my ankle.
“Which guardant?” I demand.
“Shhh,” someone hisses.
Cassius’s, Tolva mouths, and something in my chest releases even as I ache for Cassius.
I didn’t know Cassius’s guardant well. Her name was Kassandra, and she was a quiet woman who was incredibly fast with her throwing knives.
And now she’s dead.
Frustration drills behind my eyes, and I push my heavy woolen blanket away. Someone is culling us like we’re a herd of animals. And no one seems to care.
Tolva lies back down, pulling her blanket back over her head.
With a sigh, I haul myself out of bed, drag on my tunic and leggings, and head to the training hall, only to find that Tiernon isn’t there.
Most of the other imperiums are gathered, but they seem to be getting a slow start this morning, standing in small groups and murmuring among themselves.
“I could’ve slept in after all,” I mutter.
Lucius suppresses a smile and swipes two wooden swords from the stack near the door. The imperius train with steel and silver, but gladians and novices are forced to continue using wood.
Good news for me, since I’d probably be impaled by one of the imperium’s during sparring, and then who would save my brothers?
“Are you going to tell me where he went this time?”
“Some of the vampire rebels were sighted last night.” Lucius hands me a sword.
“Vampire rebels?”
Lucius gives a stiff nod. In my peripheral vision, I catch Neris curling her hands into fists, while Lucius lets out a sigh.
“The sigilmarked may feel as if the emperor favors the vampires too blatantly, but there are some vampires who believe he doesn’t favor them enough.
And others who feel someone else should sit on the throne. ”
Someone like … Rorrik?
Vampire rebels. My mind provides me with a sudden memory.
A vampire standing next to Bran the night we first met our potential sponsors.
And the loathing on his face as he watched the emperor boast about his accomplishments.
Realization floods through me. I already know Bran wants the emperor dead, but I’m now certain he’s working with the rebels. From the inside.
My vision speckles, and saliva floods my mouth.
The emperor has a long history of quashing any threats to his power.
I have no doubt that Bran has peppered the court with those loyal to him, which means I’m somehow at the center of a scheme so dangerous, so terrifying, the chances of me making it out alive are decreasing with every minute I spend in this place.
“Arvelle?” Lucius is frowning at me.
I take a deep breath, rolling my shoulders. Maybe this most recent attack is a good thing. Maybe Bran will change his mind and use his rebels to kill the emperor instead. I ruthlessly suppress the part of me that worries if Tiernon will make it back here.
“In that case, I could have slept in.” My voice is tight, and Lucius narrows his eyes.
“Nope,” he says. “Ti left your training in my hands while he’s gone.”
Hearing Lucius call Tiernon “Ti” only darkens my mood further. Not only did the man abandon me without a word, but he formed a whole new family with his imperius. All while my family was falling apart.
Kissing him was a mistake. I was weak.
“I’m not sure why he cares,” Orna mutters, picking up her sword and swinging it. “She can’t possibly be worth everything he did for her.”
Everything he did for me? I open my mouth but Lucius is already moving toward her, murmuring something in his low voice.
Orna shakes her head, stalking away, but several of the other imperiums are nodding, several more shooting me dark looks.
“Take it up with your leader.” I give her a wide, toothy smile.
“Enough.” Lucius jerks his head toward the mat.
I lift my practice sword and he attacks.
“You’re distracted,” he says moments later, when I almost trip on my own feet.
I don’t bother arguing. It’s already mid-Lunius, and the ultimus conquestus is just two and a half weeks away in early Quintilis.
In that time, I somehow need to figure out how to get close enough to the emperor—a man I’ve only ever seen surrounded by guards—to kill him.
Not to mention, the ludus is home to a cold-blooded murderer.
“Maybe she needs to train with someone who won’t go easy on her,” Orna taunts from the sidelines.
Lucius blocks my punch, aiming a frown over my shoulder. I don’t need to glance behind me to know Orna is giving him a wide grin.
“What’s the matter, Arvelle?” she calls “Scared?”
