I'm still contemplating that when I see a flicker of movement near the path, and feel the cold certainty of people determined to kill. It's enough warning to make me weave out of the way as a stone flung from a sling skims past my head at a speed that would have killed me had it struck. A figure darts forward, theshadows seeming to wrap around her as she comes, her magic obviously making it easier for her to hide. A dagger flashes in her hand.
I weave aside from that dagger, chopping my forearm down on her wrist and slamming the heel of my hand into her jaw. It's enough to make her stagger briefly, but I must dodge another stone flung from a sling from somewhere in the dark. I can see shadows shifting there, and I suspect my second assailant has a similar talent to the first.
I reach for the owl more fully, looking through its eyes as well as my own, tracking the movements of those below with the precision of senses used to hunting for mice. I steal some of the grace from a fox in the darkness, borrowing what I need to keep dodging the strokes of the knife. I'm fast enough now to catch hold of the knife wielder's wrist, wrenching her arm at the elbow until I hear the crack of bone and she cries out in pain. Another flung stone comes towards me, and I dodge it like the others. I snatch up the knife wielder’s dagger, flinging it back in the direction the stone has come from, and I hear another cry of pain.
I don't stand and keep fighting. I've done enough to hurt my two attackers and slow them down, so now I borrow more speed and grace from the fox, fleeing back in the direction of the city. No sling flung stones target me as I run, and the knife-wielding attacker is still on the ground, clutching her elbow. Neither attacker will be able to follow me or hurt me now.
I guess I could have stopped to question them both, but I have no doubt Selene was the one to send them. The strange part, though, is that she let me leave the fortress at all. She could have summoned all the guards there, had them try to kill me, and if she’d joined their efforts, they might have succeeded.
Did she send these two after me simply because she wanted me to be seen to leave? Did she want to make sure there were noproof connecting my death to her? Or was the point not to kill me? The two attackers had a trace of power but they weren't a threat on the same scale as Selene.
So maybe the point was to remind me that I'm not safe, and that she can send people after me anywhere. Maybe it’s to show me that she has killers at her disposal. Maybe this is her idea of a threat.
I don’t know, but it's obvious I'm going to need to be more cautious. Selene knows too much about what I'm doing, and her reach is too great now to simply ignore the threat she represents. I'm going to have to be more careful if I'm going to stop her. I need to build my own allies, and only act against her once we’re certain we’ll succeed.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
I spend the next few days practicing with my powers. I go to Elanar each day to learn more from him, and he has me standing in the middle of public places, feeling the emotions around me and trying to subtly influence them.
He tries to influence me the same way. The first couple of times, I find myself filled with anger or despair, even laughing out loud as the whole world seems too hilarious to hold back the sound. But as my control over my shields improves, I start to keep him out for longer.
“We're getting closer to the point where you'll be able to take her on,” he says, as I get ready to leave one of our training sessions.
“That's good,” I say.
“It's more than good,” Alaric puts in. He attends every training session now, and I can feel things rekindling between us that I had thought long since extinguished. “It's vital. There are so many things changing in the shadows of the city. Some of the gangs are acting in ways they never have before. Money lenders are offering coin to groups they never normally deal with.”
“Selene’s reshaping what's happening in the slums, as well as the rest of the city?” I guess.
Alaric nods. “That’s my guess. It just shows how quickly her influence is spreading. You need to find a way to push back in the senate. Build some support that will stand against her. I'm going to try to use the resistance to organize those gangs that haven't been taken over.”
It feels as though we're building up walls to hold back a flood. If we can gather enough people together, maybe we will still be able to stand against what Selene’s doing, but maybe her efforts will slip through the cracks of whatever we try.
“We can do this,” Alaric says. He takes my hands. “Do whatever is necessary to stop her influence.”
“I’ll try,” I assure him.
I go back to the palace, changing back into my senatorial toga and setting off through it to try to get through as many orders and requisitions as I can. It seems that there are far more of them these days, and many of them seem to have to do with Ironhold, all fresh building works that I know nothing about. My guess is that Selene is exerting her influence here, too.
I go to Marcus, finding him in his villa when I can’t locate him in his rooms. He looks pleased to see me.
“Lyra, come in. I was just discussing matters relating to the city with a couple of other senators and their supporters.”
There are indeed other senators there in his home, men and women who are typically his supporters within the senate. There are nobles as well, richly dressed and adorned with jewelry.
“Senator Lyra,” one of the senators says. “I didn't know you would be attending this gathering. Does this mean that you and Marcus are reconciled?”
For a time, our relationship was the talk of the city. People assumed that an alliance between us stood for a compact between the wealthy merchants and the common people. We had public attention, and we were able to attract support to our efforts in the senate.
“I came to discuss the threat posed by Selene Ravenscroft with Marcus,” I say.
“That's what we've been talking about,” a nobleman says. He’s young and good looking, with a mop of blonde hair and startling blue eyes. I think his name is Allin. “And as I keep telling him, people need someone to rally behind. You and Marcus were a powerful symbol of unity for the Republic. Now that you aren't together in that way, it's created a vacuum that the former arch magistrate can exploit.”
“Which is why Lyra came here,” Marcus says, “isn’t it, Lyra? To announce to you all that we are back as we were.”
That shocks me. The idea that Marcus would simply announce something like that without even asking me is… it's something he simply can't do.
“Can I talk to you for a moment, Marcus?” I ask him. “In private?”
