Rise of the Wolf by Jennifer A. Nielsen

  "I couldn't leave it tied there. That was careless of you, Nic."

  "Callistus wouldn't let any enemies near him." Except that Radulf had managed to capture a unicorn once -- Callistus's mother -- so Aurelia was right once more. It had been a big risk on my part, though I knew the bulla would've been taken from me if I'd brought it into the battle earlier. For one reason or another, every choice I made seemed to be the wrong one.

  As soon as I put the bulla on, its strength filled me. I immediately put my fingers on the bruise forming on Aurelia's cheek and let the Divine Star heal it.

  Aurelia giggled. "That tickles."

  It had already finished healing. I knew that, and yet my fingers were still there, brushing her soft skin. Now it was not just my fingers on her cheek, but my whole hand, and I didn't know how I would ever let her go. Aurelia stared back at me until we had been quiet for too long. Then she stepped back and said, "We'd better get to safety. Where's Livia?"

  "With Crispus," I said, finally pulling my head back into the battle. I pointed off to the right. "But let's go this way instead. There's something else I need to do."

  We left Radulf to finish the battle behind us, and I had no doubt that he would be successful. There wasn't much the Praetors could do to him, and he was clearly enjoying himself. I wondered if this was how he had become so successful as a general. Maybe he never really attended all those battles he won.

  "Can you do that, the magic he's doing?" Aurelia asked.

  "I've never tried it," I said. Though now I wanted to. I would practice until it was perfect.

  Except for Callistus, who was grazing nearby, the field was empty when we arrived. I pointed in the direction Crispus and Livia had gone. "Please find them," I said to Aurelia. "And then no matter what, stay out of sight until I tell you it's safe."

  "I can help you fight," she said.

  "I didn't come back here to fight," I told her. "And I'm not sure what's about to happen. You need to leave."

  She nodded, though I knew it wasn't the answer she'd wanted. I asked Callistus to walk with her, and after a brief snort of annoyance, Callistus left his grazing and they walked away.

  Once I was alone, I listened again for Atroxia's tears, which rushed at me like raw emotion. I walked the field as I had before, choosing my steps based on the direction in which the crying became louder.

  And stopped exactly where I had before, at the ruins of the old temple.

  The Mistress was a vestalis. It would make sense for her punishment to take place inside a temple. Though I could not explain why it had been destroyed to rubble since her burial.

  I knelt on the ground there, closed my eyes, and waited. It wasn't long before I heard the growl of a wolf. The wolf of Mars.

  But I had the bulla now, so I wasn't afraid. Or not as afraid as before. I could communicate with the wolf, not force him to obey me. Still, I said to him, "If the temple is here, show me."

  Inside my head, above the crying of the Mistress, the wolf answered. Or rather, a voice spoke to me. It had to be Mars, answering through his chosen animal.

  "Do you have the key, Nicolas Calva?"

  "Yes." I didn't know what the key was, or how I could have it, but Valerius had died to protect my keeping of it and I wouldn't let that be in vain.

  "Have you come for the amulet inside?"

  My heart pounded. "Yes."

  "Are you worthy, Nicolas Calva, to hold a sacred amulet of the gods?"

  No. I had the bulla, the first of the three amulets, but I'd stolen it. I couldn't claim worthiness.

  So I said, "You must decide that."

  Fur brushed up beside me, and when I opened my eyes, I saw the wolf at my side. He used his snout to move my hand over his head, and I smiled. This terrible beast was really only a puppy wanting love. I gave him a scratch, but he hadn't been asking for that.

  The wolf looked up, and I followed his gaze. Directly in front of me was an elaborate temple. It was small but grander in workmanship than the Pantheon or Caesar's temple or any temple I'd yet seen in Rome. Only three marble steps led to the base, which was surrounded by marble columns ringed with gold. The blocks of white marble on the walls were fit so carefully together that they almost appeared solid, and the cornice of the arched roof was carved so intricately that my eyes could not find a single flaw. And it was no wonder. No man had constructed this temple.

  This temple was built by the gods.

  Nicolas Calva, we are alone at last."

