The shadow games, p.14
The Shadow Games, page 14
Thora nodded. “Venilia is in charge of the Venetians. She’s a wind- and water-weaver. Nero rules the Ragazzi. He’s a telky. Their headquarters used to be linked, but they fight like cats and dogs.”
“And bring the rest of the city into their squabbles,” Cato muttered darkly.
I thought back to the auction in the Colosseum and remembered the beautiful blonde-haired woman and man who’d born a remarkable resemblance to each other. “Nero must’ve been the man who bought Aidan.”
Marissa nodded. “Shui went to Bellagio, and Daria to Apollina, head of the Sirens.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ty grab a chunk of meat out of Marissa’s bowl while she was distracted. He retreated back to me and swallowed it down in one gulp.
You shouldn’t steal other people’s food, I told him.
She wasn’t watching, he replied smugly, licking one of his sharp talons.
“Do all factions compete at the Games?” Marissa asked.
Bren shook his head. “Most of the minor factions don’t bother. They know they don’t have the power or skill to win and just accept they’ll have to pay for their water. It’s usually only the five largest who compete: Sirens, Ragazzi, Venetians, Players, and us.”
“Caesar’s Gladiators,” Cayden finished.
I gripped my bowl a little tighter. “So what do the Games actually consist of?”
“There’s a tower in the middle of the arena with two flagpoles on top,” Cato explained. “First team to raise their flag is the winner. Second place goes to the team that claims the second flagpole—if the winners let them.”
Cayden frowned. “Why wouldn’t they if they’ve already won?”
Cato and Thora exchanged a look. “People don’t always play fair,” Cato said. “The winner might try to negotiate extra benefits in exchange for allowing the team up. The Games is about strategy. That’s why Bellagio does so well. He’s a trickster. You wouldn’t think he has the strongest team, but somehow, they always win.”
“Why don’t people just cheat?” I asked.
“They sometimes try,” Cato admitted. “But if the Gamesmasters catch you, your team forfeits the contest.”
“Years ago, the Games were agreed upon to settle the fight over water,” Thora said quietly. “Before that, the factions constantly fought and many people, talented and non-talented, were killed.”
“Is that why there aren’t many talented people over the age of forty?” I asked.
Thora gave me a sharp glance. “Partly. Though the number of young people abandoned down here has increased over the years.”
Interesting. So either the society are classing more people with powers as criminals, or there are more children emerging with powers.
“Diana thinks Apollina’s going all out this year,” Cato said, looking at Bren. “That’s why she was trying to buy all the slaves at the auction.”
Bren snorted. “She handicaps herself by focusing on the mind-talkers. Her Furies are a force to be reckoned with, but she doesn’t have strength across the talents.”
Thora looked thoughtful. “True. And I don’t think she makes best use of the Furies. Bellagio only has one mind-talker to her three, but I’m sure Damon is part of the reason the Players have won the last three Games. Apollina’s too impetuous. She needs to learn patience.”
“She’s always been impatient. Not like Diana,” Bren muttered.
“Does Diana compete in the Games?” Marissa asked, looking from Bren to Thora. “She doesn’t have powers, does she?”
Thora shook her head. “No, but she’s the best damn fighter in the city, and even the Furies can’t get into her mind. She’s the only non-talented person who competes.”
“So what’s Diana’s plan?” Cayden asked.
Cato blew out a breath. “We’ll find out tomorrow.” He smiled. “You’ve been training individually up until now, but the Games are all about teamwork. It’s time to show us what you’ve got.”
I looked down at the table, thinking of my training session with Marcus. I’d only just gotten my shield up to strength. I couldn’t do anything useful yet. They’re going to realize soon enough that I’m a waste of space. Then what?
Ty looked up at me, eyes whirring. There are two of us, remember? I can fight, too!
I stifled a smile. Ty’s claws were pretty sharp, but despite his confidence, I couldn’t see him lasting a minute against a telky with Cato’s strength. The only way we would survive the Games would be if I could figure out how to use my powers. But the last time I used them against someone, that person died.
