Assassin's Heart (37 page)
Authors: Monica Burns
Beside her, Emma nodded, and she did the same. The look he gave her seemed particularly harsh compared to the look he’d given Emma. How long would it take him to get over being angry with her? At least as long as it took for them to get out of the Circus Maxentius without incident. Fear for her safety was driving his anger, just as her fear for
him drove her to insist on coming with him. He was nervous about the possibility of running into Praetorians, and she understood that.
It wasn’t exactly something she was hoping for, but she sure as hell wouldn’t mind killing one or two of the
bastardi
for all the pain they’d caused the two of them. With a grunt of irritation, Lysander looked at Ares and jerked his head toward a high wall across the street.
bastardi
for all the pain they’d caused the two of them. With a grunt of irritation, Lysander looked at Ares and jerked his head toward a high wall across the street.
“Let’s do this.” His sharp command made her wince as he got out of the car.
She slipped out of the backseat of the vehicle and closed the door with a quiet thud. In the darkness, the black Land Rover blended in with the foliage, concealing the vehicle to the point that it would go unnoticed by passing cars. Directly beside them, Luciano had parked in the same way, and she saw Cleo getting out of the second Land Rover’s front seat. Cleo sent her a conspiratorial wink as her friend took in Lysander’s grim expression.
Overhead, clouds drifted across the moon, affording them just enough light to see without making them obvious targets when they had to cross the ground between them and the circus wall. With everyone gathered around him, Lysander nodded toward the stone fence.
“Okay, we’ve got a mixture of brush and open ground to cover before we reach the circus wall. Phaedra? Anything?” He looked at her in a clear indication he wanted to know if she sensed any Praetorian presence. When she shook her head, he gave her a sharp nod. “All right, let’s move fast and stay alert.”
No one questioned his orders as the team quickly crossed the two-lane highway and headed toward the stone facade that had once housed thousands of spectators. It took several minutes of a steady jog to reach the wall surrounding the ruins. Lysander motioned for Luciano to go over the wall first, and then Cleo. While it would have been easier to move farther down the length of the structure to find an opening in the crumbling wall, she knew it would waste precious time. As the two fighters vanished over the wall, he turned his head toward his shoulder.
“Cleo, Pasquale. Status?” Lysander’s voice echoed softly in her ear through the surveillance gear she wore just like everyone else.
“All clear,” Cleo said in a soft voice.
At the confirmation, Lysander nodded at Ares and Emma. Less than thirty seconds later, Ares used his telekinetic ability to effortlessly lift Emma up over his head until her hands grabbed at the top of the surface. As her sister-in-law disappeared over the stone barrier, Lysander turned to her.
The harsh expression he’d been wearing in the car hadn’t softened as he gestured for her to step into the saddle stirrup he made of his hands. She suppressed a sigh of resignation.
If the man thought to make her regret her decision to force his hand in bringing her with him, he was mistaken. She wasn’t going to let him out of her sight if she could help it.
She stepped forward, and with a small hop into the makeshift step he offered her, she allowed him to propel her upward to the top of the wall. In seconds, she landed on the opposite side, with Lysander and Ares following her in short order.
Stretched out before them was the wide expanse that had once served as a track for chariot races. In the middle were the remains of what had been the s
pina
. Emma looked at Lysander and nodded in the direction of the barrier that ran down the middle of the huge, oval track.
pina
. Emma looked at Lysander and nodded in the direction of the barrier that ran down the middle of the huge, oval track.
“The obelisk would have been at that end, closest to the imperial box,” she said quietly as she surveyed what was left of the s
pina
. “There’s not much left in the way of a good foundation, but hopefully the Tyet
of Isis
is still here.”
pina
. “There’s not much left in the way of a good foundation, but hopefully the Tyet
of Isis
is still here.”
“Phaedra.” Lysander didn’t look at her, but her entire body vibrated when he spoke her name. He didn’t have to ask the question for her to know he wanted a confirmation of her earlier assessment of any Praetorian presence.
“Nothing. If there’s a Praetorian anywhere nearby, they’re exceptional at disguising their whereabouts.”
She saw him go rigid at her response, and she frowned. It was almost as if he were expecting trouble. He nodded sharply.
“Pasquale, you’re to help Emma with that folding shovel of yours. The rest of us will stand guard.”
Not needing a direct order, the team moved quickly along the remains of the stone divider running down the middle of the circus. The length of the barrier was almost a quarter of a mile long, and as they reached the end, she was marveling at the engineering that had to have gone into the immense complex.
The clouds parted slightly as they reached the end of the stone divide. Emma knelt on the ground and illuminated the stones in front of her with a small penlight. Over the next hour, Emma examined every inch of the ruins at her feet. Occasionally, she’d mutter to herself as she studied the stone foundation. The sudden sound of her sharp inhale made the entire team turn in her direction.
