“I've asked the trainers at Ironhold to find someone who's willing to fight her under these rules,” Marcus says.
“And whatarethe rules?”I ask.“Is it a straight fight to the death?”
I can't keep the harshness out of my voice as I ask that.
Marcus shakes his head.“It's more like the rules were in the old days: they'll fight until one of them is incapacitated, and then…”
“…and then the people up in the emperor's box get to make a decision,” I say.
Marcus nods.It's already obvious what the decision will be if Selene loses.He’ll order Selene’s opponent to finish her.The thought of what’s going to happen here only tomorrow is enough to make me feel uncomfortable.
“Are you sure we can get everything ready in time?”I ask, wanting to find a reason to delay.
Marcus nods.“And there's plenty of demand to watch these fights.The colosseum will be full.”
“You know I hate this, right?”
Marcus kisses me, as if that's an answer, or maybe as if he can sweep away all my thoughts with the depth and passion of his kiss.I must admit he comes close, leaving me breathless.
“I know, but try not to think about it.This might not be what we were expecting to happen, but now it must happen.We don't have a choice, so let's make sure it goes according to plan.I need to take care of things here; can you go up to Ironhold to supervise the fitting of the dampener?”
“You want me to be there while they put that on her?”I say.
Marcus nods.“Rowan is too busy running the city.I need to supervise the preparations for the games, and one of us needs to be there to make sure no one tampers with the dampener as it goes on Selene.We need to know she's restricted the way she should be.”He takes my hands.“Can you do that, Lyra?Can you make sure she won't be a threat to everyone here?”
I nod because, when he puts it like that, I don't have a choice.Selene is going to be here tomorrow, is going to fight someone, and she can't have her full powers when that happens.With those powers, if she chose to break free, she could cause untold carnage.
“I'll go now,” I say.
“Thank you,” Marcus replies.
I set off back through the Colosseum, out into the city, and then beyond it.As I pass through Aetheria, I can see the streets have already taken on a carnival atmosphere, with performers on almost every corner and people stopping in the middle of their normal work to join in the celebrations.There's a sense of anticipation in the air, as though people know the fight that's going to happen tomorrow is going to be different from anything that's gone on in the last few months.
I can feel that excitement in the slums, and since I'm not traveling in disguise, people call out to me.
“Finally, we're getting some real matches in the arena!”
“Selene Ravenscroft deserves everything she gets!”
I keep walking, heading out to the city and over to the imposing granite fortress that is Ironhold.The guards on the gate step back to let me enter.
“I'm here to oversee the dampener being put on Selene Ravenscroft,” I say.They nod and one of them leads me through the training ground, to an area that has been turned back into a prison for gladiators.Or at least for one gladiator.
Selene is sitting in a cell, clad now in the kind of brief training gear I would have worn.It's a long way from the elaborate robes she used to wear.She also has a circular brand on her shoulder, identical to the one that decorates my left shoulder; only she doesn't have the five neat, identical lines through it that mine possesses, a symbol of the five seasons I survived in the Colosseum.
If she achieves the same, she’ll be free.I don’t know how many fights she’ll have in each set of games, whether they’ll be against humans or animals, or what additional conditions will be imposed, but each time she survives them, it will earn her one branded mark.
A trainer is there, along with a nervous looking magical practitioner, who’s holding a very familiar looking band, designed to go around someone's wrist like a manacle.
“The dampener’s ready?”I say.
The practitioner nods, then swallows nervously.“I'm glad you're here.If she decides she doesn't want this around her wrist, I'm not sure what I could do.”
He seems to be assuming that I have the power to stop Selene.As a precaution, I reach out for the animals in Ironhold, the creatures that are down in the beast pens below it even now.Maybe I can borrow some of their strength and speed if it comes to a fight, but even then, I'm not sure what we'll be able to do against her magic.
“I'm ready whenever you are,” Selene says, with the same unearthly calm that she always seems to possess.She stands waiting for us as we open the door to her cell and enter.
“Ah, a dampener,” she says.“I assumed someone would order this.Very well, put it on.”
