Page 91

‘Shall I accompany you?’ asked Darius.

‘No, thank you.’ She used her hands to form an enthusiastic crossing motion. ‘All is perfectly well.’

The whispering of the crowd intensified, with the prince sat alone in the imperial box as if he were the ruler and not her.

How would it look if she disappeared with her female guard right now, after the play they had just watched? But Claudia had no choice, walking out through the orchestra and through the side door as titters of laughter followed her.

She trailed Gia out into the quadriportico, to stand in one of the pillared alcoves that surrounded the on-site curia.

‘What is it?’ she said. ‘You won’t believe what you missed.’

‘I found something.’

Gia presented Claudia with a weapon, using a stretch of fabric to hold it, so as not to touch it with her bare skin.

‘The knife of Jupiter,’ said Gia.

‘Oh,’ said Claudia, taking one step backwards.

It was just like the one used by her would-be assassin. Its lightning handle caught the light, giving it the impression of the bolt glowing white hot.

‘I found it among Prince Darius’s possessions while searching as you asked, hidden inside a set of robes,’ said Gia.

Claudia felt winded again, struggling to draw a breath.

‘It was well-concealed, took me ages to find it,’ said Gia. ‘He didn’t have anything else of interest, other than some very questionable taste in undergarments.’

Claudia hadn’t really expected Gia to find anything. The search was more of a precaution. Yet here it was, before her eyes and hard to deny. How could she have been so naïve?

Gia stashed the weapon away, still within its sackcloth bundle.

‘There’s no way it could be a mistake?’ asked Claudia.

She wanted it to be, she realized.

Gia touched her arm, frowning in sympathy.

‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘I know it isn’t good news. I knew there was something off about him, though. All those gifts and his endless flirtations, he was just trying to blind you to his real intentions.’

‘Why would a Persian prince worship a Roman god, or even pretend to? It doesn’t make sense to me.’

‘Maybe Jupiter has converted him,’ said Gia. ‘You have to admit, if Jupiter was going to choose a fighter, Darius isn’t a bad pick. He is built like a minotaur, and he has an army of his own to meet yours in battle. I would choose him over Marcellus any day. Or maybe he’s using a Roman dagger to hide himself, so no one will think of him as a suspect. It’s not like anyone could have framed him – no one knew I was to search today.’

‘Perhaps this is all Darius’s plan to claim the city,’ said Claudia. ‘He needed me to invite him in, like some kind of Trojan Horse.’

Still, she screwed up her face.

Something about it didn’t click – and no matter how she looked at it, she couldn’t make it fit.

‘But if he wanted to kill me and seize the throne, he could do so without committing to this elaborate routine. He has dedicated hours and much money to the farce. And why would he travel all this way to assassinate me when he could’ve hired a local to do the job, and draw far less attention? Even for a madman, it would be a bold move.’

‘I don’t know,’ said Gia. ‘I don’t understand it either. I can only show you what I found.’

Claudia began to pace.

‘Every time I think I’m being too ruthless, something happens to remind me that actually, no, I’m not ruthless enough,’ she said, as Gia watched. ‘I really thought Darius might be trustworthy. He actually had me convinced! Something about the frankness with which he spoke suggested a man who isn’t adept at deception, but here it is. I have no one to blame but myself, for trusting him.’

Gia intercepted her.