I’m already shaking my head.“I can’t,” I say.“I wish I could just be with you, but I can’t, Alaric.”
“Why not?”Alaric asks.He glances at the door.“Is it because of him?”
Does he really think I’m falling for Marcus again?
“Not in the way you think,” I say.“But if we disappear into the catacombs, it will bejustthe resistance against Selene, maybe with Marcus genuinely on her side, or maybe with him working against her in a way that doesn’t coordinate with us.Either way, she’d pick us off piecemeal.I need to be here so I don’t attract suspicion that I’m fighting against her.If I run, everyone in the city will be hunting me.”
“I could keep you safe,” Alaric says.
“But we wouldn’t be able to keep the city safe,” I reply.That’s the part that matters.We need to protect Aetheria.
“I understand,” Alaric says, but the disappointment in his voice is so deep I wonder if he truly does.“What now?”
“Now, you need to head back to the resistance and start to get ready for the tournament and the coup that comes with it,” I say.“I’m sure Marcus will make his own preparations.We’ll need ways to communicate.”
“I’ll set up more spots for you to leave messages,” Alaric assures me.
“And I’ll see if Rowan is prepared to be a part of this,” I say.“I know he was helping the resistance before.Is he still doing so now?”
“Up to a point,” Alaric says.“I get the feeling his power is slowly being eroded.”
“Then we need to be sure of what hecando,” I say.“When the time comes, I want to know how many of the city guards will be on our side.”
“I’ll get a message to him,” Alaric says.
That’s good, but I need to be the one to speak with him.There are so many potential sources of resistance to Selene: the resistance itself, Marcus’ allies, the forces of the city.But they’re separate fragments that need to be woven into a whole.Selene is trying to pick us off while we fight against one another.I need to bring the different factions together, and I don’t have long to do it before the Grand Tournament begins.
CHAPTER TEN
“I need to go out,” Marcus says.“As one of the organizers of the games, I need to attend the colosseum to oversee the preparations.”
“You could take me with you,” I suggest.
Marcus’ eyes briefly widen at that suggestion.
“Is it so surprising that I’d want to come rather than being stuck here?”I ask, gesturing to the villa.Marcus’ home is lovely, both luxurious and safe, but I’m also a prisoner here.At least I can go into the city alongside him.And maybe I can help.
“It might not be safe to take you into the place that’s at the heart of Selene’s plans right now,” Marcus points out.
“It’sbecausethe Grand Tournament is so central to her plans that I want to see it,” I insist.“We need as much information as possible about what’s going to happen, and I can help you get that.A second pair of eyes can’t hurt.”
Marcus puts a finger to his lips as a servant walks past.Marcus only employs people he trusts, but he still doesn’t want to risk Selene forcing information from one of them.What do the servants think of us falling silent like this?Perhaps they merely think Marcus is in the middle of trying to seduce me, or maybe he’s trying to bring me into his many schemes and political maneuverings.
As soon as the servant passes, he replies.
“I’m not happy with this idea, Lyra.There will be plenty of Selene’s allies around, watching for any misstep.You know the terms of your release into my hands: I’m responsible for you.”
“You’re afraid you’ll be punished if I step out of line?”I ask.
Marcus shakes his head.“I’m afraid I’ll be forced into punishingyou.”
“You’d do that?”I ask.
“I don’twantto do that,” Marcus says.“That’s the point.That’s why I don’t want to take you with me.What if one of Selene’s allies finds some pretext to say you’re acting to harm them?”
“Then you can call it out as a pretext,” I point out, putting my hand on his shoulder.“You can say that I’m yours and you’re not going to let others dictate what you do with me.”
“And if that isn’t good enough for them?”Marcus asks.“We could risk them becoming suspicious of us.I really think it’s better if you remain behind.”