And I nearly died, too.
A shiver ran down my spine. I couldn’t let that happen again.
I LAY IN BED THAT NIGHT listening to the grumbling noises Ty made while sleeping. I’d tossed and turned for hours, but there were too many thoughts spinning around my mind to allow me to sleep. Caesar had made it clear that my friends’ safety was dependent on me learning to use my powers. But what if they’d overestimated my abilities and I wasn’t able to do what they wanted? Even if I could figure it out, did they really expect me to hurt or kill other people for them? Caesar’s soul seemed as cold and dark as his eyes, but Marcus . . . Marcus had only been nice.
You can’t trust anyone down here.
Elan had been right. Trust was a luxury I couldn’t afford anymore.
I sighed and closed my eyes, letting tendrils of sleep wrap around me. But just as I felt myself falling, in that dim moment between consciousness and unconsciousness, a thought hit me. My eyes flew open.
“Elan,” I whispered.
Elan was a mind-talker. And he wasn’t associated with any of the factions, which meant that, technically, he wasn’t the enemy. Marcus had admitted he wasn’t sure how to help me use my power, but Elan would know.
Whether he’d teach me was another matter. But perhaps if there was something in it for him . . .
Sleep fled my body. I rolled onto my back and closed my eyes, going through the breathing exercises Marcus had taught me to calm my mind and focus. Then I reached out.
After our first week sharing a room, Cayden, Marissa and I had each been granted the privacy of a small room in a corridor with some of the other talented members of the faction. I immediately sensed Cayden’s and Marissa’s minds in the rooms on either side of me. Their minds felt uniquely them. It was like recognizing somebody standing behind you from their scent or the way they moved. More intimate than seeing the person or even hearing them speak.
I let my mind wander and picked up traces of other people sleeping in the rooms around us. At one point, I sensed a familiar warmth, which I instantly knew to be Marcus. The farther I pushed outward, the more overwhelming the sheer number of people became. It was like being lost in a crowd. Part of me wanted to pull back so I could be alone again, but I knew I had to persevere.
As I explored further, I realized I could easily tell the difference between the mind of a talented person and that of someone without powers. They felt richer, more complex. Knowing this helped me focus on a much smaller subsection of people and the sense of being overwhelmed lessened.
With no concept of distance, I had no idea if the minds I sensed were still those of Caesar’s people or if I had left the palace. The farther my mind roamed, the more my power felt stretched, like pulling an elastic thread. If I pushed too far, would it snap?
I gritted my teeth against the exhaustion that made my body tremble. If I could just hold out a little longer . . .
And then, just as I was about to give up, I sensed him.
A burst of excitement surged through me, and my power throbbed with new strength.
Elan? I pushed the thought along the thread connecting me to his mind. I felt a flash of surprise.
Vesper?
Relief flooded through me. Yes. I—
A wave of anger radiated out as Elan slammed his shields up. My eyes flew open and I tasted blood on my lip. Tiny claws dug into my chest.
Vesper? What happened?
I blinked. Ty’s face swam into focus in front of me. For a moment, all I could concentrate on was my heart thumping in my chest.
Vesper?
When Ty dug his claws in deeper, I let out a moan.
That hurts!
That was my intention. Are you okay?
I looked pointedly at his feet. I will be as soon as you stop impaling me.
He relaxed his grip and came to curl up on my shoulder, his tail snaking around my neck. What happened?
I yawned, feeling exhaustion dragging me down. Marcus was right. Diana’s workouts left my muscles aching, but using my power made my whole body weak.
Tell you tomorrow. Need to sleep.
As I fell into a deep sleep, a flood of disappointment washed over me. I may have found Elan, but he’d made it perfectly clear he didn’t wish to talk to me.
