Page 21 of The Dark Mirror (The Bone Season #5)

21

KASSANDRA

I gazed at my old mime-lord, my body turning cold. It took all my strength to restrain a frenzied laugh.

The last time I had clapped eyes on Jaxon Hall, I had left him to burn alive in Versailles, where he had been serving as Grand Overseer of the Republic of Scion, laundering voyants to sell to the Rephs.

And now he was somehow in Rome. Of course he was. Jaxon Hall, my own personal ghost, haunting me wherever I walked.

He looked at me with clear disdain, and without a shred of recognition. I was still wearing my dissimulator, and my aura was concealed. To him, I was just some upstart amaurotic.

‘Do somebody get rid of the dullard,’ he said. ‘Why has she been allowed into the Forum?’

‘This is my friend. She’s a student architect,’ Ver?a said defensively. ‘We wanted to see the Forum, and to meet with Giosuè Barraco.’

I was silent, reeling from the shock. Jaxon ignored me in favour of scrutinising Ver?a.

You may think me the pawn on this particular board, but I am playing on many others. His voice drifted back to me from the past. And mark my words, we are nowhere close to the endgame.

Even though Jaxon had a way of turning up where I least expected him, he had never expressed a desire to leave the empire of his birth. He still dressed like a denizen.

He had made a failed attempt to meet Carter last year. They must have been able to arrange another rendezvous in the wake of Trafalgar Square.

Every thread in the ?ther has its purpose , Arcturus had told me. I was going to need a damned good explanation for this one.

‘Giosuè is away,’ Carter said, ‘but we are very interested to meet you. Veronika, was it?’

‘Yes.’

‘And do you know what your gift is, Veronika?’

‘No.’ Ver?a hesitated. ‘Why would you ask?’

‘I can put an end to your wondering, dear sister.’ Carter smiled. ‘You are a sibyl, like me.’

Ver?a stared at her.

On the Merits had classified sibyls as a hypothetical type of fury, the sixth order. In later editions, Jaxon had expanded on the idea, claiming sibyls would be able to enter prophetic trances, like their namesakes in the ancient world. Carter had made accurate predictions on her show. She had also been able to defend herself against the Rephs.

For years, I had thought I would never meet a sibyl in the flesh. As it turned out, I already had, more than once. If Ver?a was a sibyl, so were Renelde and Danica.

‘I had no idea.’ Ver?a released a long breath. ‘I was … starting to think I was alone.’

‘No one is alone.’ Carter took her by the hands. ‘You already have five sisters here, Veronika. I am both sibyl and berserker,’ she added, ‘but my sibyl blood seems to run thicker.’

‘Who are you?’

‘Antoinette Carter. I’m a founding member of the Council of Kassandra, and head of the Sibylline House,’ she said. ‘We’ve been hoping the remaining sibyls will eventually find their way to the Roman Forum. Lo and behold, the ?ther has brought you to our doorstep.’

Ver?a continued to stare at her, then remembered me with a start.

‘I would like to hear more,’ she said, ‘but I want my friend to stay.’

‘Veronika, I’m sure this must be confusing, but there is a good reason we don’t want amaurotics seeing the Forum just yet. I’d be happy to tell you, but I must do it in private.’

‘My friend knows about voyants, even if she is amaurotic. I’m certain she won’t—’

‘Your new sibyl is a poor liar, Antoinette. Let us hope she tells more enlightening truths.’ Jaxon stepped towards me. ‘This woman is no amaurotic. She’s taken alysoplasm.’

It was my turn to stare. Ver?a glanced at me, uncertainty leaping into her eyes.

‘She is also wearing a dissimulator, indicating a link to the Domino Programme. Clearly this intruder is more than she appears.’ Jaxon dealt me a cold smile. ‘Come, my dear. Do unmask yourself.’

This was a dilemma. For all I knew, this entire Forum Project might be another grand attempt for Jaxon to trap and sell voyants. I didn’t want to sacrifice my anonymity, but I couldn’t leave Ver?a with him.

