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‘Oh, Gia. Do you know how many times I’ve been in love? Hundreds of times. Thousands of times. More times than I can count.’ His face fell, a mask of some unspoken tragedy. ‘Most often, it only lasts for a week, a month or two…’

‘I’m not sure that’s love, Cass,’ said Gia.

‘Whatever it is, it didn’t last… It doesn’t last, no matter how much I will it to. If I turned my life upside-down every time I fell in love, I would be an hourglass.’

Gia shook her head, amused despite his opposition.

‘Love is just something the gods made up, to make us go along with their nonsense,’ he said.

‘Do you really believe that?’ she asked.

‘No, but I wish you did, so I could talk you out of it.’

‘You were gone a long time,’ said Gia eventually. ‘There is so much of my life you weren’t present for, so much of me you don’t know now.’ She fixed him with an intense stare, leaning forwards and clasping her hands together. ‘I killed a man, Cass. I killed… well, several men, actually.’

‘And what? I’ve killed too, sister. This is a kill or be killed world. You don’t have to feel guilty for it.’

Despite this, he looked slightly sickened as an unidentified memory floated into his mind.

‘I am changed,’ she said. ‘I’m not a kid any more, begging you to teach me to fight.’

‘No, because you could probably kick my arse now.’

He reached his hand out, into the space between the two beds, and she took it.

‘It felt like a lifetime, that we were apart,’ she said.

‘I’m not the same person any more, and neither are you, I know that… but you’re still my little sister.’

Gia seemed on the verge of tears again. She wasn’t angry at her brother, just sad, grieving… confused, maybe. A battle of emotions passing over her in waves, like fighting soldiers.

And where was Claudia? Peeping on them through her magic fucking mirror, like some mythological villainess.

‘Can’t you just be happy for me?’ Gia said.

‘I want to be. If you told me that you were with that other gladiator girl, or a brothel worker, or even a senator’s wife, I would throw you a party and buy you a present, but not her, Gia. Please not her.’

‘It doesn’t work like that,’ Gia said. ‘It’s too late.’

‘Too late? That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement of your relationship, is it? It’s not a death sentence, Gia. Although for us, maybe it will be. The death of us all.’

‘At least we shall be together then,’ she said, dryly.

‘Oh yes, I’m sure the underworld is lovely, sister, with the harpies and the shades and gods knows what else they have down there. I’m sure it would be a treat, a charming little family reunion.’

She rolled her eyes at his sarcasm.

‘If people find out about the two of you, you know what they’ll do, don’t you?’ he said. ‘They’ll kill you to keep you out of the way, or to spare her reputation. They’ll kill you so she has to marry the prince, or her cousin. Either that, or they’ll kill the both of you.’

‘We have the goddesses on our side.’

‘On your side, or hers?’ said Cassius. ‘Even by your own telling of the story, you were just a nameless warrior they foresaw, destined to protect Claudia long enough for her to become empress.’

Gia shifted uncomfortably.

‘She chose you, not them, and you did your duty like a good little soldier. Your part is over now, sister. If you think the goddesses won’t sacrifice you, now you’ve done what they wanted you to, you misunderstand their immortal games. They are more gods than they are women.’

‘Cass, just stop.’