“Give me the shovel.” With a sharp gesture at Pasquale, she extended her hand for the tool. Luciano unfolded the small spade and handed it to her. Ares took a couple of steps closer to her.
“You found something, i
namorato?
” Phaedra could hear the excitement in her brother’s voice as he leaned down slightly over his wife.
“It’s a metal plate of some sort directly beneath this stone.” Emma said as she gently scraped away at the dirt surrounding the granite.
“Wouldn’t someone have seen it before now?” Pasquale’s cynicism matched Phaedra’s.
“No. It was covered with the mud they used for mortar.” Emma worked carefully to scoop away dirt from under the stone as she continued her explanation. “Whoever put it here had to have dug under the original marble that encased the s
pina
and shoved it under the stone. It might just be a marker or something the engineers used, too. I won’t be sure until I can look at it.”
pina
and shoved it under the stone. It might just be a marker or something the engineers used, too. I won’t be sure until I can look at it.”
The excitement in the group resonated across Phaedra’s senses. She knew everyone was hoping they were going to find the Tyet
of Isis
, but under that exhilaration was a tension that made her nervous as hell. There was a familiarity to it she didn’t like. She slowly turned to study the large, open expanse they were in. Nothing seemed out of place or odd, but the sensation that something was wrong grew inside her. In that instant, Lysander was beside her.
of Isis
, but under that exhilaration was a tension that made her nervous as hell. There was a familiarity to it she didn’t like. She slowly turned to study the large, open expanse they were in. Nothing seemed out of place or odd, but the sensation that something was wrong grew inside her. In that instant, Lysander was beside her.
“What is it?”
“I’m not sure. It just doesn’t feel right.”
He didn’t wait for further details. He simply dipped his head toward the mike he wore on his shoulder. “Emma, we don’t have time to be cautious here. Dig fast.”
As she turned back toward her brother and sister-in-law, Phaedra caught a glimpse of movement at one of the main towers that stood at one end of the circus. Her nerve endings screamed a warning, and she automatically drew her sword. The minute she did so, the soft whisper of other swords leaving their leather casings echoed in her ears.
She took a couple of steps toward the tower as the clouds parted so the moon could illuminate the landscape. The shadowy figure moving near the tower made her suck in her breath with relief. A cow.
Il Christi omnipotentia
, it was just a cow. All around her, she could sense the relief, and she was certain it was Cleo whose amusement was filtering through the group’s sudden release of tension. Behind her, she heard her sister-in-law’s exclamation of triumph and turned back toward her at the same time as the rest of the small party.
Il Christi omnipotentia
, it was just a cow. All around her, she could sense the relief, and she was certain it was Cleo whose amusement was filtering through the group’s sudden release of tension. Behind her, she heard her sister-in-law’s exclamation of triumph and turned back toward her at the same time as the rest of the small party.
“Got it,” Emma said with a strong note of satisfaction. Her fingers gently brushed across the dirt-encrusted metal as Ares’s hand caught his wife’s elbow and pulled her to her feet.
“You can look at it later,” he said gruffly. Despite the brusque note of concern in his voice, there was a hint of pride as well.
Lysander nodded at Ares’s statement. “Okay, we got what we came for, so let’s move.”
“And what if it isn’t what we came for? At least let me figure out what I’m holding.” The moonlight illuminated Emma’s stubborn expression as she glared up at Ares. The minute she saw her brother hesitate, Phaedra nodded.
“She’s right. If it’s not what we came for, we’ll have to do this all over again. We’re here, let’s finish it.” She met Lysander’s hard gaze steadily. They both knew Emma was right, but she could tell he didn’t want to admit it.
“V
a bene,
” he snapped with a note of disgust in his voice. “Quickly. The longer we stay here, the greater our chances of running into trouble.”
Emma hadn’t waited for his approval and had already pulled a small brush from the backpack she carried. She thrust her penlight into her husband’s hand and forced him to hold it so the light shone on the metal plate’s encrusted surface.
“Damn it, it’s all in Latin. Give me a tablet of hieroglyphs, and I can rattle it off like the alphabet,” Emma sighed with disgust as she looked up at her husband. “Latin never held any interest for me, until I met you, mi
o amor
.”
o amor
.”
“Let me try,” Ares murmured. He directed a steady beam of light down at the piece of metal as he studied the artifact Emma tilted in his direction. “The Tyet
of Isis
… Octavian … center of all that is Sicari.”
of Isis
… Octavian … center of all that is Sicari.”
