I’ve only seen one section of the area beneath the training hall. But the labyrinth of corridors and rooms must stretch out much farther than I’d imagined. And a second, hidden section of corridors allows anyone who knows about them to come and go as they please, hiding their movements.
“What exactly is it you do here?”
His chest puffs out. “I keep things in order. I make sure weapons are cleaned and stacked. I ensure the crystals are always filled with aether, so gladians have light. And water. I help create the mazes in the arena when the emperor demands them, and I make sure gladians keep to the areas where they’re supposed to be.”
He gives me a long look, as if suddenly realizingI’mnot supposed to be here.
Now that he’s finished talking, he seems almost lost.
He’s lonely. That much is evident. “Will you show me how it works?”
Excitement lights his eyes, and I smile at him. I don’t have much time if I’m going to visit the healers and change my clothes before we meet the sponsors. But this is an opportunity I can’t pass up.
I need to know everything I can about this place, and these hidden tunnels could be the key to my escape once the emperor is dead.
“I’m not supposed to …”
“Show me the corridors, and I won’t tell the Primus you were spying on him.”
Jorah frowns at me. “I wasn’t!”
“Who do you think he will believe when he learns about all these hidden tunnels?”
Jorah casts me a look filled with betrayal, and something twinges in my chest. But I’m not here to make friends. I’m here to save my brothers’ lives.
“Fine.”
He turns and gestures for me to follow him to a small room on the right. The lights surrounding us glow brighter, and I attempt to map our location in my head. We must be behind the common room. Jorah glides silently in front of me, and I force myself to keep my steps light.
He takes a left, and the tunnel spits us out into a larger room. A desk takes up one whole wall, parchment and books scattered across it. A plate of half-eaten food makes it clear Jorah was eating lunch before he went wandering.
I frown, attempting to map the space in my head. “This shouldn’t be here. Even with my sense of direction, it doesn’t work.”
Jorah smiles proudly, his annoyance with me clearly forgotten. “This ludus was built long before the emperor used it for his gladians. It was built before the vampires ever came to Senthara. I found a book in the library that said Anoxian and Viderux created it on a bet.”
I suppose it would make sense that the gods of battle and death would create a place such as this.
Jorah sighs. “Although the emperor would call such an idea blasphemy now.”
Because vampires worship only Umbros.
Jorah is already turning away, pointing to a large wooden frame. With a wave of his hand, the frame lights up, lines and dots appearing.
It’s an aerial view of the ludus.
Jorah waves his hands again and the ludus disappears before I can truly study it. It’s replaced with a small section of rooms and corridors. He points to two dots separate from the others.
“This is us.”
Despite the throbbing pain in my hands, I can’t help but stare. I’ve only seen a tiny slice of the quarters below the arena. But the rooms beneath the ludus must stretch for miles, far past the boundaries of the arena.
So much of this city is underground, and I would bet most residents have no idea.
“You know a lot about the ludus.”
His shoulders straighten. “Tiberius Cotta said I’m doing such a good job that one day, he’ll ask one of the imperiums to let me train with them.”
Tiberius Cotta? Never heard of him. But I widen my eyes as if he’s the emperor himself. I …likeJorah.
