“Here in the capital,” Marcus said, taking the seat beside me. “He’s a centurion of the Palace Guard now. Lucius Arilius.”
“Lucius Arilius,” I repeated, the name bitter on my tongue. All these years, I’d hated a man, a memory, and now he had an identity, a rank, a place in the world. The abstract hatred that had sustained me for so long suddenly had a focal point, and it burned in my chest like molten iron.
“How did you find him?” I asked, looking between them.
“Marcus has been asking questions in the taverns near the palace,” Septimus explained, leaning against the windowsill. “Former soldiers drink there. They talk.”
“Septimus told me his name,” Marcus added. “And the name of your village, and your parents. Eventually I found someone who had served with him on that… day.”
“Does he know why you were asking about him?” The thought sent a chill through me. If my true identity was discovered...
“No,” Septimus shook his head firmly. “The records from that day show all villagers were either killed or enslaved. Our identities are safe. I highly doubt he’ll remember the faces of two kids.”
I traced the outline of Arilius’s face on the parchment. “He’s part of the Palace Guard. That means he’s at the palace daily, close to the Emperor.” My mind raced with possibilities. “This changes things.”
“How so?” Marcus asked, watching me closely.
I looked up at him, then at Septimus. “My original plan was to gain access to the Emperor during the graduation ceremony. But that’s six months away, assuming I even pass the trials. If Arilius is at the palace regularly…”
“No,” Septimus said sharply. “Don’t even think about it, Livia. Going after him now would expose you before you can get to the Emperor.”
“Septimus is right,” Marcus agreed, his hand covering mine on the table. “Patience has gotten you this far. Don’t throw it all away for a subordinate, no matter how personal the vendetta.”
I pulled my hand away, anger flaring. “Personal? He murdered my brother. He helped slaughter our entire village, Septimus, including your family. This isn’t some abstract grudge — it’s justice.”
“And you’ll have it,” Septimus said, his voice softer now. He pushed away from the window and came to kneel beside mychair, looking up at me with an intensity that made my breath catch. “We promised you vengeance, and you’ll have it. But not at the cost of your life.”
The genuine concern in his eyes took the edge off my anger. “Then what do you suggest?”
“We wait,” Marcus said. “We gather more information about his routines, his weaknesses. And when the time is right — after you’ve established yourself fully at the academy, after suspicion has faded — then we strike.”
“Besides,” Septimus added. “Just killing Arilius won’t satisfy you. Not really. He was following orders that day — the Emperor’s orders. He’s a symptom, not the disease.”
I knew they were right, but the knowledge did little to calm the storm raging inside me. For years, I’d dreamed of facing that soldier, of watching the recognition dawn in his eyes as I revealed who I was before ending his life. Now that dream was tantalizingly within reach.
“Where’s your Talfen?” Septimus asked suddenly, glancing around the room as if just noticing Tarshi’s absence.
“His name is Tarshi,” I said, the familiar irritation surfacing. “And I don’t know. He was gone when I returned from my morning training.”
Septimus’s lip curled. “Another of his mysterious disappearances? You should keep a tighter leash on your slave, Livia. People will talk.”
“He’s not actually my slave,” I reminded him coldly. “And he’s free to come and go as he pleases.”
“Enough,” Marcus said firmly. “I came to tell you about Arilius, and because I was worried about you after last night.”
The genuine concern in his voice deflated my anger, but I shot him a warning glance.
“I’m fine,” I said, less convincingly than I’d intended.
“Are you?” Septimus challenged, his blue eyes piercing.
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I told him about Varin trying to rape you,” admitted Marcus.
My stomach dropped. “You did what?” I hissed, glaring at Marcus.
Septimus’s face had gone frighteningly still, a muscle twitching in his jaw. “Why didn’t you tell me?” His voice was dangerously quiet.
