I send a whisper of power out among them as I say it, making what I say seem more reasonable to them.
“Willyou join me in my villa?” Draccus asks me. “I'm sure it's more comfortable than here.”
“I think I'm starting to make Ironholdverycomfortable,” I say. “But I would happily come to visit you.”
I imagine he wants to seduce me, which won't happen but I can use the opportunity to persuade him to use his personal guards for my benefit. I can't bring people here to me and these gatherings are just a part of it, but I will still need to go into the city.
I’ll have guards with me when I do. From the outside it will appear as though they are making sure I don't flee from my custody, protecting the city from me. In fact, they'll be there to make sure no one tries to assassinate me. There are those within the senate who will no doubt do so given the chance, ignoring their own rulings on the matter. And the so-called resistance will probably stop at nothing to end the threat I represent.
I wonder if they truly understand that threat yet. Do they understand how things are changing in Aetheria? Does the senate? Olivia is currently sitting happily in the lap of the gladiator, her vote so easily claimed for my benefit, along with plenty of others. Some of them I have controlled directly, while others have been easy to manipulate with bribes, or rumors, or threats. Some of them simply vote whichever way key figures tell them to, so that I only have to gain control over a few members of the senate to have a great deal of influence.
They are not the only center of power in Aetheria, though, which is why there are a couple of people in the colors of the gangs in my little soiree. I will gain all the influence I need over every aspect of Aetherian society.
And then… then I will make it what it should have been all along.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“No, no, go again!” Elanar shouts, as I work in an abandoned building that we’ve selected as our next meeting point.
Alaric is there, sparring with me using a pair of wooden short swords, while I work with a staff that’s meant to represent the kind of spear or trident I’m used to working with. I jab at him with it, and Alaric spins away, cutting at me with one sword, then the other.
It brings back memories of training with him in Ironhold, each of us trying to get better with our weapons so we could survive the worst the colosseum had to throw at us. I’m sweating, moving my staff in blurring arcs that crack against Alaric’s weapons again and again.
“Focus!” Elanar calls out. “This isn’t just some petty sparring session.”
I wonder if he knows just how difficult it is to spar with Alaric when I’m not pulling in power from every animal around me. Alaric is fast and graceful, with a focused deadliness to his movements that means I can’t relax even for a moment. A blade comes within an inch of my throat as I lean back, and I realize I’m enjoying this. It’s been so long since I’ve pushed myself this hard, training in earnest rather than just trying to keep in shape.
“Use your powers!” Elanar says. “That’s the point of all this!”
I try to do as the beast whisperer asks, ignoring the conflict to feel Alaric's emotions, his animal instincts. It takes an effort to do that as he continues to attack me, and I'm too slow. I get the feeling of Alaric's emotions, his joy in the fight, his focus, and, behind it all, the things he feels about me…
I can feel the love there, the desire, the need.
It’s enough to distract me for a moment, and I feel Alaric’s blade pressing against my throat.
“No, this isn’t working,” Elanar says. “You should be able to do this despite the distractions. If you make that kind of mistake in a real fight, you could get yourself killed. Or someone else.”
I sigh. “It’s too difficult. I need to start with an easier approach.”
Elanar looks disgruntled. “If this was meant to be easy, every beast whisperer would be able to do it. But maybe you’re right. We need to find another way of teaching you the skills you need. Alaric, we need to go out into the city.”
“That might not be safe,” Alaric says, with a glance at the exit. “We never know who’s watching.”
I’m used to his caution, verging on paranoia, these days. Alaric is the leader of the resistance, which means that plenty of people are hunting for him.
“Please, Alaric,” I say. This is too important to leave. Mastering these abilities might be the difference between stopping Selene and not. “If I can learn to do this, I might be able to undo the control Selene has over the senate.”
Alaric hesitates for another moment or two, then nods. “All right,” he says. “But I’m coming with you to make sure you both stay safe.”
Elanar looks relieved by that, but I'm worried. Alaric is more of a target than either of us in the city. Selene might want beast whisperers like Elanar dead, but I have no reason to think anyone is targeting him specifically. I'm at least partly protected by my status as a senator. But Alaric is a wanted fugitive who was arrested before and has his freedom only because of his role in stopping Domitian's attempted coup.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” I ask him. “I wouldn’t want to put you in danger.”
“I’ll be safe,” Alaric says, and even as he does so, his appearance shifts, his illusions changing everything abouthim. He looks rougher now, like the kind of bodyguard a moneylender or a shady merchant might employ.
I wonder what the three of us will look like in the city. Maybe it will look as though Elanar is his employer, while I’m… what? Some servant, brought along to assist Elanar in his journey around the city? So long as I keep my face hidden, maybe we’ll be safe.
We set out into the slums of Aetheria, a space where the air is filled with the scents of unwashed flesh, spices, and waste that's been thrown into the streets. I can see gang members standing on the street corners, trying to keep the peace or simply to mark their territory. There are shacks and hovels on most sides of me, although I can see a spot where a group of workers is toiling hard to rebuild some of the houses in white marble, while more are working to change the streets from dirt to cobbles.
