Mark of the Thief

by Jennifer A. Nielsen

  We crossed in front of a building with enormous marble columns. My mind filled with the possibilities of what would happen if I accidentally released any magic here. If I toppled one column, or even cracked it, the entire building could collapse.

  "I have an idea!" Aurelia grabbed my arm and yanked me midstep toward one of the temples, built up on a ridge of earth higher than many others in the forum. We ran around a speaker's platform to a wide flight of stairs, where, for a moment, we got ahead of the soldiers when they tripped over each other in their race to snatch me. At the top was a second set of stairs, divided by wide marble columns. Behind them, the great doors of a temple were already open. Aurelia ran in, but I stopped at the entrance, my breath caught in my throat.

  An imposing statue of Julius Caesar stood inside the entrance, and it stared down at me as if he were alive, warning me I had no right to enter this building. Carved into the statue's forehead was the Divine Star. My hand was around the bulla and I released it at once, ashamed of having stolen it from Caesar's own cave. Although it was still hidden beneath my tunic, I had no doubt that Caesar knew exactly where it was.

  "Do you want to stand there and be cut down?" Aurelia scowled and grabbed my hand again, this time dragging me inside the temple with her. Inside Caesar's temple.

  As soon as we crossed the doorway, my shoulder started to prickle. I took it as a sign that Caesar was displeased with me, but he would have to get angrier than that before I'd leave. At least so far, no one in here was trying to kill me. The same could not be said if I stayed outside.

  The temple was filled with altars for sacrifices, elaborate vases, sculptures, and, of course, the colossal statue of Julius Caesar, still watching me. I stood up taller and gave the statue a nod of respect. I had his magic now, and I intended to use it well. For the record, it didn't nod back, which was a relief. Turning away from Caesar's gaze, I noticed the walls of the temple, decorated in frescoes of other gods and goddesses, all more beautiful than anything I'd ever seen before. But the one that caught my eye was a painting of the Divine Star, the red comet of fire leaving trails of light on its journey through the heavens.

  Aurelia touched my arm. "That's the image on your shoulder. Almost exactly alike."

  There were a few other patrons inside, but a woman in flowing white robes saw our entrance and put a finger to her lips to remind us of the need for silence here. She was as beautiful as the paintings around us and I lowered my eyes, humbled by the power she seemed to possess.

  "She's a vestalis," Aurelia whispered. "She is a sacred woman -- her job is to care for this temple. Come, we have to speak to her."

  "Not me," I whispered, pulling against her. "Not here."

  "You're a slave, Nic, not a plague. Come on."

  She misunderstood. The bulla was warming again, and I grabbed it, hoping to dispel any magic that might still be there. Whatever they might do to me in here, I would not destroy this temple. I needed a place to calm the bulla. To calm myself.

  Aurelia started forward, but the two soldiers who had been chasing us walked through the doorway. Their eyes fell immediately upon me.

  "Stop!" one of them called out.

  By then, we had come up to the vestalis. I had been wrong before, for she was far more beautiful than the images painted on the walls, with eyes like the sea and a smile that passed with the wind, leaving a stern expression behind. "Yes?" she asked. Her voice was kind, at least.

  "We seek asylum." Aurelia's head flipped around to the soldiers, then turned back to the woman. "Please."

  One of the soldiers approached her too. He bowed respectfully and said, "My lady, this boy is a criminal and a slave, wanted for crimes against the emperor and against all of Rome. He is dangerous."

  She looked at me. "This boy? He doesn't look dangerous."

  I tried not to look dangerous, but inside I felt worse than ever. Because I was everything he said, even if I didn't intend to be.

  "Even for criminals, Caesar's temple is a place of asylum," she said. "Or do you not feel that this temple should be honored?"

  The soldier's eyes darted. "Of course, Domina. Which is why I need to remove this boy. He carries powers that should not belong to any human. He defiles Caesar's temple."

  "No, my lady, he honors it." Aurelia pulled my tunic down at the shoulder, exposing the mark to the woman. "Grant us asylum. Please."

  I heard her draw in a breath as she recognized the Divine Star, then she said to the soldier, "You will leave, sir. It is not I who has granted this boy asylum. Caesar himself has done it."

