“That’s… I never thought you’d do it.Alaric always claimed one day you’d see the light, but I told him you were too attached to your life as a senator.”She curses.“You realize you’ve just cost me money?”
“Wait, youbeton whether I’d leave the senate?”
She shrugs.“It seemed like a safe bet, and Alaric sometimes needs to be taken down a peg or two.Now, he’s going to be more insufferable than ever.”
She leads me through the city, to a spot on the edge of the docks where there are several warehouses.We slip into an abandoned building opposite one of them.Alaric is there, along with several members of the resistance.
Every time I see him, my heart seems to skip a beat.He normally wears illusory disguises, using his magical talents to change his appearance.Today, though, he’s himself, which means he’s almost painfully handsome, with sharp features and dark hair that falls to his shoulders.Alaric is slender and lithe, muscled like a dancer and currently wearing dark, nondescript clothes that will let him slip away without being noticed if he needs to.His dark eyes flick around to me and he smiles his usual smile, filled with bravado, even arrogance.
“Lyra, I wasn’t expecting you.You must forgive me.My associates and I were just discussing the best way to get into the warehouse of a man supplying weapons to the colosseum.”
“And I’m telling you we can’t,” one of the resistance fighters says.He’s a wiry man with a furtive expression.“The guards are diligent and there are too many to take head on unless you want to turn this into a battle.”
Alaric looks as if he might savor the fight, and that quickly has me looking for other options.He’s always been too quick to throw himself into danger.
“Would a distraction help?”I ask.
“A distraction would help a lot,” the resistance fighter says.“But they’re not going to fall for random bursts of illusion magic, or even you sending birds to swoop on them, Senator.”
I have another option, though.I move until I can see the guards, standing waiting on the gate.I reach for their emotions, building their sense of boredom, their animal need to hunt.
“If one of you runs past them, they’ll chase you,” I promise.
Thalia nods.“I’ll do it.”
She takes off her wig, revealing spikey hair in black and white, and hacks her dress short enough that she can run.She sprints past the guards and there’s a moment when I canfeelthem deciding what to do.I give them one more push with my powers and they set off along the street, their instincts overtaking their reason as they chase Thalia.
“Well done,” Alaric says, then looks at the others.“Well, what are you waiting for?Thalia will lead them a merry chase before she loses them, but you don’t have forever.”
The resistance fighters hurry across to the warehouse, but Alaric doesn’t join them.Instead, he looks at me with an intensity that makes my heart pound.Somehow, I always react to him when we’re close.
“I take it you didn’t just come here today to help with some larceny?”Alaric says.
“I came because I resigned my position on the senate,” I reply.
Alaric looks shocked, but then realization creeps over his face.“The grand tournament.”
I nod."That, and the realization that I wasn't doing any good on the Senate.It's too corrupt and Selene controls too much of it.I want to join the resistance, Alaric."
Alaric frowns.“Are you sure, Lyra?You’re too visible.People know who you are.If you become associated with our efforts, you’d be in danger.It’s not as though the most famous person in the city can simply slink around it unseen.”
“You manage it,” I point out.
“Thanks to myconsiderableskill with illusions,” he replies, with his familiar arrogance.“I’m really not sure about this, Lyra.”
“Don’t try to tell me that my skills wouldn’t be useful,” I say.“Not when I’ve just salvaged your whole latest endeavor.”
“I would have thought of something,” Alaric insists.
“But my way made it easier,” I say.“Come on, Alaric.YouknowI can help.And I brought this.”
I take a piece of parchment from my belt pouch.It’s one Marcus gave to me to prove he was looking into corruption.
“What’s this?”Alaric asks, taking it.
“It’s a list of corrupt transactions in the city.Officials who are taking bribes, those who are being threatened.Marcus gave it to me as a gift.”
“And you’re giving it to me?”Alaric says.
