Mia sighed, strands of raven black stuck to the sweat on her face.
All her life, she’d never questioned the rightness of it. Never stopped to look about her and see the people below her. The folk who’d walked like voiceless ghosts about their home, their apartments in the Ribs. The men and women who’d dressed her, made her meals, taught her numbers and letters. Her mother and father had cared for them, no doubt. Rewarded those who served well. But still, they’d served. Not because they wanted to. Because the alternative was the lash, or death.
She felt as if scales were falling from her eyes. The true horror of the Republic she’d been raised inside unveiled in all its awful majesty.
But still …
Scaeva.
Duomo.
Their names burned like flame in her mind. Like a lighthouse, ever guiding her way no matter how dark the world became. The injustice, the cruelty of this system, aye, she could see it. But what in truth could she actually do to change it? Without risking all she’d worked for? Closing her eyes, she could still see her father, swinging on the end of his rope in the forum. Her mother in the Philosopher’s Stone, light fading in her stare as she pushed Mia’s bloody hand away, and with her dying breath whispered:
“Not my daughter … Just … her shadow.”
The memories brought rage, and the rage tasted good. Reminding her of who she was, why she was here. To defeat the greatest gladiatii in the Republic. To stand before her familia’s murderers triumphant and open their throats, one by one. And she was going to have a hard time doing that if she was sold off like a leg of beef at market.
Excelling in the venatus at Stormwatch. That was her concern.
Her first, her only concern.
And so, despite the pain in her injured hand, she nocked another arrow to her bow and nodded at Bryn.
“All right. Tell me what I’m doing wrong. And then, we’ll go again.”
*
“So she’s apparently hocked herself to the eyeteeth,” Mia said, dragging on her cigarillo. “And Arkades has convinced her to sell me to fend off her creditors.”
Ashlinn leaned back in her divan, popped a grape in her mouth. “Bastard.”
“After I killed a dozen people at Blackbridge. He’s got no thought for anyone on the sand, save Furian. ‘He is the champion of this collegium.’ ‘He will bring you your victory, Mi Dona.’ O, aye, he’ll bring her victory all right, you dozy fuck. Right after he brings her to climax. Should’ve heard the pair of them going at it…”
Mia breathed a lungful of gray smoke as if it were flame.
“Arkades stuck me on a leash in the circle, yesterturn. Near broke my hand with those ridiculous shields. Calling me ‘girl’ as if the word were kin for ‘dogshit.’”
“Fucking bastard,” Ash said, eating another grape.
Mia’s eyes narrowed at the girl sitting opposite her.
“Look, are you just agreeing to humor me?”
“Mostly,” Ash smirked. “But it’s good to get these things off your tits, Corvere.”
“… i trust you are feeling better now…”
Mia looked at the not-cat curled on her shoulder. “You’re starting in on me too?”
“… moaning or thinking. which is more productive…?”
“It seems Mister Jolly and I agree on something for once,” Ashlinn said.
“… had i true claws, little viper, i would cut the tongue fr—…”
“Eclipse and I have been snooping about,” Ash continued as if the shadowcat hadn’t spoken. “Your domina’s debts certainly aren’t common knowledge. She buys the finest at market. Dresses like a queen. I suspect that’s half her problem.”
Eclipse raised her head from Mia’s lap, voice echoing through the floor.
“… TOO ENAMORED BY WHAT FOLK THINK OF HER BY FAR…”
“Probably doesn’t want word getting back to her father,” Mia said, crushing out her smoke. “Doesn’t want to give him the satisfaction of seeing her struggling.”
Ash tossed a bunch of grapes to Mia, speaking around her mouthful.
“So the way I see it, we have a few options,” she said.
“… THE SIMPLEST IS TO PUT LEONA’S CREDITORS IN THE DIRT…”
“Aye,” Ashlinn nodded. “It’d take some asking about, but I know for a fact the only place she’d be getting her grain is a merchant named Anatolio. It just so happens he’s fond of his whores, and I know exactly where he dips his—”
“We’re not going to top some poor bastard whose only crime is extending a line of credit to my domina,” Mia scowled.
“… IT SOUNDS AS IF WE WOULD NEED TO END MORE THAN ONE…”
Ash nodded. “She’s almost certainly in hock to the harbormaster. Maybe the builders who worked on the Nest. And her seamstresses wou—”
“Aye, aye, I understand,” Mia said. “We’d probably need to murder half the Rest. Which we’re not going to do. If the collegium puts in a good showing, Leona might be able to secure patronage from some rich marrowborn bastard after the next venatus. So for now, it’s smarter to just turn our eyes to—”
“Stormwatch,” Ash nodded. “Aye. The only way to ensure your place in the Remus Collegium is to win at Stormwatch venatus. And win grand.”
“We don’t even know what shape the venatus there will take.”
“… NOT YET…”
Ashlinn nodded. “That’s why you’ve got me and wolfie, here. There’s a ship bound for the ’Watch leaving amorrow. We can be there in a week, can scout the workings at the arena and know exactly what you’re in for. Then, we plan accordingly, give you a victory that will outshine even Leona’s little fuckboy.”
“I’d never have picked it if I’d not seen it,” Mia sighed. “She acts far too proper.”
Ash shrugged. “She wouldn’t be the first rich woman to pay for a fine stud to scratch her itches. Having to keep it secret is probably half the thrill.”
Mia chewed her grapes, brow creased in thought. The fruit was delicious, and a welcome change from the endless array of stew and porridge the gladiatii were served for eve and mornmeal every turn.*
“Good grapes, these,” she muttered.
“Never let it be said I don’t love you, Corvere.”
Mia looked up sharply at that, but Ash was leaning back in her chair, dropping grapes into her mouth. Her boots were up on the divan’s armrest, legs crossed, leather-clad. Her hair was getting longer, falling down her back in red waves.
Red. Like the blood on her hands.
And yet, here Mia was. Trusting her. She knew Ashlinn wanted the Ministry dead. And Mia and Mercurio were Ash’s best chance back into the Mountain to see the deed done. But was that mutual hatred of the Red Church enough? Was Ash playing a longer game? It wasn’t like she hadn’t done so before.
Ashlinn J?rnheim had lied to her.
Ashlinn J?rnheim was poison.
So why had her lips tasted like honey?
Mia ran her hand over her eyes, nodded slow.
“Head to Stormwatch with Eclipse,” she said. “The more we know, the better the chance I’ll have at a victory Leona can’t help but reward. I imagine we’ll be arriving a few turns before the venatus begins. I’ll need to know everything by then.”
Ash nodded, finishing her mouthful and wiping her lips on her sleeve.
“So,” she said. “Leona’s stud. Furian, the Unfallen.”