  The soldier grunted a terse "Very well," and gave her another bow, but before he rose back up, he met my eyes and said, "You can't stay in here forever, slave. If you stick even one hand outside this temple, I will cut it off, and catch the rest of you as it falls."

  "If you see my hand, be sure it isn't aimed at you," I snarled back before Aurelia kicked me in the shin. Maybe it wasn't the wisest thing to say, given the shocked reaction of the vestalis, but I felt better afterward and that had to be worth something.

  Once the soldier left, the woman frowned at me. "I know what happened in the amphitheater. It will not happen here, on sacred ground."

  "No, Domina," Aurelia said. "Of course not. We promise."

  She seemed to accept that and her tone softened. "This is the place where Caesar's body was burned after his death. At times, his wandering spirit can be felt here. No doubt he will feel the presence of your ... abilities."

  No doubt at all, for though I tried to deny it, I already felt the truth of her words. Yes, he was here. And not at all pleased that I was too.

  Caesar's temple was grand, ornate, and very tall, but not particularly large inside. The vestalis told us we were free to remain as long as we wanted, but warned that the Roman soldier had been correct before: Once we left, the laws of asylum no longer protected us. I kept my back to the other patrons, who seemed equally uninterested in me. The last thing I needed was their curiosity.

  While we obviously couldn't stay in this temple forever, I wasn't sure I could even last the night -- my hunger was becoming desperate. Within another day or two, if I didn't risk my life trying to outrun the soldiers, I'd lose it anyway to starvation. I glanced over at Aurelia, who didn't seem much better off. She eyed the sheath for her knife like it was dried meat, and I wouldn't have been surprised if she gave it a taste, just to be sure.

  As we entered the afternoon hours, the temple seemed less busy, though the forum was as lively as ever. A careful glance outside the doors indicated the soldiers were still there, determined to wait me out. I walked into the cella, where Aurelia was on the floor leaning against a wall.

  At first, I thought her mind was somewhere much further away, but once I sat, she whispered, "If Radulf has the Divine Star on his shoulder too, then maybe that's how he found you. Maybe you're connected."

  "Or maybe his soldiers saw me go into the sewers." That was a better thought than acknowledging any connection between us. I didn't want to think about how his voice got into my head.

  "I don't understand what happened in the cistern. There are easier ways to kill you."

  I looked over at her. "Well, that's good to know. Thanks, Aurelia."

  "I only mean that if he wanted you dead, why go through that elaborate attempt at drowning you?"

  "He wanted to scare me into unsealing the room, but I don't think he wanted me to drown." How else could I explain the moment I had almost given up, when he urged me to force myself back to the air? Obviously, it had something to do with the bulla, but too many questions still remained. Although it sent a shiver down my spine, Aurelia was right. There were easier ways for Radulf to get me.

  "How are you going to take Radulf's magic?" Aurelia asked. "Is that even possible?"

  "I think so." I hoped so.

  "He'll probably try to do the same to you," Aurelia said. "Before he kills you."

  I shook my head at her. "Is this a normal thing for you? Encouraging peo
ple right into the grave?"

  "I just think you need to be realistic about what you're facing!"

  I gestured around us. "We're starving, and trapped in here with soldiers waiting to arrest me! Radulf is probably already on his way here, and I doubt he'll care about the laws of asylum. I perfectly understand the reality of my situation!"

  "Our situation." More quietly, Aurelia said, "I'll stay with you until we get this figured out. I promise."

  I couldn't hold back a grin. "The way my life has gone since I met you, that sounds more like a threat."

  She giggled and squeezed my arm. I wished she had not withdrawn her hand as quickly as she did, but at the same time, I wasn't brave enough to reach for it again.

  Aurelia should have been as tired as I was, but she spent the next half hour tapping her feet or fidgeting with her nails, maybe out of frustration at being trapped in here. Not me. I was glad for the chance to rest. Aside from the hunger, which was already bad enough, the magic I'd used underground had drained me, and the stinging in my back was growing worse. It felt like hundreds of needles were poking at me all at once, going deeper each time. I shifted around in hopes of relieving the discomfort, but movement only seemed to make it worse. Probably that was Caesar's reminder that he didn't want me here in his temple. As if I wasn't already perfectly clear on that.

