“Of course, I—”
I stopped suddenly, recognizing the scent of that bastard Quintus right before he walked around the corner. He caught my gaze and smirked as he sauntered by. A prickle of unease instantly awakened my dragon.
“Just a minute,” I whispered to Grandfather.
Marching quickly up behind Quintus, I said, “You seem to have something you want to say to me.”
Quintus stopped and turned, arrogance painted in every line of his ugly face. “I hadn’t planned to say anything, but Lady Fortuna seemed to guide me right into your path today.” He shrugged. “I was just thinking you have some nerve accusing me of fucking slaves when you’re doing the same.”
“What?” I hissed.
He leaned closer, voice dipping. “I heard what you did. Fucking a slave dressed as a whore in your litter.”
“What are you talking about?” I demanded, taking an aggressive step closer.
“Don’t pretend you don’t know. I overheard Drussus telling his menafter he met with Caesar today. His praetorian caught you with her. The same slave who killed Valerius.” He chuckled. “But maybe you didn’t even know.” He studied my expression then laughed harder, while my blood chilled down to my bones. “Did she fool you into thinking she was just a whore?”
The guard who’d stopped us had reported it to Caesar. The guard knew where I’d gone with her. Lela was in danger. So were we all.
Without saying a word, I turned back and stalked to my grandfather, his expression pinched with concern.
“You should watch who you hire to take to your bed, Tribune,” Quintus yelled after me. “Someone might not believe your idiocy.”
By the time I reached Grandfather and looked back over my shoulder, Quintus was already gone.
“New plan,” I told him. “You’re getting out of the city tonight.”
“What are you talking about?”
“It’s too dangerous to stay now. I’ll explain later. Go home, pack a single bag that is easy to carry. Coin too. We’ll need it for bribing along the way. Tellno one.”
Rather than argue with me the way most men would, he paused only a second longer, seeing all he needed to see in my eyes. He nodded.
“I’ll wait to hear from you at home.”
“No. Go to Horatius’s home instead.”
“Why Horatius?”
Not only was he one of our league of liberators, he was also a Griseo, a gray dragon of the lowest caste. No one would think the elite Sapphirus would ally with a lowly Griseo. At least not Caesar and his sycophants, who only ever thought someone’s worth was based on their hierarchy.
“Because they won’t suspect you’ve gone there if they come looking for you.”
I couldn’t delay another second. I sprinted through the nearest alley, taking the back way toward Palatine Hill. The wind whipped harder as a rumble of thunder rolled closer, the sky darkening quickly. By some miracle, I only encountered one other man hauling his cart down the road, and he never looked up, hurrying to find cover before the sky opened.
Upon crossing the threshold into Fausta’s home, the heavy metallic scent of blood coated my tongue. The soft sound of two women crying came from farther in the house. I ran through the corridors, sweat beading my brow as I came to an entryway into a bedchamber.
Two women were on their knees just inside, rocking and whimpering softly. One jerked her head around, sensing me.
“Please don’t kill us,” she begged. “We didn’t do this! Our mistress is dead.”
“And Octavio,” said the other younger girl.
Stepping past them, I took stock of the room, realizing why they hadn’t entered. The entire room was drenched in blood—carpet and walls. It was even dripping from the stone ceiling. Fausta’s head lay near the entrance, her eyes wide and glassy. Her body lay in the middle of the room along with the bodies of three praetorians. A scroll with a broken seal—Caesar’s seal of a red dragon flying upward—lay half soaked on the carpet.
There was no way to tell who killed who or how. One of the praetorians had been decapitated as well. There were so many lacerations on their bodies, blood painting everything.
“Lela!” I called, my chest tight with anguish, my heart racing with fear. My dragon pushed against my skin, growling deep in my belly, both of us overwhelmed with fury and terror that she was hurt and taken by someone who may have survived.