  Startled by the sound of a voice, I turned, hands out. Decimas Brutus wasn't far from me, but the wolf at my side growled, warning Brutus to keep his distance if he hoped to avoid being bitten. Beyond that, the bulla was clearly visible hanging on my chest. And Brutus was alone.

  I looked back at the temple, but it was in ruins again and the wolf had retreated into the woods. Brutus said nothing about it, so I was sure he could not see the temple as it really was. That privilege had been given only to me.

  "You again," I said completely without enthusiasm. "Don't you ever give up?"

  "Don't you?" he asked, arching an eyebrow to show his amusement.

  "Not until I win," I said.

  He smiled. "Unfortunately, today will not be that day. Dawn will be here soon, and you and I have business to discuss."

  "Give up this fight," I told him. "Thanks to General Radulf, few of your men are still standing."

  "You saw my army in the woods," Brutus said dismissively. "There are hundreds more of us, even thousands if we measure to the ends of the empire. You have swatted a bee today, but we are a hive, ready to sting."

  I was in no mood to debate bee analogies with him. Instead, I said, "Try stinging me now." Then I used the bulla to unwrap some of the unburned vines from their cords and sent them swirling around Brutus's body.

  By the time I was finished, only his face was showing and it was nearly as purple as the grapes. I walked forward, picked a grape from about where his elbow would be, and squashed it beneath my fingers. Let him wonder about that analogy for a while.

  "How dare you!" he shouted.

  "How dare you?" I replied. "You killed Senator Valerius, who did nothing to you and who could give you nothing! I intend to deliver you to the emperor himself, at which point I will tell him every detail of your treason against this empire!"

  Brutus started to answer, then his gaze drifted beside me where a light was beginning to form. I had felt the change in the air already and knew what to expect, but I still moved sideways when Radulf faded into view. I didn't know what strange things could happen if he tried to appear right where I was, but I wasn't about to risk suddenly sharing arms and legs with my grandfather.

  Radulf was here now, not the trick of light from before, just him. But he looked at me and said, "Is Brutus all that's left?"

  "All that's left in this field." I hated to say the next part, but without his help here tonight, I'd have certainly failed. "Thank you ... sir, for coming."

  "I should've come sooner, but your magic was so erratic, I couldn't get a feel for what was happening here."

  Brutus arched his neck in defiance. "The only thing happening here is Nicolas and I coming to an arrangement. This doesn't concern you, General Radulf."

  Radulf turned back to Brutus. "My grandson always concerns me, Decimas Brutus. When he finds the Malice of Mars, my first act will be to destroy every Praetor in the Roman Empire."

  Which was why I could never allow Radulf to get the Malice. Destroying the Praetors was only his first intended act. Radulf hated the empire for what they had done to our homeland, now in service and slavery to Rome. I had never felt the same way. For all its brutality, life was better here than I'd ever known it to be in Gaul. So his plans were clear. After he finished with the Praetors, more destruction would follow.

  "I've told Emperor Florian about your plans," Brutus said. "A group of soldiers will bring you to him, by force if necessary."

  Radulf chuckled at the word "force." "Those soldiers are
loyal to me," he said. "I warned the emperor not to threaten me."

  Something about the look in his eye made me nervous. I knew enough about Radulf to believe him. Radulf always meant exactly what he said.

  "Nic, is it over?" Aurelia emerged from the path, with Callistus behind her. Crispus and Livia followed behind them.

  "Except for this one," I said, pointing to Brutus.

  Livia ran up and gave me a warm hug. "Thank the gods you're safe."

  "Your sister is beautiful," Brutus said. "So like her mother, wouldn't you agree?"

  My heart went cold. "Get behind me," I said to Livia. Brutus wouldn't break free from the vines; I had sealed them with magic. But his tone made me nervous.

  Aurelia took her place at my side and murmured, "Don't even talk to him, Nic."

  "Talking isn't necessary." Brutus nodded eastward, where the morning sun was beginning to peek over the hills. "The boy knows what will happen now if he does not give me the key."

