She gives me a meaningful look, and leaves the two of us alone.
XV
I WAIT UNTIL RELUCIA’S LIGHT HAS VANISHED FROM VIEWbefore turning back to Lanistia. “She’s gone.”
“Good.” She keeps her voice as low as mine. “The cells nearby are occupied, but we should be alright if we speak like this.” She sighs. Silence for a second. “Well. Here we are. I can’t see you, by the way, in case you didn’t realise.”
I’d gathered. “You gave your Septimii back their Will?”
“It was the right thing to do.” A casual shrug, as if the loss of her sight and freedom is a small thing. “So. You know it wasn’t me?”
“The weird chanting was a pretty good hint.”
Lanistia nods. Relief in the motion. “I knew what I was doing. I remember it. I just couldn’t stop.” A hard bluntness to the statement that, knowing her as I do, says she’s steeling herself against the memory. “I know you told us about what happened at the Iudicium. What the … dead bodies trying to kill you said. But it wasn’t that. I wasn’t remembering it. It was … just something I had to say. That I had to say to you.” She pauses. “Before I killed you.”
“Oh.” I don’t know how to respond to that.
“But I taught you well enough to stop that from happening, too,” she adds, straight-faced. A hint of the woman I know in the statement.
“I suppose I owe you my life, then.”
“Call it even,” she says magnanimously. Her rare flash of humour fades. “I think there was something wrong as soon as I saw you that morning. In the back of my mind. Like an itch I couldn’t scratch.” She speaks slowly, still trying to figure it out even as she says it. “I feel it now, too. Barely there. But …”
I don’t allow myself to take an uneasy step back. “But what?”
“It got worse when we got to the Forum.”
“You were acting a little strangely when we arrived. Distracted,” I agree quietly. I’ve thought about this a lot too. “But it seemed to trigger when I went up to the Aurora Columnae.”
She nods. Reluctant, but she’s reached the same conclusion. “As soon as you touched it, I wasn’t in control anymore. I wanted to stop. But there was thisvoice. Booming in my head. And I couldn’t ignore it.” There’s a slight tremor to her words, at that. I can only imagine the horror. “Icouldn’t.”
“I believe you,” I assure her. “Any idea what could cause something like that?”
“Not any application of Will that I know of,” Lanistia agrees with my unspoken assessment. She indicates her empty eye sockets. “Based on what you told us, ithasto be something to do with this. With what happened when I was at the Academy.”
Same conclusion I’d come to. The reason I’m here, and we both know it.
“I remembered something, too.” She breathes it, almost as if she can barely dare to believe it herself. “When you touched the Aurora Columnae, just before the voices started. Just a flash. That room you described in the ruins, with all the bodies? I think I went there, once. I was saying a phrase.Miseram pacem vel bello bene mutari.”
I stare at her. “That’s Vetusian. Something like … ‘war is better than an unhappy peace’?”
The note of hope in her voice is discordant with her surrounds. “I don’t know what it means. But it’ssomething. I can’t find out more in here, but—”
“Of course. Of course I’ll look into it.” My mind races. “Veridius still wants to talk, I’m sure. Governance has all but banned me from leaving Caten until after Placement, but once that’s done …” To keep me safe until I’m properly situated in a pyramid, I’ve been told. As if I’m helpless without Will at my disposal. The exact day of the exam is being kept secret until just beforehand, but it’s probably still months away.
“I didn’t mean ask him directly.” A poisonous edge in the warning as she speaks of the man she holds responsible for the death of the one she loved.
“I know. But I can get myself invited back to Solivagus.”
Silence, then, “No.” Lanistia finally shakes her head as she understands what I’m suggesting. “No. Even if you managed to get away from Veridius, there’s every chance that place is where I lost my eyes. Using that phrase might be whatcausedit.” Her voice is firm. “I forbid it, Vis. You have access to the Catenan Bibliotheca now. And there are a hundred scholars in the city who would be more than thrilled to talk Catenicus to death about ancient Vetusian phrases. So academic research only. Promise me.”
“Youdoknow you’re in a prison cell, right?”
She stares at me impassively.
“Fine.” I wave my hand. “Research only. But Iamgoing to talk to Veridius.”
She grunts. “Then be careful around him.” She knew it would be a necessity. “And tell Ulciscor what you’re doing. He might be able to help.”