I ignore her some more, but I catch Deitra giving me a considering look. The vampire is the shortest of the imperiums, with a curvy, hourglass figure. She reaches up to tighten her ponytail, pushing bright red strands from her sweaty face. The smirk she sends Orna makes it clear they’re friends.
“Lucius,” someone calls, and he steps back. I lean over, planting my hands on my knees as I catch my breath.
Someone steps onto the mat and I don’t need to lift my head to know it’s Orna.
“I don’t want to fight you,” I mutter, still sucking in several deep breaths.
“Aren’t you here to train? How are you going to get any better if you don’t fight people who actually want to hurt you?
” Orna pushes her long dark braid over her shoulder.
“Spar with me, Arvelle. One of the imperius tenets is courage, you know. How do you expect anyone to respect you when you’re such a coward? ”
Orna is a vampire, and she’s not wearing suppression cuffs, which means my strength is a drop in a bucket compared to her own. She’s stronger, faster, and meaner. But I’m wily.
I’m not sure why Orna hates me so much more than the others. Most of the imperius are disapproving, making their dislike clear. But Orna has been wanting this moment since the day we met.
To not fight her would make me look like a coward.
“Don’t kill her, Orna,” Neris warns from the sidelines.
“I won’t.” Orna picks up a practice sword, swinging it idly in her hand. “I’m just going to teach her a lesson.”
I lift my own sword, forcing myself to loosen my grip on the wooden hilt.
Orna barrels at me, shockingly fast.
I spin to the side, but she’s already turning, too, striking out with a fist. I duck, but she hits my shoulder. A flash of pain, and my sword arm goes numb. I switch hands, using the sword like a club in an attempt to get some space.
Orna easily dodges, smashing her own sword into my ribs. It’s a glancing blow, or my ribs would have shattered.
I stagger, and she’s on me—gripping my shoulders, pinning me in place. With no other choice, I slam my forehead into her nose.
It’s a stupid, desperate move.
And I pay for it.
White-hot stars flash across my vision. Orna yelps, releasing me. But vampires recover faster than humans. She launches herself at me, fangs bared.
“Don’t you dare!” Lucius roars.
Orna’s hands clamp down on my shoulders once more, her head arched back, too far for me to hit. I kick out, but she’s monstrously strong.
Older than I’d imagined. At least four hundred.
“Orna!” Lucius snaps.
Orna ignores him.
She’s going to kill me.
“Orna, stop!” Lucius orders, and I can hear his feet pounding toward us. He’s too far away.
Flicking a throwing knife out of the sheath at my hip, I slam it into Orna’s gut.
Yes, that’s a silver blade, bitch.
Her mouth makes an O, and she releases me instantly, plucking the knife from her stomach and throwing it to the ground.
Claws extend from her fingertips, and her mouth pulls back, revealing sharp fangs. Her hiss sends a chill down my spine. I back up, mapping out the nearest exit. There’s no intelligent life in her eyes.
“Enough!”
Lucius steps in front of Orna and slams his hands against her chest. She lets out another hiss and he bares his teeth. “Don’t make me hurt you.”
Slowly, her eyes lighten. She sweeps her gaze around us, and her claws retract.
“What were you thinking?” Neris snaps at her.
Orna looks suddenly lost, and despite the fact that she almost killed me, some part of me feels sorry for her. With a muttered apology, she turns and walks away.
Lucius lets out a breath, turning to me. He doesn’t look happy. “I’ll walk you to lunch.”
“I don’t—”
He’s already heading toward the door, and I swipe my throwing knife from the mat, wiping the blood on my tunic and shoving it back into its sheath. I’ll need to clean it properly later.
Lucius waits for me by the door, and we walk toward the dining hall. It’s quieter than usual, with most of the other gladians likely enjoying a rare sleep in.
We walk in silence for a few moments, before Lucius clears his throat.
“I know a little something about growing up in the Thorn,” he says. “I know you have no choice but to answer a challenge, and that to appear weak in any way is to invite death. But here, you need to be smart. Fighting Orna was stupid. She wants you dead.”
“I know. But why? Is this all because Tiernon is making me train with the imperius?”