Page 127 of Trial of Bronze and Blood
Stellae, I want her more than my own life.
Resigning himself, he considers heading over to the breakfast table where the daily spread is laid out. He takes one look at the food and grimaces, finding his appetite gone.
He heads for his room—when a figure materializes from behind a column. Marcus reaches for his dagger from his belt, the hilt still slick from jumping into the pool, until he recognizes the man.
“Praetor Marcus,” Gamemaster Ettore addresses him, pressing his hands tightly together. “I’ve been waiting for your return.”
Despite the ominous greeting, Marcus is almost grateful for his presence. Anything to distract him from what happened with Dru.
“What can I do for you, Ettore?” He gestures toward the food, but Ettore shakes his head, placing his clenched hands over his stomach.
“I feel unwell,” he admits. “But not as if I’m sick with some illness. My stomach cramps more with each passing day.” He presses his hand to his forehead. “And my head aches fiercely.”
Marcus takes stock of him. His eyes do appear bloodshot, his cheeks more sunken than the last time he saw him, his skin paler.
“You think they’re poisoning you,” Marcus guesses.
Ettore nods. “Slow enough not to raise suspicions, but yes.”
“The food here is safe, if you need to eat.”
He trembles. “I can’t keep anything down.”
“And you’re sure you didn’t eat some bad fish or lamb meat?”
Paranoia sweeps across his gaze. “I know they have it out for me. I’ve fought them every time they’ve tried to skirt around the rules. The rule they added at the end for the horse race was a long-fought compromise.”
Marcus hadn’t considered how much work Ettore was doing for them in the background. No doubt the Imperium had much harsher punishments in mind for each event so far. Ettore may have saved more lives than he realizes.Not that it matters, when only two competitors can win.
“And they don’t want to compromise on the final trial?”
“That’s just it.” Ettore sighs, leaningagainst the column beside him for support. “They haven’t tried to alter any of the rules set forth in the final trial. Which means they’re planning something they don’t want anyone to know about.”
“Something dark is at work here, Praetor,” Ettore confesses before Marcus can respond. “I’ve done all I can to unmask it, but…”
Marcus places a hand on his shoulder. “I don’t want you to worry, Ettore. Go home to your wife and your children. You’ve done all you can; the last trial will play out how it plays out now. There’s nothing you or I can do to change that.”
Maybe there never was.
Hope lightens his eyes, but his shoulders drop. “I don’t want to dishonor the king by resigning my post.”
He feels for Ettore, but something about all this raises his suspicions and it’s best if less people are involved.
“Leave that to me,” Marcus says, exiting the palace without another word.
Standing at the closed doors of the Spettrale temple, he knocks, impatient for one of the Tredici to let him in to see Cato. These doors are almost never closed, but today, with the king taking refuge inside, he’s relieved to see every precaution being taken.
His tunic has completely dried now, thankfully. The look on Dru’s face still haunts him but he feels invigorated after the swim. He always does after visiting that pool. Even the wounds on his hands appear to have started healing faster.
Waiting for someone to answer his knock, he glances around him, expecting to see some of the rebels from a couple days ago marching through the streets. But it’s quiet.Perhaps the Imperium soldiers took care of the situation.Though he hates to think what that might mean.
Before he can fully consider kicking in the door, the headpriestess finally answers. Her purple robes brush the floor, hanging loose on her frame.
“Forgive me for intruding,” Marcus says, bowing his head slightly, “but I need to see the king right away.”
Wordlessly, she steps aside. Taking one last look behind him to find the streets still empty, he slips in. The sound of the door closing echoes behind him.
A thought occurs to him, something he promised himself to investigate once he saw Ginevra again.