Chapter 18
Strategy and Skulls
AT FIVE TO TEN THE next morning, I sat between Cayden and Marissa on the lowest tier of seating surrounding the Colosseum arena, waiting for the final few people to arrive. Diana stood in the center of the arena, staff in hand, clearly impatient to get started. From a few blocks down, Thora caught my eye and raised a hand in greeting. I waved back, forcing a smile onto my face.
I’d slept until nine, but despite the extra rest, I still felt completely exhausted. A dull ache filled my head, and even the double helping of breakfast the cook had given me hadn’t flushed the nausea from my stomach. The last thing I felt like doing was training with Diana, particularly in front of all these people.
Curious, I reached out with my mind toward Diana. She didn’t have the feel of a talented person, but neither did she have the emptiness of a person without powers. Instead, her mind was like a polished sphere—smooth and completely impenetrable.
Odd.
Diana’s gaze turned to me, her lips tightened into a thin line of displeasure. I pulled back, wondering if she could sense my probing. Just then, a door slammed and a young, gangly man ran in to take his seat.
“About time,” Diana snapped, causing the man to flush and mumble an apology. She slammed her staff onto the ground three times, and the chatter around us quieted.
My eyes strayed to the marks on her arms. I’d already seen her prowess at killing the monsters that seemed to inhabit the city, so the black arrows on her left arm didn’t come as a surprise. But it was the skulls on her right arm that sent a chill tingling down my spine. She had said the skulls represented those she’d killed who had powers. Did the rest not matter? Or did she only kill those who were talented?
“You all heard what Caesar said yesterday,” Diana said. “This year, we must win the Games. Bellagio cannot be allowed to rule the city for another year. He has too much power already.”
“So now we give Caesar all the power?” Cayden muttered next to me.
Diana’s sharp gaze landed on him. “Do you have something to contribute, slave?”
Cayden’s body tensed, but I caught the warning look Marissa shot him as her hand brushed against his leg.
“No,” Cayden mumbled, almost inaudibly.
“However, given that he has won for the past three years,” Diana continued, “at least we have some information about his strategy. His tactics may have varied every year, but his approach is always the same. Cause confusion and chaos, separate the members of other factions and get them to fight each other while his team pushes for the tower.” Diana began to pace the arena. “So our first job will be to try and corral the members of his team and surround them. Once we have dealt with the Players, we can go after the tower.”
Bren stuck up his hand. “What about the other factions? Won’t we just be giving them a chance to get to the tower first?”
Diana shook her head. “Not all of us will be dealing with the Players. A small team will take the flag to the tower, staying hidden as much as possible. Nero’s and Venilia’s teams will head straight for the tower. They always do. And it doesn’t do them any favors.”
“Seemed to work for them last year if they won,” Marissa murmured.
“Quiet!” Diana whirled around to face us. Marissa cowered in her seat, her face red. “Apollina is likely to do the same, though she may wait for the Ragazzi and Venetians to finish fighting before moving in. If there is an opportunity to sneak into the tower, the team carrying the flag will take it. If not, they’ll stay out of the fighting and let the other three factions battle among themselves. Then, once the main part of the team has dealt with the Players, they will descend on what’s left of the other factions and help create an opportunity for the flag team to get up into the tower.”
She made it sound so simple, but the thought of having so many people fighting each other with fire, electricity, water, and wind, not to mention the influence of the other mind-talkers, had my stomach in knots.
“As usual, we are only permitted to have twenty people in the Games. There are twenty-five of you here now, and I will make the final selection the week before the Games. For those of you who are slaves, competing in the Games advances your prospects of freedom. For those of you who are free men and women, Caesar will reward you for your part in helping safeguard the Gladiators’ future.”
Diana slammed her staff onto the ground. "Coniuncti stamus."
"Coniuncti stamus," came the murmured reply.
Some looked almost bored by the speech, as if they’d heard it a hundred times and just wanted to get started. Others leaned forward in their seats, their eyes alight with pride. Everyone was marked by Caesar’s brand. Everyone apart from Diana.
Why hadn’t I noticed that before?
