rebuke, fashioning his boy into a man who might one turn rule an empire. Because always, his father had made it plain—despite his parentage, the throne would be something Jonnen must earn.
The boy had studied hard. Seeking ever to impress. His mother’s affections were always unwavering, but it was desire for his father’s praise that drove Jonnen onward. Seeking only to make the man proud. Seeing in Julius Scaeva, People’s Senator, consul, imperator, the man he one turn wished to become.
Until he’d met Mia.
A sister he never knew. Had never even been told about. At first, he’d thought her a liar. A snake and a thief. But Julius Scaeva hadn’t raised a fool, and all the wishful thinking in the world couldn’t hide the truth of what his sister had told him. The dark within them sang to each other. Their bond in the shadows was impossible to deny. They were kin, no doubt. And she, his father’s daughter.
In recent turns, he’d even begun to think of himself not as Lucius, but Jonnen. But he missed his familia. He felt lost and alone. Eclipse made it easier, but it wasn’t easy. He felt very small in a world that had suddenly become very big indeed.
“What was your son’s name, Butcher?” he heard himself ask.
The big man looked down at him, a soft scowl on his battered face. “Eh?”
“You told Mia you had a son once,” Jonnen said. “What was his name?”
The former gladiatii turned his eyes back up the stairwell. Tightening his grip on his sword. Jaw clenched. The boy heard a whisper in his shadow.
“… JONNEN, BUTCHER MAY NOT WISH TO SPEAK OF SUCH THINGS…”
The boy pressed his lips together. The Liisian was a thug, an ill-mannered lout, a pig. But he had a golden heart, and he’d been ever kind. Despite it all, Jonnen realized he didn’t like the thought of hurting the man’s feelings.
“I am sorry, Butcher,” he said softly.
“Iacomo,” the man murmured. “His name was Iacomo. Why do you ask?”
“Did…” Jonnen licked his lips, looking for the words. “Did you ever lie to him?”
“Sometimes,” the man sighed.
“Why would you do that?”
Butcher ran his hand over his black cockscomb of hair. The sounds of battle upstairs were almost silenced now. It took a while for him to reply.
“Being a parent is no easy thing,” he finally said. “We need to teach our children the truths of the world so they can survive it. But some truths change you in a way that can’t be undone. And no parent really wants their child to change.”
“So you lie to us?”
“Sometimes.” Butcher shrugged. “We think if we try hard enough, we can somehow keep you the way you start out. Pure and perfect. Forever.”
“So you lie to yourselves, too.”
The big Liisian smiled, knelt beside the boy. Reaching out with one sword-callused hand, he ruffled the boy’s hair affectionately.
“You remind me of my Iacomo,” he grinned. “You’re a clever little shit.”
“If I were clever, I’d not be in this stew. I feel useless. Helpless.”
Naev watched silently from above as the Liisian drew a dagger from his waist, handed it to the boy hilt-first. Jonnen took it, felt the weight of it, watched the sunslight dance on its edge. Eclipse coalesced beside him, watching with her not-eyes as the boy turned the blade this way and that.
“Feel helpless now?” Butcher asked.
“A little less,” Jonnen replied. “But I’m not strong like you.”
“Don’t be afraid, lad. The blood you have in your veins?”
Butcher chuckled and shook his head.
“You’re strong enough for both of us.”
* * *
Mia flitted along darkened halls, shadows at her back.
She’d reached the Hall of Eulogies and found Mercurio standing in the doorway, bloody bonesaw in his grip. Drusilla and Aalea were in hand; the Lady of Blades standing with shoulders slumped, the Shahiid of Masks’ dark eyes wide with fear. ’Singer and Sidonius were watching the pair, one crossed word away from murder. Mia met her mentor’s eyes for the briefest moment, saw him smile. But she had no time for talk.
Instead, she ran on.
She reached the stairs leading down toward Adonai’s chambers and Scaeva’s escape. Tric and Ashlinn were both already dashing downward, Ash a little out in front. But skipping between the shadows, Mia was moving faster still. She could hear her father’s guards ahead now, heavy boots ringing on the stone steps below, panic in their voices as they urged each other on. With a smack to Ash’s leather-clad backside as she passed, Mia Stepped past Tric