“You notice they’re only attacking some places?”Alaric says, as we try to keep pace with the mob, moving swiftly over the rooftops and watching the chaos below.
I hadn’t noticed it until Alaric points it out.Now, though, I can see that people are breaking into only a few of the houses they pass, smashing up a small number of stalls and causing damage only in particular places.It isn’t even the whole mob getting involved in the violence.I can feel a different strand among the feelings of violence and mayhem: a sense of determination and duty.Once I feel that, it’s easy to pick out the smaller group within the crowd, armed and partially armored, wearing the colors of one of the gangs.
“She’s paid one of the gangs,” I say.
Alaric nods.“That’s what it looks like.My guess is that Selene’s paying them to attack those who aren’t her supporters.It’s a way of intimidating those who want to stand against her.”
That makes me angry, even as I admire the skill with which she’s manipulating the city.Selene is causing chaos, which I have no doubt she’ll have the senate use to justify more authoritarian measures.She’s increasing the tension in the city and preparing the way for revolution.She’s attacking her enemies, while giving rewards to the gangs who might support her during any uprising to come.
And meanwhile, the guards continue to stand back.Isthis because they don’t think they can take the mob on directly?Are they just biding their time, letting the violence burn itself out?Or are these guards under Selene’s control, the way so many of the guards in Ironhold seem to be?
“We need to do something about this,” I say.“We can’t just let this happen.”
“Don’t worry,” Alaric says.“We won’t.”
He starts to run along the rooftops now, skimming from roof to roof with all the grace and agility I remember so well from our time in the colosseum.I hurry to keep up, borrowing a touch of grace from one of the birds nesting in the eaves of a house.I’m careful not to take too much, for too long.Doing so can hurt the animals I borrow from, draining them or even killing them.It can also hurt me.I’ve seen beast whisperers with animalistic features, patches of fur or eyes like cats.They’re the ones who’ve held onto attributes from animals too long, unable to give back what they’ve taken.
For now, I just take enough to keep up with Alaric as he hurries ahead of the mob, running into the forum and taking up position atop the fountain there.I run beside him, hoping he knows what he’s doing.
“What’s your plan?”I ask.“I assume youdohave a plan?”
“Perhaps my plan is simply to improvise what happens next,” Alaric counters, with a grin.“And then to stun you with my brilliance.”
The worrying thing is thatmightbe his plan.Alaric has often been prepared to throw himself into the middle of dangerous situations, confident his skills can handle it.I really hope he has something more than that in mind here.No matter how skilled a gladiator he is, Alaric can’t take on a whole mob.
They’re coming now, advancing on the forum, still chanting the same things.
“Give us the true games!”
“We want jobs!”
“The slums are a part of the city!”
I can hear the desperation in some of their voices.Along with Rowan and some of the others on the senate, I worked hard to try to make sure conditions improved for the people of the slums, but we were never able to achieve as much as we wanted.It always felt as if there were something holding us back.It means that the ordinary people of the city are still poor, still often hungry, still prey to the gangs that make the slums their home.
Exactly the kind of people Selene can manipulate by promising them a better life.
Alaric stands there before them and he looks at me.“Can you do anything to calm them long enough to make them listen?”
“I’ll try,” I say, reaching out with my magic.I’ve influenced people plenty of times now, but never so many at once.I don’t have the kind of precise emotional control that I might have had with only one or two people, so the best I can do is calm people a fraction, make them hesitate for a second or two in their desire to demonstrate their anger by inflicting violence on the city.
As I do it, Alaric makes bursts of light flare around him, drawing attention to himself.
“Citizens of Aetheria,” he calls out.“You’ve been lied to.”
He pauses for effect, and Alaric’s charismatic enough that he can get away with it.People stop and stare at him.
“Hey, aren’t you-” someone begins.
Alaric beats them to it.“Alaric Blackthorn.Former gladiator, former noble.Current leader of the resistance movement in Aetheria.”
He says it as if they should applaud him.Of course he does.Alaric is good at being the center of attention.
“Look at yourselves, out here,” Alaric says.“Whyare you here?Because someone told you it might make your lives better?Because someone told you it was time to show the rich folk of the city that you won’t be held down anymore?”
“It’s true!”a man calls back.He might be one of the gang members.It’s hard to tell in the thronging crowd.
“It’s true that you’re suffering,” Alaric shoots back.“But the things Selene Ravenscroft wants aren’t the answer.She would make slaves of you, not free you.She would reinstate her version of the empire; a place where those with less magic wouldbeless, with no chance to rise and become more.You’re out here shouting for the grand tournament, but that’s her project.It only helps her, not you!”
