It's obviously also too much for Domitian.
“Guards!”he calls out.“Arrest them all!Arrest these traitors to the Republic!”
The words are far too close to what Alaric said they would call him.I can see the gates on the arena floor opening up, and guards are coming out of them in neat ranks of white and gold.They advance towards the protesting group that has seized the floor of the arena, swinging clubs at them, attacking the way they would the most violent gangs.Someone shoves the young woman from the edge of the arena, sending her tumbling down onto the sands.A couple of friends catch her before she can suffer serious injury, but that just sends them all into the path of the birds.One is cut deeply by their claws.
Meanwhile, the guards are on them, and they aren't holding back.The clubs rise and fall as they strike at the protesting group, lashing out with the violence that looks likely to break limbs and shatter skulls.More are moving into the stands, targeting those pockets where people are chanting.
A protester gets too close to Cesca and she lashes out with her sword, making contact and sending lightning arcing down the blade to send the protester stumbling back.She starts after them, but the chain around her ankle prevents her from following.It’s clear she doesn’t like people interrupting her bouts, or maybe she wants to be seen to be on the side of Aetheria and the guards.
If I stand by and do nothing, how many people will be hurt?Certainly, the members of Alaric’s group will be arrested.What will happen to them then, when they’re already being beaten on the arena floor?Will they be dragged away into the depths of some dungeon to be beaten and punished?Will they be brought back into the arena to die in the very place they were trying to close?
Those thoughts fill me with horror and that horror is only compounded as the guards in the crowd continue to lash out, attacking anyone they even suspect of being with Alaric’s group.Some members of that group try to fight back with fists and feet, but more of them are simply trying to keep away from the guards, trying to keep shouting their message so that more of the people in the stands will hear it.
I know I can't allow this to continue.I can't stand by and let the guards inflict such cruelty on people.As a senator I don't exist to simply sit and watch.I should be doing something to make the lives of the people better.And right now, the people who are being attacked by the guards need me.If I do nothing, it’s only a matter of time before someone is killed.
I reach into the minds of the flightless birds on the arena sands.I send them moving in a herd, a wedge of dangerous, fast-moving creatures.I direct that wedge the way a general might direct troops on a battlefield, sending it to break up the formation of the guards, harrying and harassing those who are attacking downed protesters.I call him more birds from the sky, smaller things that swoop down to interrupt the guards in the stands, distracting them just long enough to let their victims back to their feet.
People start to run from the Colosseum, and all is chaos as they do so.There are screams in the crowd, and I try to use the small creatures of the Colosseum to distract people and force them out of one another's way.The protesters on the sands are scrambling to get out of the arena now, and I have the flightless birds run between them and the guards, creating interference that buys them time to escape.
They disappear into the crowd and now a whole wave of people is leaving the Colosseum.
“Stop them!”Domitian orders.“Stop them all!Close the gates to the Colosseum.”
“Are you mad?”Marcus retorts.“If we do that, people will be crushed.Leave the gates open.”
I'm grateful he's willing to do that much, willing to protect the people of the city.He's not willing to see the crowd of the Colosseum crushed to death in their eagerness to flee from the arena, even if that means that the rebellious protesters get away.The crowd flows out of the Colosseum into the streets, and Alaric’s people must go with them, because there are none left on the arena floor.
There is still some chaos there.I can see Sorrel fending off one of the birds, Cesca lashing out with her lightning again as one gets in touching distance.I pull the flightless birds back, wheeling them once before sending them back into the depths of the beast pits beneath the arena.The gladiators are still there and the guards, most injured but no one seriously hurt.The gates to the beast pits slam shut with a clang of metal that echoes around the Colosseum.It seems to signal an end to the fight, to the chaos, to the whole day of the games.
Domitian rounds on me.“You’ve gone too far this time, Senator Lyra.Helping rebels and traitors!I’ll see you imprisoned for this!”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
I sit waiting in the senate chamber within the palace.The viewing galleries are empty, but only because the guards at the gates are keeping out anyone who isn’t meant to be there.They’re pushing them out of the noble district, too, which sits like an island of tranquility in a city that I guess is utterly disturbed by the events of the day.
The senators file in, taking their seats.Domitian looks furious.Even Rowan doesn’t look happy as he sits down in the chair of the first senator.
"All right," Rowan says."Domitian, you're the one who called this emergency session of the senate.I assume this has to do with the way things went in the Colosseum?"
"The details of which you would already know if you were in the stadium," Domitian snaps.Rowan has stuck fast to his principles by not going to the games, but increasingly, it means that he's out of the loop when it comes to events.Far too much of the city's business takes place within the halls of the Colosseum.
“Have a care, Domitian,” Rowan says.“I am still the first senator of this city.”
“And I’m sure we all respect that,” Senator Octavio says, standing.“But today resulted in significant disorder.The guards had to intervene in the arena to protect people.”
“That’s not the way I remember it,” I say.
“Of course you don’t,” Domitian snaps.“Because you were apartof that disorder.You're working with the rebels within the city.The ones who want to undermine the Republic and all our hard-won gains!"
Rowan looks over to me.“What does he mean, Lyra?”
Domitian speaks again before I can reply, though.“What I mean is that we all know that these traitors are connected to the former gladiator, Alaric!Her lover!He’s been sending the senator messages.”
“Is that true, Lyra?”Rowan asks.
“That Alaric has been sending me messages?”I say.I nod.“But as the senator says, we used to be together.Does he think we should each pretend that the other doesn’t exist?”
“And you’ve been helping him!”Domitian says.“When the guards came down onto the colosseum’s floor, she controlled the great birds that were there, setting them on the guards!”