A surge of defiance went through me. I reached for my hairline and started to peel off my dissimulator. Carter recoiled from the sight of me shedding my face. Once it had detached, I raised my chin.

‘Jaxon,’ I said. ‘It’s been a while.’

His smile widened.

‘Black Moth,’ he said, dipping his head in mock deference. ‘What an inconceivable pleasure to see you.’

‘Paige Mahoney.’ Carter raised her thin eyebrows. ‘You’re alive. And in Rome, of all places.’

‘I’ve heard that all roads lead here,’ I said.

‘For voyants, we certainly hope so.’ She grasped my shoulder. ‘I’ve hoped to make your acquaintance for a long time, Paige. I’m glad to meet a fellow survivor of the Imbolc Massacre. éire go brách.’

‘éire go brách.’ I returned her respectful nod. ‘How did you know I survived Dublin?’

‘Jaxon told me.’

My attention flicked to him, then back to Carter. Despite her delicate build and papery hands, her grip was strong.

In London, her long hair had been crimson, worn loose as she fought off multiple Rephs. Now it was the brown of strong tea and arranged in a plaited crown, with a few wisps swirling down to frame her face, which had tanned and freckled since I had last seen her. She wore a pressed coral shirt and white linen trousers, belted with a length of braided leather. A small gold pendant shone between her prominent collarbones.

It was strange to be this close to someone who had shared the worst experience of my life. I had been six years old during the Imbolc Massacre, while Carter had been a celebrity in her early forties, but we had only been a few streets from each other when the soldiers opened fire.

‘We feared you had died in the airstrikes on Paris,’ Carter said, ‘but held out hope, given the bounty on your head.’ She let go of my shoulder. ‘You can’t possibly have known Jaxon and I were here. I presume you came to Rome for some other reason, Paige.’

‘I’m here on behalf of the Domino Programme,’ I said. ‘I assume you know about it.’

‘You’re working for a network run by amaurotics?’

‘For now. I’m trying to find President Sala,’ I explained. ‘I know why she’s been hiding, and I wanted to offer my assistance. I hoped someone in the Forum would know how to contact her.’

Carter considered me. So did Rohan Mistry, who was observing from the doorway.

‘Beatrice founded the Council of Kassandra,’ she said. ‘We were in regular contact before her disappearance in August, but not since. Her absence has baffled and worried us all.’

I tried not to feel too disheartened. This had been my best and only avenue of investigation.

‘I’m sorry to interrupt,’ Ver?a said, ‘but what exactly is this Council of Kassandra?’

‘Our answer to the tyranny of Scion and its makers, the Rephaim,’ Carter said, a note of contempt in her voice. ‘As you seem to have guessed, the Forum Project is something of a cover. Beatrice has framed it as a public space, but in fact, it is reserved for voyants’ use.’

‘The Council of Kassandra is a representative and legislative body for all voyants, founded in 2049. It is led by the Triumvirate – presently myself, Beatrice and Antoinette,’ Mistry chimed in. ‘The Forum is our headquarters, but we mean to send diplomatic missions across the globe, advancing voyants’ rights and interests in defiance of Scion. Within a year, we also hope to offer knowledge of the ?ther to world leaders. For a price.’

Ver?a exchanged a speechless glance with me. I tried to digest what they were saying.

Over the last year, my aim had been to dismantle Scion. At some point in the future, I had meant to find a way for humans to live alongside the Rephs.

This vision went far beyond that, outstripping mine by decades.

‘Offering knowledge to leaders,’ Ver?a said. ‘That sounds like the augurs of Ancient Rome – respected officials, consulted by emperors and generals.’

