“Can I get you anything else to drink?”
It takes me a moment to recognize her voice and then her face.This is Thalia, wearing a wig and the outfit of a server, the effect changing has so much that it's hard to recognize her as the same spiky haired woman I met in front of the colosseum.
“Or maybe I can offer you something… else?We have rooms upstairs.”
She's speaking loudly to be heard over the noisy environment, but I guess it's for the benefit of the room, establishing why I would go off with her.I nod, and she leads me upstairs, to a tiny room towards the back of the inn.
“Why meet me here?”I ask as soon as she closes the door.
“The innkeeper’s sympathetic to our cause,” she says.“And it's easy to get in and out of.”
“I wasn't expecting you to send a message to me so soon,” I say.I'd half assumed that our relationship would only work the other way around, with me leaving messages for her when I wanted to speak to her.“Is anything wrong?Is Alaric…”
“He's fine,” Thalia assures me with a note of exasperation.“Not everything's about him.You know he asks after you as well?”
I didn't know that, but it suggests Alaric hasn't forgotten about me or given up on me; he's just too caught up with his movement to try to change the city to actually see me.
“Why did you ask me here then?”I ask.
“Well, for one thing, I want to know what you found out in the gambling den,” Thalia says.“Did you get a location for the death bouts?”
I shake my head.“The bookmaker was too wary to allow me anywhere near them.I tried playing the part of a servant asking about them for her mistress, but that just made him more suspicious.It turns out they already have noble backing.Or I assume they have.”
“What makes you think that?”Thalia asks.
“Some of it was the guards at the place.They looked more professional than the usual hired gang members.And everybody was wearing this symbol, a drop of blood against a sail.”
Thalia looks thoughtful.“That fits with the idea of noble money.I haven't heard anything about the gangs running these fights, so it makes sense.My guess is they can't keep them completely secret, though, because they'll want people to watch them.”
“If so, they’re holding back the information until the last moment,” I say.
Thalia nods.“That would make sense.If it's all last minute, then there's less chance of the guards or us interfering.”
“Does that mean we need to wait until they let the news slip about where the fights are?”I ask.
“Maybe,” Thalia says.“That piece of information you gave us about the symbol may help.It will tell us what to look out for.I may be able to find out more.”
“If you do, I want to be a part of this,” I say.“I want to find out what's going on.”
“You still think that bringing everything before the senate will make a difference?”Thalia says, rolling her eyes.“From what I hear, they're too busy worrying about Selene Ravenscroft.”
“She is a concern,” I admit.“But I don't want to take my eye off this, either.So, if you find anything, let me help.”
Thalia hesitates, but then nods.“All right.I'll try to find a way in and then let you know how we're doing it.”
I don't like not knowing the details, but for the moment, it seems there's nothingtoknow.I have to trust that Thalia will make all the arrangements.
“Is there anything else?”I ask.
“Just make sure Selene Ravenscroft gets what's coming to her,” Thalia says.“I remember what she was like as one of the organizers of the games.She always hid behind rules and order, but she was responsible for making the games as cruel as anyone else.”
I can't promise her that I'm going to push for Selene to be killed.I'm not sure what will happen when she stands in front of the senate.
I leave the inn, heading back to the palace.It seems like a while since I've slept in my own rooms rather than in Marcus's bed, but if he needs space tonight, I can give him that.I sleep, and with sleep comes dreams.
I dream of people being hunted through a forest, people who call out to the animals around them, desperately seeking any help they can get.A moment later, I dreamI'mthe one running through that forest.I know I'm being chased, and I know that if I slow down for a moment, I'm going to die.
I run at full speed, borrowing from a wolf nearby to let myself lope through the undergrowth.I'm moving so fast nothing can catch me, nothing can keep up with me.I just need to…
