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Jaxon was clearly intrigued. ‘Youdreamedof her?’

‘The æther has sent me visions all my life. I will face Paige Mahoney in the Colosseum,’ Cade said. ‘All of that aside, I can sense her. She’s about two hundred feet away.’

Fuck.

‘In the meantime, I’m glad to have foundyouhere, White Binder,’ he continued. ‘The Suzerain has every intention of claiming your life for your betrayals, and for the loss of Versailles.’

Jaxon kept smiling in the face of the threat. Nashira really was out for his blood, then.

‘You may have your own thin protection, President Sala,’ Castor said, ‘but if you wish to rise in opposition to Operation Ventriloquist, there will be grave consequences for your people. Those consequences will become apparent before the hour is up. I will give you one more chance to accept Rephaite rule of Italy. Join the Republic of Scion.’

Sala stood her ground as Castor took a step towards her. He dwarfed all of her bodyguards.

‘In the days of Ancient Rome, humans would sacrifice to the gods to ensure the pax deorum. We only seek a return to those days,’ he said. ‘In Scion, tribute is paid through the Bone Seasons. Do as your ancestors did, and show respect to your gods, President Sala. All of the clairvoyants in Italy, in exchange for the lives of your amaurotic subjects.’

Beatrice Sala drew herself up. She was a small woman, but in that moment, she seemed tall as a Reph.

‘I will not throw my own kind to the wolves,’ she said. ‘This is Rome. The wolves are on our side.’

‘Then expect our wrath,’ Castor said. ‘Ira deorum, President Sala.’

The vision evaporated, leaving me shaking on the floor of my cell. My head pounded as I sat up.

‘Paige,’ Arcturus said. ‘What did you see?’

‘Nick sent me a vision. Cade is here,’ I said. ‘So are Castor Sargas and Kornephoros. They know I’m here. We have to—’

Before I could finish, the door crashed open, the bolt snapping in half. Lesath ducked inside, followed by Lucida, Errai and Pleione. They wore the blank masks they had sometimes used for anonymity in London, making them look even more daunting than usual.

‘Wardens.’ Lesath cocked his head. ‘Did the humans imprison you?’

‘The Council of Kassandra mislikes our alliance with Paige,’ Arcturus said. ‘It appears they see us all as enemies.’

‘Of course.’ Pleione planted a gloved hand on her hip. ‘As ever, humans are intractable.’

‘Underqueen.’ Lucida had noticed me. ‘Why are you in there?’

‘Take a guess,’ I said curtly.

Lesath wrenched the bars of our cells apart as if they were paper straws. He came to me first, making short work of the handcuffs.

‘Sala has told Cade where to go,’ I said, ‘but Castor said there would be consequences.’

‘That is quite apparent,’ Pleione said. ‘A number of cold spots have opened in Rome.’

‘What?’

‘One cold spot could be random,’ Terebell said, ‘but not several. There must be latent Rephaim nearby.’

‘How could they have formed that quickly?’ I said. ‘What the fuck is going on?’

‘The Sargas must have planned this in advance,’ Pleione said. ‘They anticipated defiance here.’

I strode into the other cell and removed the poppy anemones from Arcturus, allowing Lesath to break his chains. When I went to Terebell, our gazes met. If she was going to kill me for touching Arcturus, now was the perfect opportunity, while I was close enough to strangle. He wouldn’t be able to stop her before my throat was in her grasp.

Hoping for the best, I snapped the stems of the flowers. Lesath came to deal with the chains. And still Terebell did nothing but look at me.

‘Your blade, Terebell.’