‘Quite right,’ Carter said. ‘Scion was not the first to threaten our place in public life. Since the dawn of time, people with our gifts have been treated with both reverence and contempt. Over centuries, we’ve become the object of ridicule, sidelined by science and technology, or been persecuted as witches. Scion is only the most recent iteration of a deep-seated hatred – but we have been mistreated and exploited for too long. It is time for us to claim our rightful place as valued advisors in the modern world. Only with our foresight will humankind be able to resist the incursion of the Rephaim.’

Jaxon had been remarkably quiet throughout this speech. I turned my attention back to him.

‘You’re advocating for voyants’ interests,’ I said, ‘but you’re working with Jaxon Hall?’

He smirked, crinkling the corners of his eyes.

‘My dear Paige,’ he said. ‘I have been advocating for our interests since before you were born.’

‘There is a great deal for us to discuss,’ Carter said. ‘Paige, perhaps you’d be kind enough to share what you know about why President Sala has disappeared.’

‘I can’t do that. My assignment is confidential,’ I said. ‘All I can say is that I’m here to find her.’

‘Well, until then, you are welcome in the Forum. We’re happy to host you.’ She turned back to Ver?a. ‘Veronika, as a sibyl, you have a right to a permanent room here. Yours for no cost whatsoever, to be used whenever you wish.’

Ver?a hitched up a smile. ‘Will I have to take a vow of eternal chastity, and keep a sacred fire burning?’

‘We’re not that old-fashioned. This is no longer the House of the Vestals, but the Sibylline House. It’s somewhere for you to lay your head in Rome, and to confer with your sisters,’ Carter said. ‘We find sibyls’ abilities are strongest together. A unique aspect of our gift.’

While they spoke, Jaxon and I locked eyes again.

‘Paige, I imagine you would like a private word with Jaxon. Perhaps he can give you a tour of the Forum,’ Carter said, ‘but you should know that we do not permit any violence between voyants within its limits, as stated in the Kassandran Code. Is that understood?’

After a moment, I nodded. Ver?a gave me a hesitant look.

‘I’ll meet you later?’

I replied with another nod. She must be aching to question Carter, and I couldn’t blame her.

‘Very good. Now, let me show you the Sibylline House.’ Carter extended an arm to Ver?a. ‘You can meet its permanent residents, Caoimhe and Nasrin. They’ll be so pleased you’re here.’

While they walked along the colonnade of statues, Jaxon led me from the Sibylline House. As soon as we were out of sight and earshot, I slammed him against a wall.

‘What the hell are you doing here, Jaxon?’

‘I did tell you I had plans,’ Jaxon said. ‘I asked you to find me. Although I never expected you to do it in Rome.’

‘Trust me, it wasn’t intentional. I’d sooner be back on the waterboard than anywhere near you.’

‘Come, now. I ought to be the one who is vexed with you, given you left me to burn alive,’ he said. ‘Didn’t I tell you that you hadn’t seen the last of me?’

‘Well, I don’t know how you weaselled your way into this enterprise, but I imagine your new friends don’t know all that much about your past,’ I sneered. ‘Did you tell Carter and Sala about the grey market, or how you betrayed hundreds of voyants to save your own skin?’

‘I paid for a place on the Council of Kassandra. Where the money originated is irrelevant to Sala.’

‘I’ll wager you haven’t tested the theory.’ I drew a knife and pressed the point under his chin. ‘Domino sent me to assassinate you. How did you get a dissimulator?’

‘I was recruited as an associate. I assume my contact failed to inform their supervisors.’

‘You’re lying. No one would be stupid enough to trust the Grand Overseer.’ I dug the knife in. ‘You looted the box Colin left me. I want the contents.’

‘All in good time.’ His bony fingers closed around my arm. ‘Carter will imprison you if you spill blood in here. The Council of Kassandra has its own rule of law, separate to the law conceived by amaurotics. Sala is the architect, but Carter holds the reins. Your shared history in Ireland will not protect you, should she ever see you as a threat.’

‘What if I tell her the truth about you?’

‘Paige, we are outside Scion now. Let us try to forgive and forget. We all did what was necessary to survive the anchor.’ He levered the knife down. ‘Why are you drinking alysoplasm?’

