Page 63 of Scorched Earth

“I’m not denying that he earned his reputation,” Nic shot back. “Except he shouldn’t even be breathing after that stunt. He looks awful. He would have fallen twice today if Felix hadn’t caught him.”

“He’s exhausted.” Quintus wrenched his arm out of Teriana’s grip, looking ready to fling himself at the boy. “Give him a bloody minute to recover. Also, keep in mind that he might not be telling you his actual plan. Have a little trust in your commander,sir.”

Gods, she was so dizzy. Why couldn’t she remember to breathe?

“I want to trust that Marcus has a better plan than this,” Nic said. “I want to believe that I can trust him with the lives of my men. But I can’t do that if he keeps me in the dark.”

“It’s his prerogative to keep you in the dark.” Quintus narrowedhis eyes. “It doesn’t matter if you like it. There’s nothing you can do about it.”

“I can send my own messages to the Senate,” Nic retorted. “Explain the situation and request reinforcements that include someone who can take over command. Or—” He scrambled away from Quintus’s reaching hand, her friend looking ready to throttle him. “Or Teriana can get the information out of him. If she can talk to him and get the truth, if she feels he’s on the right course, I’ll trust her.”

“He won’t talk to me, Nic.” Teriana’s eyes stung, and she blinked rapidly, unwilling to cry in front of this child. “He’s made that clear. I don’t think you should undermine him by going behind his back, but I also don’t think you should rely on me to get the information you need.”

Silence stretched, then Nic said, “Cassius told me that you were the key to controlling him, and I hated that. Hated that the legatus who had been held up before us as the ideal could be controlled bylust.”

“You might understand that better when your balls drop, puppy,” Quintus muttered.

“But at least then your involvement made sense,” Nic continued, ignoring Quintus. “You had a purpose. Whereas now, I don’t understand why you came at all other than to sit in Quintus’s tent, drinking, gambling, and crying into your pillow while the rest of us work to save your people.”

Her cheeks burned hot. “Get out. Get out, or I’m going to let Quintus drown you in the latrines.”

“Fine.” Nic tossed a letter on her lap. “This was attached to a crate in our supplies. We have it set aside where the other legions won’t find it. If you want it, ask Pullo and it’s yours.” Then he pulled a gold coin out of his belt pouch and tossed it on top of the letter. “Or you can buy yourself another bottle of rum.”

He gave a sharp whistle, and a heartbeat later, the mass of Fifty-First tumbled past the entrance of Quintus’s tent, shouting and laughing. Nic flung himself into the midst of the muddy boys, stole the ball from one, and raced off with it.

Taking a deep breath, Teriana opened the letter.

Teriana,

I’ve included this gift in the hopes it aids you in achieving our mutually desired ends.

Lucius Cassius

“What does it say?” Quintus asked.

Teriana crumbled it angrily in her fist. “Nothing I’m interested in. Cassius’sgiftsalways come with strings attached.”

“Austornic is an obnoxious little shit!” Quintus snarled, then he locked eyes with her. “Don’t even think about it, Teriana. You promised not to get involved, and allowing a child with grand ambitions for his military future to convince you to break that promise would be a mistake.”

“Except I am involved!” Growling in a mix of frustration and misery, Teriana pressed her fingers to her temples. “Nic wasn’t wrong about my people, and what does it say about me if I sit in your tent playing cards and drinking rum, trusting that others will save them?”

“Sometimes doing nothing is better than doing the wrong thing.” Quintus frowned and grabbed her arms, giving her a gentle shake. “Breathe, Teriana.”

She gasped in a breath. “It feels like I’ve forgotten how. Who forgets how to breathe? What’s wrong with me?”

“Nothing’s wrong with you.” Her friend pulled her against him, and Teriana inhaled the scent of the cheap soap the legionnaires used, the familiarity relaxing the tension that had every muscle in her body twisted into ropes. “If you weren’t losing your head, I’d question whether you had a heart, given the position you’re in. But you’re only going to make things worse for yourself if you get in the middle of it.”

Quintus was right. She knew he was right. Yet a seed of fear that hadn’t existed before had been planted in her heart. “What if Nic’s right? What if… what if Marcus isn’t okay?”

Quintus was silent, and the seed of fear began to take root. She’d seen Marcus rubbing at his head, the obvious pain he was suffering, the slight stagger to his walk. What if he’d pushed too far? What if he wouldn’t get better?

“Give him a few days to recover,” Quintus finally answered. “Don’t jump to conclusions.”

Yet Nic’s words sank into her soul, making her feel sick with her near uselessness in a situation where she was supposed to have been one of the most powerful players of all. “Do you think Nic’s right?”

Quintus crossed his arms and scowled. “No. I think Austornic had grand ambitions for what his role would be and is acting out because Marcus stomped on his dreams.”

“But what if he is unwell?” she asked, her voice barely audible. “What if that’s part of the reason he won’t speak to me? Because he knows I’ll see right through to the state he’s in.”