Phaedra jumped the instant her brother said Octavian’s name. Without thinking, she jerked her head in Lysander’s direction. Did he recognize the name, too? A flash of indefinable emotion flitted across his face before he assumed the stoic look he’d perfected. It didn’t matter how much he tried to hide it, she was certain he’d recognized Octavian’s name and its significance.
“Who the fuck is Octavian?” Cleo asked in an irritated manner. “
Christus
, this clue isn’t any clearer than the ones we already have.”
Christus
, this clue isn’t any clearer than the ones we already have.”
“Octavian is the Praetorian who betrayed Maxentius at the Battle of Milvian Bridge,” Lysander murmured then stiffened as if suddenly realizing he’d spoken out loud.
“How do you know that?” Ares frowned as he stared at his friend in surprise, and the question made Lysander’s scarred cheek muscles grow taut across his cheekbone.
“Something I read somewhere, I think.” Lysander shrugged, and Phaedra was certain he made it a point not to look in her direction as he turned to Emma. “Are you satisfied this is what we came for?”
“Yes. It might not be what we were hoping to find, but it tells us we’re on the right track,” her sister-in-law said as Lysander nodded then glanced around at the team.
“All right, everyone. We’re done here. Let’s move.” He sheathed his sword and waited for the others to follow suit. “Pasquale. Take point.”
Like a well-oiled machine, they all turned and headed back the way they’d come. The distance between them and the wall closed rapidly as the group maintained a steady jog. Beside him, Lysander could sense Phaedra’s gaze on him every few seconds. Up until he’d heard Octavian’s name, his anger at the way she’d wrangled her way onto this expedition had been at a steady boil. But the instant he heard Ares read the plate, resignation, and more than a hint of panic, had replaced his anger.
The minute she got him alone, she was going to force him to admit that their dreams were interconnected. And at the moment, he didn’t have a leg to stand on when it came to arguing
against
her logic. When he’d heard Octavian’s name, it had been like having someone kick him in the teeth. He’d known exactly who the
bastardo
was and what he’d done to Maximus’s men at that last battle.
against
her logic. When he’d heard Octavian’s name, it had been like having someone kick him in the teeth. He’d known exactly who the
bastardo
was and what he’d done to Maximus’s men at that last battle.
Vivid images of Quinton being struck down by a fireball from a catapult and dead bodies floating in the Tiber River swept through his head until a chill slid down his back. They were dreams, nothing more. He knew it was a tired argument, and Phaedra wasn’t about to let him dodge the bullet this time. And he sure as hell wasn’t going to like admitting it either.
They were about twenty yards away from the stone facade that had once been the support for stadium seating when he heard the whisperings in his head. He abruptly came to a halt, forcing Cleo, who was behind him, to bump into him before coming to a stop as well. In a fluid motion, he pulled his sword out of its scabbard as he dipped his head toward his shoulder mike.
“We’ve got company.” His sharp statement brought the entire group to a halt. Weapons drawn, the team formed a circle, their backs to each other with Emma in the center. Phaedra flanked him, and without taking his eyes off the wall in front of him, he tilted his body toward her. “Phaedra?”
He already knew the answer but was hoping he was wrong. There were five Praetorians on the opposite side of the wall. One of them was the piece of shit who’d assaulted Phaedra.
“He’s here.” Her voice didn’t crack, although he could tell by the tension in her body she was frightened.
“W
ho’s
here?” Ares’s words were like a whip cracking in the earpiece.
ho’s
here?” Ares’s words were like a whip cracking in the earpiece.
“Tell him, Unmentionable.”
The Praetorian Dominus’s thoughts echoed strongly in his head. “A
nd tell your lovely bitch that fucking her is something I’m looking forward to.”
The Praetorian Dominus’s thoughts echoed strongly in his head. “A
nd tell your lovely bitch that fucking her is something I’m looking forward to.”
“Enough, Gabriel.”
The familiar voice echoing in his head was like someone dropping
him into an icy lake. Nicostratus. He went rigid as he struggled with the fear that rose up into his throat. “A
h, I see you recognize me, my son.”
“You are
not
my father, you sorry fuck,” he snarled, refusing to give in to his terror.
“Lysander?”
Christus
, he’d responded to Nicostratus out loud. How was he going to explain that? He heard the fear and bewilderment in Phaedra’s voice as her hand reached out to touch his arm. The control he usually had over his telepathic ability vanished as he caught the first stirrings of horror swirling in her head. D
ulcis matris Deus,
even the tentative touch of her hand revealed her awakening realization of what he was.
, he’d responded to Nicostratus out loud. How was he going to explain that? He heard the fear and bewilderment in Phaedra’s voice as her hand reached out to touch his arm. The control he usually had over his telepathic ability vanished as he caught the first stirrings of horror swirling in her head. D
ulcis matris Deus,
even the tentative touch of her hand revealed her awakening realization of what he was.
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