‘None of your business,’ I said. ‘I’ll see myself out. You can keep your damned tour.’

‘Oh, but I insist. I want to show you the sum of my labours.’

‘If you’re going to show me anything, you can show me your back and walk away, Jax.’

‘Come, my Pale Dreamer.’ His voice was turning to honey, the way it always did when he wanted something from me. ‘Surely you’d like to see where I was sending my share from the grey market. Why I was working you all so hard in London.’

‘I’m not your Pale Dreamer any more. And no, Jax. I’d sooner not see where your dirty coin went.’

‘I have always worked towards a better existence for voyants.’

‘You sent voyants to their deaths. And there’s no way you knew about the Forum Project when you were in Oxford.’

‘I had my reasons for what I did in Oxford.’ He leaned in close. ‘There are fifty seats on the Council of Kassandra. Not all of them are occupied. Aren’t you tempted, Paige?’

‘I don’t need a seat. I have a throne.’

‘You have grown arrogant of late. I ought to blame myself, but it becomes you rather well. Just a short tour,’ he cajoled. ‘I promise you’ll be impressed.’

As little as I wanted to be anywhere near him, I was burning with curiosity. I was also sure that Carter knew more than she was saying about Sala. She might even have a way to contact her, but I would have to earn her trust. If that meant controlling myself around Jaxon, I would do it.

‘Fine,’ I said.

Jaxon smiled.

‘Welcome to the Forum,’ he said as we stepped into the autumn sunlight. ‘Each order of clairvoyance has its own dedicated building here.’

‘You’ve convinced Sala and Carter that On the Merits is the correct way to classify us, then.’

‘Sala accepts my theory that there are seven broad categories of clairvoyance, corresponding with our auras. All will stand on equal footing.’ He pointed his cane. ‘This is the Via Sacra, that most ancient of Roman roads. We hope that all the best voyants will have walked here in ten years’ time.’

I followed him across the smooth old stones.

‘Ten years,’ I said. ‘You think that’s how long it will take to get this place up and running?’

‘It will run from next summer, but we intend for the Forum to be the most beautiful of our embassies, as the cradle of the enterprise. Bringing it to completion will take a long time.’ He walked past three fluted columns, chipped and severed. ‘This was once the Temple of the Dioscuri. When it is resurrected, it will be our House of Perception.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Let me show you.’

Jaxon led me along the Via Sacra. It was difficult to conceal my wonder, but I refused to let him see it. He gestured to the most restored of the buildings, which had arcades along its upper and lower floors, each arch housing a plinth.

‘The erstwhile Basilica Julia, where the Romans conducted imperial business. Now it is our meeting chamber, the Basilica Arcana,’ he informed me. ‘Records of voyants’ lives and predictions will be stored in the vaults below it. In the future, we intend for each embassy to be full of sculptures, paying homage to voyants from the region – but since this is our headquarters, this building will celebrate our predecessors from the world over. So far, we have plinths assigned for Allen Kardec, Bhrian Ruaidh, and the Oracle of Nusku.’

‘How nice,’ I said. ‘And since when, exactly, did you care about the world beyond London?’

Jaxon chose not to answer this question.

‘There were once seven honorary columns here,’ he said. ‘We hope to raise these once again, and adorn them with sculptures of voyants who lost their lives in pursuit of defeating Scion.’

I imagined a column for Liss. Jaxon probably wouldn’t deem her worthy of remembrance.

‘Three former temples,’ Jaxon said, sweeping a hand towards the southern buildings, which I had seen from a higher viewpoint with Ver?a. ‘This one to our left is the House of Divining. Here, we mean to provide wrought numa for soothsayers, and to commemorate the numa of history, from the Yi Jing to the Cup of Jamshid. Its neighbour is the House of Augury, or Auguraculum – a work in progress – where we intend to have a lush Garden of Fate, abounding with plants, fountains and eternal flames.’