  "He doesn't have it," Radulf said. "If he did, don't you think we'd already have the Malice?"

  "Maybe he doesn't know he has it," Brutus said. "And maybe you don't know how to help him find it, but I do. Turn yourself over to me right now, Nicolas, and I will get the key from you. Or if you do not, the men who are holding your mother will execute their orders."

  To execute her. I saw her face clearly in my mind, which made it even more impossible to think about losing her forever.

  From behind me, Livia put a hand on my arm and whispered, "You must do something."

  "He will not go with you!" Radulf said. "I will not allow it."

  "Nor will I!" Crispus looked over at me. "I'll be an apprentice to the Senate now. My first loyalty is to Rome, and I can't let you harm the empire, not even to save your mother."

  "Listen to them," Aurelia said. "Don't go with the Praetors. I'm so sorry, Nic, but this is how it has to be."

  I looked back at Livia, who had put her other hand on Callistus's neck. She was as pure as the unicorn; it was no wonder they looked so right together. Tears rolled down her cheeks, but she only shook her head at me, begging me to think of our family first. I truly didn't know what to do. It was the wrong choice to submit to Brutus, and an equally wrong choice to sacrifice our mother. Livia didn't know I had just come from seeing our mother, and how that tore at me now.

  "Give me your decision," Brutus said. "Either you return with me now, or within one hour, your mother will be gone and I will turn my attention to a new target until you cooperate." His eyes drifted to Livia.

  "I'm not afraid of him," Livia whispered, though her voice trembled. "Save our mother."

  "Nic will not go with you," Radulf said.

  "Then his mother will die!" Brutus countered.

  "You and I made one bargain!" I shouted above them both. "Let's make another."

  "No," Brutus said. "You tricked me."

  "But you must make this bargain," I said. "I'm not giving you a choice."

  "Oh?" Brutus was amused again. "I'm surprised to hear you taking your mother's life so lightly."

  "I am absolutely serious about saving her," I said. "As serious as you are about getting the Malice."

  "No, Nic." Radulf stepped toward me, but I turned away from him.

  "This is my bargain to make, not yours," I said to Radulf. To the rest I added, "What I'm offering is my decision, and only mine."

  "So the slave boy can think for himself after all." Brutus smiled. "Let's hear it, then."

  "I do have the key. With it, I will get the Malice of Mars" -- I flashed a glare at Radulf -- "on my own. I am the only one who knows where it is. The Malice was created by the gods and cannot be destroyed by a human. But something else created by the gods could destroy it." I raised the bulla, and Brutus's smile fell.

  He said, "So your bargain is that if I spare your mother, you will spare the Malice. That puts us at an impasse."

  It was my turn to smile. "In four days, the Ludi Romani begins, honoring the might of Rome, and also Julius Caesar, who was assassinated by some coward senator you might know, Marcus Brutus."

  Decimas Brutus shook his head. "There are no cowards in my family."

  My gaze never left his eyes. "If that's true, then the games are the perfect place for you and me to settle our differences."

  Brutus chuckled. "You want a chariot race? But you have magic."

  "I won't use it, not to help me or to hurt you. This is to be a fair race. Put up any competitor you want, with any team of horses you choose. If I win, you will free my mother and vow never to come after me or my family again. The Praetors will abandon their quest for the Malice."

  "And if you lose?"

  I refused to look at Radulf, whose glare at me was like the heat of the sun. And there was no way I dared look back at Aurelia. She would be equally angry, though for different reasons. "If I lose, I will give you the Malice, and use it to help you make a Jupiter Stone."

  "Creating the Jupiter Stone will probably kill you," Brutus said.

  "I know that. Which means our bargain favors you."

  "No tricks?"

  "No tricks."

  Brutus could not have looked more pleased. "All right, Nicolas Calva, we will meet again in four days. I agree to your terms."

  Once the agreement was settled, I freed Brutus, who quickly left the field before I came to my senses and backed out. Except that I wasn't going to back out. I had just bought myself four days to find the key.

  "Arrogant fool of a boy!" Radulf's face was so pinched with anger that I decided to keep my distance from him, even with a shield in place. "You know where the Malice is hidden? How?"