“Thora, Bren, Cayden and Vesper, you will be with me. Our job is to get the flag to the tower.” Diana beckoned to us. Reluctantly, I pushed myself up out of my seat and stumbled down into the arena. Ty chittered anxiously on my shoulder. “Cato will lead the rest of you, who will be responsible for putting Bellagio’s Players out of action.”
Diana turned to me. “Vesper, your dragon will go with Cato.”
“What?” Ty’s claws almost pierced the leather patches on my shoulder, causing me to wince. I placed a reassuring hand on his back. “He stays with me.”
“You two are the only way we can communicate between the groups,” Diana said coldly. “The plan hinges on you being able to liaise telepathically. I presume the lizard is able to speak to people other than you?”
Ty hissed in response.
Diana seemed to take this as an affirmative. “Let’s get started. You lot, come with me. Everyone else, stay here with Cato.”
Cato walked over to join us, an apologetic smile on his face as I transferred a reluctant Ty onto his shoulder. “Sorry about this, Vesper. I’ll look after him.” He winced as Ty dug his claws into his unprotected shoulder.
Behave. I know you’re not happy about this, but Cato is a good guy. Don’t take it out on him.
But I’m supposed to protect you, Ty replied sulkily.
You are helping to protect me by keeping the Players away. Didn’t you hear what Diana said? You’re the key to our plan working.
Ty huffed in response, but I could tell his ego was soothed.
“You might want to get some leather shoulder patches,” I told Cato. “His claws are pretty sharp.”
Cato arched his eyebrow. “I noticed.”
Once Diana had established that I could speak to Ty from anywhere in Caesar’s Palace and that Ty could make himself heard to whomever he chose, we spent the rest of the training session sparring, one power against another. It was an impressive sight. Lumps of concrete exploded in mid-air as fireballs tore the ancient material apart. Electricity crackled and steam hissed as fire met water. A woman I hadn’t seen before seemed to have vines wrapped around her arms. She threw them out, binding her opponent’s arms and legs. Diana stalked between the combatants, barking orders. Whenever a person seemed to be winning their bout, she would jump in and attack them with her staff, so they’d have to fend off two assailants.
As I watched, I began to see the reasoning behind her interference. It wasn’t just to even the odds, but to bring into play both physical and mental power. After all, just because we were fighting with our minds didn’t mean we couldn’t use our bodies, as well. If we ever got to the point where our powers were exhausted, we’d still have our hands and feet.
Cayden, Marissa and I were pitted against each other. Cayden and Marissa threw pieces of rubble and sparks in a hesitant manner, each one obviously afraid of hurting the other. Diana had made it clear that my role was to shield the flag-carrying team by making our enemies believe they hadn’t seen us, but although I was able to push against Cayden’s and Marissa’s shields, I couldn’t seem to do anything.
“Oww!” Marissa squeaked as a concrete block the size of my fist caught her on the back of the hand. She scowled at me. “I can’t do this with you in my head, Vesper.”
Cayden sighed. “It’s the same with me. It’s hard to keep my shield up while also trying to fight.”
“That’s the point.” Diana’s voice came from behind us, and I flinched reflexively. “If you don’t keep your shield up, you’ll be vulnerable. If the Furies get into your head, they’ll do more damage than Vesper.”
Marissa paled. Her gaze flicked to me, then she exchanged a look with Cayden.
“It’s not as if I can even get into your head,” I mumbled, slumping down onto a chair and cradling my head in my hands.
Diana sighed. “Take a break, all of you. We’ll reconvene here after lunch. Vesper, I suggest you find Marcus and continue training. Either you need to make a breakthrough soon or we have to hope Marcus was wrong about you.” She spun around and stalked off.
Cayden squeezed my shoulder. “I’m sure you’ll get there, Vesper. Marcus said that everyone progresses at different rates. Perhaps you just haven’t found the key to using your power yet.” He gave me a sympathetic smile that was almost unbearable.
“You coming to lunch?” Marissa asked. “Bet you could do with some food after that.”