Now I understood the painted roof tiles. They matched the corresponding orders’ auras.

‘I see,’ I said. ‘And will you provide for the vile augurs, Jax?’

‘Of course. We have even obtained the Liver of Piacenza, to exalt the art of haruspicy.’

Somehow I doubted Jaxon was responsible for that.

‘Here is the House of Possession, formerly known as the Temple of Concord. This one will open next year.’ He led me towards the enormous arch I had seen earlier. ‘All inscriptions have been removed from the triumphal arches, so we might celebrate modern heroes.’

‘Modern heroes.’ I huffed. ‘Like you?’

‘My contribution to this enterprise has been modest. You would make a much finer subject.’

Jaxon led me under the arch, giving me a few moments of relief from the relentless sun.

‘The Old Tullianum.’ He gestured to the building to our left. ‘It will serve as our jail, and the Curia our courthouse, where the Kassandran Code – international voyant law – will be debated and upheld. Scion has proven that we cannot trust amaurotics to judge us.’

Stately letters above the door read ignorantia juris non excusat .

‘I assume that’s Latin,’ I said. ‘What does it mean?’

‘ Ignorance of the law is not an excuse . Few voyants know of the Kassandran Code, but all are expected to follow it by instinct. Anyone who flouts it must therefore be held accountable for their crimes.’

‘I look forward to seeing you answer for yours.’

His only reply was another maddening smile. He strode past a lemon tree, into the shaded arcade of another building, almost a mirror image of the Basilica Arcana.

‘This is destined to serve as our debate chamber,’ he said. ‘It also houses our treasury, the Bank of Charon.’

‘How has the Council of Kassandra been able to afford all this?’

‘A select number of generous patrons, as well as voyants like myself, who have donated money from both outside and inside Scion. Do you recall when I said we were low on coin in London?’ he asked. I nodded once. ‘That was because I was funnelling it here.’

‘How noble. If only you hadn’t done it by condemning other voyants to imprisonment and death.’

‘All for the greater good.’

‘It must have cost millions.’

‘Oh, we’re some way into the billions now, darling.’

‘I can think of about a thousand better uses for that money,’ I said frostily. ‘Sala could have put the Council of Kassandra in any old building. Why all this showboating?’

‘Do at least try to think it through, Paige. The Roman Forum is the ancient heart of this city. An undeniable symbol of power,’ Jaxon said. ‘In London, voyants are forced underground, stripped of heritage and standing, cast beneath amaurotics’ boots. Sala will force them to meet us by daylight. In any case, we still have coin aplenty. There are voyants abroad who have used their gifts to gain influence, make sound investments and rise beyond the constraints imposed on us by Scion. Sala has established connections with them.’

‘You love Scion. You live and breathe London,’ I said. ‘Why are you here, Jax?’

‘You took London,’ he said. ‘And perhaps I am tired of living under amaurotic rule.’

We stopped at the end of the arcade, and he steered me back on to the burning plaza. He indicated a temple with a tawny roof, covered in scaffolding.

‘That will be the House of Guardians,’ he said. ‘Any furies that appear – other than the sibyls – will meet at the House of Change. And last but not least, the House of Dreaming, home of the seventh order.’ He pointed out the building ahead, which loomed above the plaza. ‘Let me show you inside. You will have a place of honour here, darling.’

My curiosity was rising. I followed him up the steps.

It was mercifully cool inside. While the building was pale marble, there were splashes of red, painted into alcoves and across the ceiling. A stone table stood in the middle of the chamber.

‘The oracles will come together here, to discuss their visions.’ Jaxon ran a hand along it. ‘To represent dreamwalking, I have commissioned a painting of the benandanti, the Good Walkers. They were Italian farmers who claimed to depart from their bodies at night, to do battle with evil forces, ensuring a good harvest. Our homage to your gift.’

I kept the table between us. ‘Why?’

