“Understandable. Our duty of care is heavier than ever in these times.” Again he seems almost ready to leave, but either greed or discipline—or the half dozen Sextii behind him—gives him some frustrating trace of backbone. “And in saying that, I would be remiss if I didn’t at least check …”
I don’t hesitate, with a casual shrug swinging the door invitingly wide. “Do you have a description yet?”
“Not much more than you would have heard, though we caught a glimpse of him earlier. Probably a little taller than you, strongly built. And he might be injured, though it depends how much Will he was imbuing.” The Quintus shakes the damp from his uniform and beckons his men inside. “We’ll be quick.”
“Thank you, Tanrius.”
I wander somewhat aimlessly after the group as they swarm with grim purpose into the atrium. Kadmos appears a moment later, a tunic draped across his arm and steaming cup in his hand. “I assume you’ve finished bathing now, Master Vis. Here’s your tea.” A normal volume, but at least a couple of the intruders will be able to hear. Quick thinking. It would’ve been strange if they’d checked the baths and my clothes weren’t there. Kadmos hands me both, then eyes the men vanishing into various rooms. “Who are our guests?”
“They’re chasing a criminal. Just checking he’s not hiding in here.” I take a long draught of the tea, the urgency of its effects outweighing its scalding nature.
“I think we may have noticed.”
“They’re just doing their job.”
Apparently determined to make me a liar, one of the Sextii still in the atrium eyes Kadmos. Walks up to him with insolent swagger and studies him. “Your name?”
I don’t let him speak. “His name is Kadmos,Sextus. He is the Dispensator of the Telimus family and isnoton the Proscription lists,” I say firmly, stepping between the men so that I am face-to-face with the blond man. “He is a Totius Septimus and is a member of my household.”
Diago pads forward. Sits prominently beside Kadmos.
I don’t glance at the alupi: confidence, rather than discomfort now. Two weeks, since he killed a room full of men in a matter of seconds. If not for the churning chaos of those first days after, the complete lack of any way to get out of the city, I may well have taken him back to Solivagus for fear of him snapping again.
Instead, I kept him in my rooms in Domus Telimus, unsure what else to do with him and with far too many other, more pressing concerns at the time. He slept on the floor, the first night. I woke to him curled up by my feet on the second.
And then on the third, to my choking on his fetid breath with his nose almost touching mine. He grunted sleepily and rolled onto his back as I shoved him away. And as I vainly tried to haul his massive and somewhat comically unwilling form out of my bed, I finally registered that I wasn’t afraid of him. Allowed myself to replay the nightmare of the Basilica, and realised just how targeted Diago was in his fury. No hint of threatening me. No hint of even threatening Ostius.
Only the men who arranged for the deaths of my friends. Only the men who would have ordered mine, had they been allowed to leave that room.
The Sextus’s gaze slides from me, to Kadmos, to the alupi now, uncertainty colouring the wild hunger in his eyes. I watch him carefully. I do think Tanrius is genuinely after Carnifex. These others with him, though … the way they look at everything reminds me of the ravening mobs I’ve been fighting. As if they are possessing everything with their eyes, and calculating how short a step it would be to make their desires reality.
The Sextus finally looks to the side. “As you say, Catenicus.”
I breathe an inward sigh of relief. Diago pushes his head against Kadmos’s side, and the Dispensator scratches his head absently. It’s been a gradual relaxing around the massive wolf, since those first few days. A mixture of increasing certainty that the alupi’s actions were in my defence, his ongoing calm obedience, and the growing necessity and comfort of his deterring presence.
I still don’t know exactly why he did what he did at the Basilica. Some effect of our strange connection that drove him to protect me, perhaps. But I am certain now that hewasprotecting me.
In these uncertain days, that has been enough for me.
“Catenicus!” Tanrius is calling from the next room, and I know immediately what it will be about. I take another sip of the tea, leave Kadmos with the watchful alupi, and make my way to the entrance of Ulciscor’s office.
“This door is locked.” The Quintus looks at me expectantly.
“And my father, wherever he is, is the only way in. Unless you think he’s the one you’re after?” I allow my gentle smile to falter as Tanrius continues to look dissatisfied. “Alright. You’re a Quintus. Smash away, I suppose. I’ve been wondering what was in there myself.”
Tanrius examines the door. It’s stone and wood, the majority of it covered in a beautiful relief of Etrius. The uniqueness of the art is meant to make it easier to imbue. “This looks expensive.”
I see his hesitancy. Wrack my brain. Tanrius. He’s from a family of knights. New money. “What do they say? Wealth is buying luxuries without having to think. Generational wealth is buying luxuries without thinking.” I give a rueful shrug. “My father falls into the latter category, sometimes, I’m afraid.”
Tanrius chuckles, nodding his like-mindedness. Considers me anew. “I forget you weren’t always a Telimus, sometimes. I hear your name so much, it feels as though you’ve been a part of the city forever.” He sighs, waves his hand. “Never mind about the door. Our time will be better spent moving on. Thank you for your accommodation, Catenicus.”
My relief is strong enough that it threatens to show itself, but I nod calmly back, Tanrius calls his men, and we walk to the door. I happen to glance down. Spot a dot of red beginning to leak through the right side of my robe. I dangle my arm to hide it.
The Quintus’s nose wrinkles as we leave the atrium. “What are you drinking?”
“Tea. It is as unpleasant as it smells,” I assure him, keeping to his right and doing all I can not to seem like I’m shielding something from him. “But it helps with the aches.” I motion with my stump. Draw his eyes away.
“Ah.” Just slightly uncomfortable, as almost everyone is when I call attention to the missing limb. “Well. I have been placed in charge of capturing Carnifex, so if you hear or see anything …”