  By early evening, the temple patrons had grown tired of their worship, and had cleared out, leaving us entirely alone. Aurelia had fallen asleep and I finally dared to take out the bulla and really look at it. The soft glow that had drawn me to it from the very first was still there. When I opened it up, I saw why. The jewels inside were the finest stones I'd ever seen. The largest was a bright green emerald, set between a purple amethyst and a blazing red stone that I didn't recognize. All of them were glowing.

  The bulla was cool now, and I was beginning to understand that the magic only worked when it was warm. But I didn't know what caused it to heat, or how it was connected to the mark on my back, or how its power was supposed to be controlled. Maybe it couldn't be controlled, at least by a human. If Venus had abandoned Caesar and withdrawn her powers from the bulla, then someone else was giving it power now. But who? Hopefully it wasn't any of the gods who considered my life their personal game of dice.

  I stood and walked over to Caesar's statue, expecting the bulla to warm when it came closer to him. But it didn't. The magic in it was no longer his. For reasons I could not explain, it was mine now.

  "Are you sure that Senator Valerius has your sister?"

  Unsure of how long Aurelia had been awake, I immediately hung the bulla back around my neck and hid it. "I told his son that before I agreed to talk, Valerius would have to get Livia from the mines. She's got to be with him."

  "Why would he do that for you? He must want something big in exchange."

  "Of course he does." That gnawed at me. It was something to do with the magic, obviously, but that's what everyone wanted, so I couldn't avoid it forever. At least Valerius was willing to help me too.

  "Why do you trust Valerius? You're so opposed to Horatio, but both men are senators, and both are loyal to the emperor."

  I moved back to the wall and scuffed my bare foot against the floor. "When Valerius first saw the mark on my back, he tried to protect me." Then I looked up and met her gaze. "He was hiding it from Horatio."

  She didn't seem to like that and only turned away. "Well, maybe Valerius seems nice now, but in the end, there'll be a price for it."

  I smirked back at her. "Probably, but I already know the price for you being nice to me."

  She chuckled. "It's a good theory, Nic, but you and I both know I haven't been at all nice to you."

  No, she hadn't. Which made it all the more of a mystery why I hoped she'd stay. To her, I was a pocketful of coins, a ticket to a better life and nothing more. But to me, she was turning into more than a guide back to my sister. Whether I liked it or not, she was becoming my friend.

  Aurelia took to pacing again. "We need to escape this temple. The soldiers can outlast us. If one gets tired, they can just change out guards."

  "Maybe you should've suggested a better hiding place."

  "Maybe you should've chosen different enemies!"

  I opened my mouth, but no argument came. She was absolutely right about that.

  She leaned beside me against the temple wall. "If you want to bring Radulf down, then you must understand the fight it'll be to get to him. Romans love him. They believe in him, far more than they do the emperor."

  "He's a villain, Aurelia! Maybe they don't see what kind of person he really is, but I do. When his voice is in my head, it's so cold it turns my blood to ice. Back at the mines, he told me if I didn't bring him this bulla, he'd leave me to die in the cave."

  "Maybe he was saying it for your own good." Aurelia's eyes settled on the bulla, still in my hand. "Maybe he knew that if you tried to keep it, all of this would happen."

  I brushed past her, frustrated with the fact that she was actually making sense.

  She called after me, "You're not alone, Nic. I'm here to help you."

  "You're here to get a reward. I am alone."

  "You're not." She walked up and put her hand on my shoulder. "But you have to look at this from the emperor's view. So far, only one person has done anything to threaten Rome. That's you. As presiding magistrate, Horatio could defend you before the emperor."

  "Or deliver me to him. Felix said anyone loyal to the empire would kill me."

  "Felix should know. He actually tried to do it!"

  "And maybe Horatio would succeed." My fists tightened. "You can't possibly expect me to trust him."

  "I don't expect you to trust anyone!"

  "Even you?"

  Aurelia wavered, just for a moment. "All I'm saying is that you can't hide forever."