‘No matter our differences, I will never stop believing yours to be the greatest form of clairvoyance. You could thrive as a member of the Council of Kassandra. After all, you are the only dreamwalker.’

He must not know about Cade. I hated the little stab of relief I felt, because the Pale Dreamer still wanted her mime-lord to think she was special.

‘I don’t have time,’ I said. ‘I’ve a citadel to run.’

‘You’ve been away from London for months, and you still have the gall to call yourself Underqueen.’

‘I am Underqueen.’

‘I doubt it. An Underqueen who forsakes her own citadel is unworthy of the Rose Crown.’

‘I won’t hear one more word out of you about the Rose Crown, Jax. You are a trafficker and a traitor. I ran you out of London and Paris, so you had to beg for another throne.’

‘Alas, the figurative throne belongs to Antoinette.’ He turned back to the entrance. ‘Allow me to show you one more thing, before I let you go.’

He went outside. I took a last glance at the interior before I trailed down the steps in his wake.

‘The Column of Phocas.’ Jaxon pointed out the free-standing pillar in the middle of the plaza. ‘We intend to build an identical replica elsewhere in the Forum, honouring a local voyant: Spurinna, the Etruscan haruspex who warned Julius Caesar of his impending doom.’

‘So now you plan to honour the vile augurs. Bit of a change of tune, isn’t it, having turned other voyants against them?’

‘At the time I wrote On the Merits , the voyants of London were falling apart. They needed a reason to pull together.’ Jaxon walked up the steps at the base of the pillar, which was made of creamy marble. ‘In order to better themselves, they needed somebody to despise.’

‘That’s absurd. Any civilisation that needs to subjugate part of itself to survive is not worth saving.’

Arcturus had told me that.

‘A pretty quote. Not yours, I trust,’ Jaxon said. ‘Fear not. I have ended my vendetta against the vile augurs – the àuguri domiciliari , as President Sala has named them. She’s an oculomancer.’

I stopped.

‘Wait,’ I said. ‘Sala is voyant herself ?’

‘Obviously. Why else would she have done all this?’

I should have guessed sooner, but the possibility had never crossed my mind. No wonder Sala had taken such a vocal stance against Scion.

‘A voyant at the head of a country,’ I said at last. ‘That’s new.’

‘It is beyond our wildest imaginings.’

‘I’m surprised she let you in here, if she’s a vile augur. Given what you did to them in London.’

‘She did question me on the matter,’ Jaxon said. ‘I admitted that I could have chosen my words more judiciously in On the Merits of Unnaturalness , but that youth and bitterness had got the better of me, strengthened by my hatred of the osteomancers who tormented me when I was a child. I offered my sincere apologies.’

‘Only because it benefits you now.’

‘You wound me.’ He nodded to the top of the column. ‘Behold our tragic namesake, Kassandra.’

A young and barefoot woman stood above us, cast in bronze. She was pulling at her own dishevelled hair, eyes wide, snakes entwined around her arms.

‘Kassandra was a mortal princess of Troy, loved by the god Apollo, who bestowed upon her the divine gift of foresight,’ Jaxon said. ‘But when his advances failed, Apollo cursed Kassandra. She would see the future, but no one would ever believe her predictions.’

Apollo was the same god who had pursued the Cumaean Sibyl. He needed to wind his neck in.

‘Kassandra predicted the fall of her city – but, just as the curse promised, her warnings fell on deaf ears. Now she serves as a warning of what can happen when ordinary people do not heed those with godly insight.’ He glanced at me. ‘On that note, I have been working on a theory about the origins of clairvoyance. Would you be interested in hearing it, or are you too busy running errands for amaurotics?’

‘Domino pays more than you.’ I folded my arms. ‘How the hell do you even know about them?’

‘Beatrice told me, of course.’ Jaxon turned away. ‘If you do wish to continue your education, meet me tomorrow morning at the Maderno Fountain at half past nine. Good to see you again, darling.’

He left me standing by the plinths, alone with Kassandra.

