“I’ve got him!” Septimus shouted, so Iresumed my chase, hopping over the prone form of my attacker, butto my dismay, I saw the rear door yawning open, with who I hadpresumed was Aviola nowhere in sight beyond the doorway.
Thank Fortuna, before I went anothercouple of steps, I heard another shout from out in the street,followed by a deeper, meatier sound, and as I rushed through thedoor, the sight that greeted me was Demeter standing over someonewho was lying on his back in the middle of the street; what drew myeye was the gladius in theRhodian’s hand, which was pulled back near his ear.
“Demeter!”
Even as I bellowed his name, I knew that itwould mean waking everyone within earshot, but I had no choicebecause I was close enough to see the man’s face, and I recognizedthat look. For years, even longer than any member of the Pullusfamily, Demeter had been dreaming of this moment, and it was onlylater that I understood how, in that instant, Aviola’s identity hadbeen confirmed for me because of Demeter’s reaction to seeinghim.
My shout did the trick, thank the gods,because his arm had just begun moving down to plunge the point ofhis blade into the prone man’s throat. For his part, Aviola washolding both hands up above him in a gesture that I have seen moretimes than I can count, as a vanquished man begs for his life,although it rarely works. And, I knew in the moment, that Demeter’ssparing of Aviola was not because of his plea, but my warningshout. Except that, for the span of several heartbeats, it seemedas if Aviola’s reprieve would be temporary, as Demeter, havingarrested his downward movement at my shout, pulled his arm backagain.
“Don’t do it, Demeter,” I warned him,but in a normal tone. “You know that I need him alive.”
“Yes,” Demeter’s voice was hoarse,“but I do not.”
“Demeter!” Ispoke more sharply, mainly because I wanted him to take his gazeaway from Aviola, who was at least wise enough not to move,although he was making whimpering noises as his fate was beingdecided. I softened my tone, but not my words, “You don’t want tomake me your enemy, Demeter. And, I swear by Jupiter, and by Zeus,if you kill him now, you will be dead before you draw anotherbreath.”
He acted as if he had not heard me,but what mattered was the gladiusdid not move. With his left hand, he pointed down at Aviola,and the anguish was clear to hear as he spat, “He is the reasonLykos is dead!”
No, I thought, Lykos is the reason Lykos isdead; aloud, I said, “Then I will promise this much.” For the firsttime, he looked up from Aviola, our eyes meeting as I told him, “Assoon as I learn what I need, I will give him to you to do with asyou will.”
This elicited a reaction from Aviola, whoissued a low moan, but all I cared about was the Rhodian, who didnot answer immediately.
Finally, he asked, “You swear this,Pullus?”
“I do,” I assured him. “But,” Iwarned, “only once he’s given me what we came for.”
Demeter still did not lower his armfor another couple of heartbeats, but then, with a sharp exhalationof breath, he dropped his gladiusdown to his side, and it became my turn to sigh with reliefas I walked over to Aviola. Naturally, he had only been watchingDemeter, but his eyes turned upward at the sound of my approach,and even though I knew that I appeared upside down to him, he letout a low moan of fear.
“You…you’re Pullus’ brother!” hegasped. “The Legionary!”
“Close enough,” I answered, but I wasbending down as I spoke, grabbing a handful of tunic to lift himbodily to his feet in a manner that demonstrated how easy it wasfor me and sending the message that trying to escape would befoolish.
Just as I did so, there was movementfrom across the street, which Demeter also either saw or perhapsheard the footsteps, and since I was holding Aviola with my lefthand, I drew my gladius fromover my shoulder. Then Marcellus materialized out of the gloom,also with his gladius in hishand, but it was the blood covering the blade, gleaming in thefaint light, that caught my eye.
“What happened?” I asked sharply, andhe shook his head, refusing to meet my eyes.
“I’m too fucking old,” he saidunhappily, “that’s what happened.” He went on to explain, “I triedto knock the bastard out who was wedged in that spot across thestreet, but since I couldn’t get him from behind, he saw me coming,and drew his gladius.”
“Was he a Legionary like the two infront?”
To my relief, he shook his head, assuringme, “No, Pullus. He’s too dark-skinned to be Roman.”
“He’s not,” Aviola spoke up for thefirst time. “He’s Macedonian Egyptian.”
“He was Macedonian Egyptian,” I replied, then beforeanything more could be said, there was the sound of a door slammingfrom down the street, and I bit back a curse to say quickly, “Weneed to get back inside.”
I was turning Aviola around to shove himinside when Demeter asked, “What happened to the fourth man that wesaw earlier?”
Juno’s cunnus, I wanted to shout it out as I wonderedhow I could have forgotten about that. I glared at Aviola,demanding, “Well?” He shook his head, clamping his mouth shut; ittook one slap against his head that buckled his knees and requiredme to hold him upright that loosened his tongue.
“He’s going to a taverna in the city where I have more menwaiting.” For some reason, this seemed to embolden him as he lookedup at me the first time, “They’ll be here soon! And then,” hesmiled, “you’re going to be trapped here, and they don’t likeRomans in the Rhakotis.”
I wanted to smash his face in, but I did thenext best thing, completely ignoring him to ask Marcellus, “Where’sthe body?”
“I shoved it all the way back in thatgap out of sight,” he answered.