  "Valerius told me, before he died." That wasn't entirely true, but it was close enough without giving away to Radulf that he was nearly standing on top of it.

  Radulf's argument shifted. "And you are risking all of that on a chariot race? You've only done practices, which are nothing to the real thing, and certainly nothing compared to the Ludi Romani. The Praetors will choose the finest racer in the empire, one who has probably sent a thousand other charioteers to their deaths in the circus."

  "I'm a good driver!" I countered.

  "The circus spits out good drivers with every bend of the track! You could not have offered him a worse deal."

  "Train me," I said. "We have four days. So train me to race."

  "It won't be nearly enough time."

  "But it's all I have." I was reduced to begging now, which I hated, but I'd be even more pathetic if I denied that I needed his help. "Radulf, I understand better than anyone what happens if I lose. So help me now."

  "Tell me this," Radulf said, lowering his voice. "Do you have the key?"

  Without looking directly at him, I nodded. I had it, whatever, or wherever it was. But there was nothing more I could say.

  "Then I will train you the best that I can. Though in the end, you'll be alone in that chariot."

  Finally, I turned to really look at Aurelia and Crispus. His eyes were red, I realized now. He had just lost his father, which surely felt to him like an open wound. And even as he suffered that trauma, I had still begged him to look after my sister, which he did with courage and honor.

  I enclosed Crispus in a grateful embrace, patting his back before I let him go. "Valerius was a good man and a good senator," I said. "But when your time comes, you will be even better."

  "I have to act for Rome now, in my father's place," he said. "Do you understand that? If you threaten the empire, I must order the guard to come after you."

  I smiled. "You can try, but Radulf controls the guard and I have the bulla. Just believe me when I say that I will never be a threat to the empire."

  He shook his head. "You already are a threat, Nic, and don't even seem to know it. That's why I had to warn you."

  My grin widened, that is, until I looked to Aurelia. The rims of her eyes had reddened, which was hard for me to see. I was used to making her angry, but I didn't like the thought that I could make her
sad too. Softly, I asked, "Can we talk in private?"

  When she nodded, I took her arm and led her a little distance away. "I know this isn't what you want," I said. "But this bargain gives me a chance. It's the best I could do to save my mother and to keep him from getting the Malice."

  "Do you remember in the amphitheater when I said I had a bad feeling about you going in there? You did it anyway, and look at how awful that turned out. You nearly died!"

  I faked a smile, hoping it looked to her like confidence. "I survived the amphitheater."

  "My father didn't."

  The smile felt naive now, and I let it go. "I'm sorry, Aurelia. I tried to save him."

  "I don't blame you for that. But I have a worse feeling this time. Please don't do the race."

  "This is different. I had no idea what to expect in the amphitheater, but I do know how chariot races go."

  "You're not listening, Nic! I'm telling you something bad will happen if you enter the race!"

  "And what happens if I don't? Do you think I offered this bargain because of how good my situation is?"

  "We have four days. Four days we can use to find your mother, not train for a chariot race."

  "That only solves the problem for a moment. Radulf was right before -- I will never be able to run far enough in this empire to get away from the Praetors. They promised to come after everyone I love until I give in. Not only my mother, but Livia, and --" I stopped there, choking on my own breath. Quietly, I added, "Everyone."

  Aurelia stared back at me as if all breath had been stolen from her too. Her eyes darted over to Crispus, who was watching us but probably couldn't hear the words that were falling so stupidly from my mouth. I was grateful for at least that much.

  "The deal has been made," I whispered.

  "Just be careful," she finally said. Her arms slid around my neck as she held me in an embrace. I heard her sniff like she was crying, but I wasn't going to check to be sure. It would embarrass her and weaken my resolve.

  When we parted, her eyes were dry, but again, I didn't dare look that closely. Instead, I scuffed my sandal on the ground and said, "Come with me to Radulf's home. You'll be safer there than anywhere. Livia will be there too, and I know she'd love your company."

  "So you want me there because of Livia? That's the only reason?"