Jaxon really was like a poltergeist – notoriously difficult to exorcise. I had driven him out of London, left him to die in Versailles, and the bastard still kept coming back.

After sending a message to Ver?a to tell her I was leaving, I walked back to the Chiostro del Bramante, digesting what I had learned. By the time I got there, dusk had fallen. I went up to my room, where I sat on my bed and opened Omnia.

Antoinette órlaith Carter (born 1 May 2002) is an Irish author and former host of the talk show Deepest Truths (2038–2046). She was born in Roscommon to an Irish mother and a French father, who escaped from the Republic of Scion France . Carter studied at Trinity College , securing her first presenting role in 2025.

In February 2046, Carter joined a group of Irish celebrities, including her friend Fiadh Ní Rothláin (2007–2046) and ex-husband Barry Hourican (1998–2046), to protest an apparent diplomatic visit by Abberline Mayfield . She was among the few survivors of the alleged massacre that followed, and went on to become an outspoken participant in the Molly Riots , during which she distributed a pamphlet, Stingy Jack (2048–).

After fleeing the Republic of Scion Ireland in 2052, Carter was granted asylum in an undisclosed location. Her autobiography, In the Shadow of the Anchor (2054), was an instant #1 New York Times bestseller.

Carter must remember Dublin in excruciating detail. Even though she had survived, it had turned her from a popular and wealthy celebrity to a hunted rebel. I wondered if her archangel had protected her that morning, while everyone around her was murdered. Perhaps her book went into it.

I took another sip of alysoplasm before I lay on the bed. Even without the aster fatigue, my body was reprimanding me for running on so little sleep for so long.

By the time I opened my eyes again, it was almost nine in the evening. I couldn’t get used to waking up with no sense of who was around me. I checked my phone, finding a new message from Nick: My replacement is on his way. M and I will get the first train to Rome on Thursday.

Jaxon is here, I replied. So is Antoinette Carter.

How are either of them in the free world?

Probably safer to explain in person, but apparently we aren’t the only ones who’ve been thinking of impressive ways to fight Scion.

Any luck with the search?

I’m close, but I might have to refrain from killing Jax.

Be careful around him. You can’t use your gift, and he still has every reason to hurt you, Paige.

I put my phone back down and stood. Before I slept any more, I needed to eat.

It was colder now the sun was down. I had intended to go back to the restaurant, but paused by the door next to mine, seeing a strip of light beneath it.

‘It’s me,’ I said. ‘Are you all right?’

‘Yes.’

‘Did you feed?’

There was a dead silence. I leaned against the wall beside his door.

‘I found a way into the Forum,’ I said. ‘Jaxon is here.’

That got him to open the door. His eyes were dimmer than ever.

‘Tell me,’ he said, his voice soft.

I obliged. He listened without interrupting.

‘I must inform Terebell,’ he said, once I had described the whole earth-shattering afternoon. ‘She will not be pleased to hear that Jaxon is alive.’

‘I’m not exactly over the moon about it myself,’ I said, ‘but you and I did choose not to kill him, so this headache is our fault. You might want to omit that particular detail.’

‘Hm. I will send a psychopomp,’

‘You can do that while you’re on alysoplasm?’

‘With some patience. I still carry the ?ther in my veins,’ he said. ‘In the meantime, you should take the measure of this Council of Kassandra, to determine whether they are potential allies.’

‘I’m not an especially good judge of character,’ I said, ‘but you did say the Ranthen wanted an advisory presence in the human world. If we can persuade the Council and Domino to work alongside you, this could well be how we manage after Scion.’ I sighed. ‘I can’t get my head around the idea of voyants having any political sway, even out here. You should have seen the Forum. It’s like a palace.’

‘We should have built such a palace ourselves. Had the Sargas not won the war, we could have treated voyants as our friends and representatives, rather than condemn you. But since we needed you to survive, Nashira would not take any chances. She was bent on subjugation.’

