“Do you even have an army?” asked the haughty man. “It’s come to my knowledge that you are no longer in charge of a legion. What I actually believe is that you want to steal mine. That’s the way of all Romans.”
“And how do you expect to defeat the Roman Empire simply by killing the emperor?”
“I will slaughter all of his men,” he boasted.
“How will you know who are his men?” I asked.
He scoffed. “The nobility all look the same. Wear the same clothes.”
“So you plan to kill all of the patricians of Rome? Even the innocents.”
He opened his mouth to snap back another retort, but Lela made a sound of frustration.
“Juno above,” she snapped. “We don’t have time for the two of you to piss in the wind. We must leave. You agreed to ally your army in exchange for freedom, did you not?” she demanded of the German.“Or would you prefer to stay here and be burned in the arena by dragon fire, which is what the emperor has planned for you.”
He stepped closer, his mouth tightening into a thin line. “Dragon fire can’t hurt me.”
I exchanged a look with Lela. He may be a dragon, but all dragons could be burned. This German had too much bravado.
“And yes,” he finally agreed, “I did make that oath, witch.”
“Good. It’s settled. Open the door, Trajan.”
I bristled even as I fumbled with the keys to find the right one on the ring to open the door. My dragon sensed the presence of a threat. This German had all the looks of a wild barbarian. Even bruised from maltreatment, he appeared dangerous, and my dragon didn’t like him walking up the steps and through the open cell door.
Lela dug into the satchel she carried around her waist and pulled out a cloak, handing it over to the Visigoth.
“If you betray us after we set you free,” she said, “I’ll kill you myself with my blood magic.”
He took the long black cloak and swung it over his shoulders, tying it at the neck. “Do not worry yourself, sorceress. I honor my oaths. And I do not want to die by your blood magic. I will die in battle as true warriors should.”
“We need to move quickly,” I growled. “We’re heading directly to the docks. Don’t fall behind.”
With that, we hurried up the steps and past the sleeping guards, marching quickly down the corridor and out into the night.
The barbarian slowed, observing the other fallen guards, then muttered, “Witchcraft.”
Then we rushed into the shadows, heading down Capitoline Hill back the way we had come.
XXXLELA
Trajan led us back down the same streets, but they weren’t as empty as when we’d come this way. He took my hand and kept me close as we turned down another street that seemed much fuller with people, musicians beating their drums and playing pipes, half-naked dancers laughing and frolicking in their wake.
“This way,” said Trajan, turning down another road to avoid the crowd. “This one leads past the forum then straight to the Aventine.”
The German remained behind me, his hood and cloak completely engulfing him. Not that anyone was concerned with us at all. We were moving through easily until a clamor of music and singing erupted suddenly from a tavern on our left.
A throng of people rushed out following three naked women, spring flowers adorning their hair. Trajan tugged me back closer to the wall of the building. Alaric pushed to the wall as well.
Behind the women, a line of eight men chased after them—all naked except for masks depicting satyrs with horns. One of them wore no mask but a crown. I recognized him as one of the senators who’d visited Valerius’s house once, but he wasn’t a regular that I knew his name. Just one of the many of the elite who controlled this city.
He caught one of the women first, who wasn’t truly trying to get away.
She squealed with laughter as he threw her over his shoulder. Two clothed men carried out a settee into the middle of the street, all while the crowd pushed out of the tavern, wanting to get a good look at the display.
The king of the group placed the woman on all fours on the settee. She arched her back and looked over her shoulder with desire, while another man joined him, already stroking his cock.
Trajan pulled me forward, trying to get across, as the crowd continued to file out into the street and others nearby hurried over to watch.