  "That's my problem, not yours." I turned to her. "Once I find my sister, we will vanish."

  "No. Once we find your sister, you promised to go to Horatio. I will defend you to him."

  "And why would he listen to you?" I asked.

  A mischievous smile tugged at the corner of Aurelia's lips. "Surely by now you know that I make people listen when I speak."

  I smiled back. "I know that when you speak, it almost always ends in trouble."

  "You are the last boy on this earth who should speak about trouble!"

  I laughed and moved to brush her aside, but this time she grabbed my arm, playfully twisted it behind me, and then forced me to the ground. I pulled her down with me and she fell at my side, laughing as well.

  I stared at her a moment, realizing again how pretty her eyes were when she lowered her guard. No, in this failing light of day, they were beautiful.

  Hearing the sound of footsteps in the doorway, we both sat up. Aurelia went for her knife and I hurried to hide the bulla beneath my tunic again.

  But there was no need for alarm, or at least, I hoped not. In fact, it was the exact person I had hoped to see again. Crispus. As the son of a senator, he moved in the same circles as other leaders of Rome ... with Radulf, specifically. I whispered who he was to Aurelia and told her to put away her knife, which she did with obvious reluctance.

  Crispus didn't seem to have come to worship. Rather than an offering, in his arms were two folded togas. He smiled and said, "My father spotted you two running in here earlier today. We hoped you'd still be here."

  "With those soldiers outside, where else would we have gone?" Aurelia asked.

  "Father's out there now, distracting them with some absurd orders, but it won't last long." Crispus grinned. "If you want to escape from this temple, you must come with me right now."

  Aurelia started to protest but I muttered that we could sort out whether Crispus should be trusted after our escape.

  "He might be dangerous to you," she hissed.

  I only smiled. "But still not as dangerous as you are." She chuckled, and more important, didn't disagree.

  Crispus held out the t
ogas to each of us. "Have you ever considered dressing up like old women?"

  My smile widened. To escape this building, I was ready to consider nearly anything.

  Crispus gave Aurelia her toga, and since I had never worn one, he helped me with mine. It seemed like a lot of unnecessary cloth, most of which had to be carried over one arm, but he told me since only the wealthy could afford so much cloth, the soldiers would see it from a distance and assume we were patricians.

  "Keep your heads covered, like older women do," he said.

  "I'm barefoot," I said, holding up one foot. "If they see --"

  "Let's hope they don't. And if anyone approaches, let me do the talking."

  That was fine with me. Whenever I talked, it only seemed to end in trouble.

  Crispus led us through a side door of the temple that exited onto an open-air portico. As warm as it was this evening, at least we felt the breeze now. The afternoon heat inside the temple had been stifling.

  "It's getting late, but there should still be some markets open in the basilica ahead," he said. "We'll blend in with the people there. Just don't look back at the soldiers." He glanced at me. "And don't look down. Only slaves do that."

  I hadn't realized I was. Raising my head felt unnatural, but he was right, keeping my head down was the attitude of a slave. I had spent too many years with my eyes cast downward and my head and knees ready to bend upon anyone's orders. Well, anyone other than Sal -- I had never willingly obeyed him.

  "Why are you helping us?" Aurelia asked.

  Crispus looked at me as if it had been my question. "Because you need our help. And because Rome needs you."

  We made it inside the basilica without drawing anyone's attention. Over the top of the crowd, I saw all three stories of the interior were open and every wall from floor to ceiling was lined with arches. Crispus told Aurelia she could remove the toga from her head, but suggested I stay covered. "At least fifty thousand Romans saw you in the amphitheater five days ago," he said. "It's safe to assume that many of them are here now and will recognize you."

  Each shop we passed in the basilica had different wares. I assumed the signs over each one identified their products, and vowed again to one day teach myself to read. But for now, I couldn't take my eyes off the items being sold. There was so much more than I could believe existed in the entire world, much less in this great city. One of the final shops was putting out warm baked bread. Without even thinking of what I was doing, I stopped in front of the loaves, just to take in the glorious scent and hope it filled my stomach enough to dull the ache of hunger.