‘And here we are.’ I folded my arms. ‘I must sound like a broken record, but I can’t help but notice that you still haven’t fed. We’re pushing a week. What exactly are you trying to prove?’

His eyes darkened even further.

‘Fine. Ducos will find you somewhere else soon,’ I said curtly. ‘I can’t stop you starving yourself, but at least I won’t have to watch.’

I left without a backward glance, feeling his gaze on me all the way.

My heart pounded as I walked down the steps to the courtyard. No matter what I did, I was getting this all wrong. Arcturus was sinking, and I didn’t know how to save him, because I wasn’t gentle or patient, like he was.

In the courtyard, I sat by the fountain and sent a message to Ducos: Any updates on the place for Warden?

After a couple of minutes, my phone vibrated. I will collect him on Thursday evening and take him to our sanctuary in Orvieto, not far from Rome. He can stay there for as long as necessary.

‘Paige?’

Ver?a touched my shoulder, distracting me. She took one look at my face and sighed. ‘It’s been a long day,’ she said. ‘Do you want to get dinner?’

‘Please,’ I said.

‘All right. My niece recommended a place near the Colosseo,’ she said. ‘We’ll get a cab.’

Arcturus was already back in his room. I knew my irritation stemmed from worry, but for once in his life, I wished he would be straightforward with me. The guesswork was driving me spare.

The restaurant was on a rooftop. Ver?a and I sat on upholstered red seats, overlooking a massive ruin near the Forum.

‘The Colosseum,’ Ver?a said, passing me the drinks menu. ‘It was an amphitheatre in Ancient Rome, used for public entertainment. Most famously, it hosted fights to the death between enslaved warriors called gladiators. It was a cruel time. Then again, so is ours.’

‘So I’ve learned,’ I said.

Ver?a ordered our supper and cocktails in Italian. As soon as the waitron had gone, she released her breath.

‘A sibyl,’ she murmured. ‘Apparently, I will be able to see my visions in more detail if I am with the others when they come. That’s why Antoinette has been trying to gather us all in one place.’‘How did she use to make such good predictions on her show?’ I asked. ‘Did she know other sibyls even then?’ ‘I will have to ask her.’ She swirled her drink. ‘I’m not a fighter, like you or Maria. Perhaps this is the way I join the battle against Scion. Should I uproot my life and move to Rome?’

‘Only if that’s what you want. Just because you have a gift, it doesn’t mean you need to use it, Ver?a.’

‘What if it could help defeat Scion?’

‘You’ll have to square that with your own conscience, like I did. Scion forced my hand when they arrested me. I had no choice but to resist.’

‘Yes. I will have to think.’ Ver?a propped her cheekbone against her knuckles. ‘My own gift aside, what this Council of Kassandra wants to achieve is quite something, isn’t it?’

‘It’s certainly not what I expected to find here.’

‘Now I see why Sala has put so much into the Forum Project. She wants voyants to be acknowledged, respected.’

‘Do you think the Council might be willing to stand up to Scion?’

‘They certainly have the funding and influence, though much of their money has clearly been spent on the Forum Project itself, which is frustrating. I’m sure you and your allies could have put it to much better use,’ Ver?a said. ‘Some of those who financed it are voyants whose precognitive abilities have allowed them to amass significant fortunes.’

I nodded. ‘Jaxon told me.’

‘Maria despises Jaxon. I was surprised to see him,’ she said, her brow creasing. ‘Did he not work for Scion?’

‘Jaxon Hall has been involved in just about every dirty scheme you can imagine. I recommend you stay well away from him, for your own sake. He needs … specialist handling.’

‘All right.’ She paused. ‘Do you think Carter is lying about not being able to contact Sala?’

‘I’ve a hunch, but even if the Council of Kassandra knows where she is, they have no particular reason to trust me. If I have to stick around and persuade them that I want to help, so be it. It’s not as if we have any other leads,’ I said. ‘In the meantime, could I ask a favour?’