Tomarys looked up at the sky.
‘Now, before we go, I have a gift for you. You wear a copper chain around your neck, but the chain is bare.’
Chloe’s brow furrowed as he reached into the pouch at his belt and withdrew a heavy copper amulet. He handed it to her and watched to see her reaction.
The amulet of shiny red metal had the circumference of a large cup and was perfectly circular. Within the circle was an open child’s palm, the fingers slightly curled so that the child held what appeared to be a sheaf of wheat. The sheaf had a narrow stem and was pointed at one end.
Chloe wondered how she should react.
‘Tomarys . . . This is a fine gift. But I fear angering my deity. This is the symbol of Edra, goddess of love, fertility, and children. I worship Aeris, goddess of music and healing.’
‘I know,’ Tomarys said, his arms folded over his chest as he grinned. ‘But the symbol of Aeris didn’t suit my purpose. Examine it.’
‘Wheat is the symbol of fertility . . . It appears I’m asking Edra’s blessing to conceive.’ Chloe looked up, perplexed, but smiling. ‘Thank you, Tomarys. This is the first kind gesture anyone has made since I was first taken from my home.’
Accepting the gift, she unclasped the chain from around her neck and threaded the amulet through the little hoop at the top, before once more fastening the necklace. The amulet was a little large for Chloe’s taste, and now hung below her neck, just above her breasts.
Tomarys’s grin broadened as he reached forward and did something to the amulet. A moment later he showed Chloe the sheaf in his palm; he had completely removed it from the rest of the piece.
It was tapered and sharp on the underside. Chloe’s eyes widened as realization dawned.
‘It is a small throwing knife, made of bronze, rather than copper, for bronze takes a better edge. Practice with it as much as you can.’
He showed her how to place the decorated knife back in the child’s open palm. Tomarys then glanced up at the sky again. He opened his mouth, hesitating before speaking.
‘Listen, Chloe . . . I plan to get my family out of Lamara, but it will take some weeks. I want to leave the sun king’s service and be with my family, far from here, and you should be with yours. I hope to be ready before Solon returns. For now, we need to bide our time.’
‘Tomarys—’
He held up his hand. ‘This is only possible because of what you did for my brother. He, too, wishes to be free.’
Chloe saw that the timbers of the dilapidated rail around the arena floor cast long shadows on the sand.
‘We should leave,’ Tomarys said. He smiled. ‘Every day your skills improve. Perhaps one day it will be you who protects the weak from evil men.’
Chloe laughed aloud when she heard these words of praise from the toughest man she’d ever met.
The journey back was uneventful, with Chloe examining her new amulet as she walked. The usual beggars cried out to her when they thought they were out of her bodyguard’s earshot. The stench of refuse and human waste rose from the sides of every street and alley of the poor quarter.
A particularly persistent street urchin came up and grabbed Chloe’s chiton. ‘The curious sailor is at the House of Algar,’ he said, looking at her with wild eyes as she tried to fend him off. Tomarys sent him sprawling with a shove.
The words were so strange she assumed the boy must be taken by madness. She thought nothing more of the encounter.
The one stab of fear came when she passed the palace guards and wondered if they would take note of her new amulet; it would be difficult not to notice it. But as Tomarys said, sometimes the best hiding place was in plain sight.
They passed through unchallenged. Chloe was one step closer to freedom.
37
Dion was impatient for news as he helped the crew beach the Anoraxis on the harbor shore. He had been gone for more than a week; at any moment the sun king could return.
After fulfilling his duties, he bid farewell to his captain and with his bow and quiver in hand left the harbor, heading out the gate to make his way into the city. Skirting the bazaar, following the now familiar streets to the palace quarter, Dion approached the guesthouse. He knew Algar would ask him for more money but the paymaster had told him to come back the next day to collect his wages.
Dion spoke to his well-dressed host, who grumbled but agreed to grant him another day. He then looked anxiously for Anoush and saw the boy sitting on a low wall near the House of Algar, munching on a handful of raisins.
‘Anoush.’ Dion frowned. ‘Not watching the palace?’
‘Master!’ His eyes widened. ‘You’re back!’ He leaped to his feet and ran over, tilting his head to look up at him as he hopped from foot to foot. ‘I have news. I passed the girl your message yesterday.’
‘How did she react?’