Path of Smoke (32 page)

“What's the plan here?” His voice was muffled. “Are we going to dazzle Latona with an amateur production of
Rocky Horror
? If so, dibs on Frank.”

Andrew got up, trying to ignore the pain in his arm. “Stay here. I saw Shelby's truck, which means that they're not far behind. If this doesn't work, get them out.”

“What about you?”

He almost smiled. “I never said the plan was perfect.”

“Andrew—I'm sorry.”

“There's a pack of silenoi running through Campus West. I think we've moved past the ‘I'm sorry' portion of the evening.”

“I don't know what Oliver told you, but it wasn't all lies. We had no choice.”

“It doesn't matter anymore. Just—try not to get mauled.”

He ran down the hallway before Carl could reply. The smoke followed him, clinging to the walls and making his eyes water. He didn't know the Fine Arts floor very well. He was in the business of analyzing verse, not creating music. But he did remember the storage room, where they kept a wealth of instruments. He'd stumbled upon it once, while looking for a fabled “healthy” vending machine that dispensed vegan candy. It was supposed to be on this level, hidden away in some corner. Instead, he'd discovered the pianos.

They were covered in cloth and pushed against the walls. Quickly, he threw off the covers, revealing Steinways and Forsters and even a harpsichord. Smoke poured into the room. He could hear shouting and pounding. There wasn't much time. He chose one of the pianos and ran his fingers lightly along its keys. The middle C was loose. The two keys matched. He grabbed a screwdriver from a plastic bin full of tools and used it to pry off the key. Then he replaced it with the horn key. It was indistinguishable. Just another piece of ivory.

Latona rode into the room. She wore jeans and a university sweatshirt. Her horse left dented prints in the floor. Behind her, the chieftain of the silenoi emerged. His green eyes found Andrew. He may have been smiling, but it was hard to tell.

He heard footsteps on the other side of the room. Carl emerged from the other entrance, followed by Shelby, Ingrid, and Sam. They all froze when they saw Latona with the chieftain. Another silenus appeared, and Carl's expression changed. He seemed to recognize the creature, although Andrew had never seen him before. The smoke hung above them. For the first time, the red eyes were uncertain. They glanced at the pianos, then at Andrew. They couldn't see where the relic had gone.

“You've cornered yourself in a room full of instruments,” Latona said. “Splendid plan. Why don't you play us something?”

“I would,” Andrew said, “but I can't seem to find my horn.”

Her eyes narrowed. “What have you done?”

“It's over. The lares of the air won't serve you. They won't serve anybody.”

“Where is it?”

“You're welcome to look for it.”

“I'll tear this place apart.”

“It doesn't matter. You still won't find it. Besides—I'm sure the people who built this school have connections to the park. You're in their neighborhood now, and they won't be impressed if you burn it to the ground.”

She looked around, as if slowly beginning to recognize her surroundings. “There are a million reasons why I left this place. And now you've dragged me back here. I ought to kill you for that indignity.”

“You won't.”

“Oh?” She glanced at the chieftain. “One word from me, and his pack will slaughter your friends. They'll let you watch. They love that sort of thing.”

He struggled to keep his voice steady. “No. You aren't going to hurt them. If you do, I won't be able to help you.”

Her expression darkened. “Help me? What do you know about the park? What makes you think that you can fumble and fuck about with my plans? I was on the verge of changing both worlds. This treaty would have altered the whole playing field, and that—” She pointed at the pillar of smoke above him. “Those—whatever you want to call them—were the key.”

“Treaties are rarely honored,” Shelby said.

“They won't serve you,” Andrew repeated, though he wasn't sure if he believed it.

“Cinder and smoke.” She shook her head. “More powerful than you could imagine. My mother could never have arranged this meeting. She made sure that the horn stayed buried. I was the one who found it. I was the one who risked my life to form this alliance. You're a nemo. A nobody who's already died once, if I remember correctly. What can you possibly offer?”

“I was sent to kill you.”

Maybe it wasn't quite true. Felix had never told him what the knife was for, and now the weapon lay in a bed of cinders. It could have happened, though. Better that she believed it.

She laughed. “You'd be riddled with arrows before you got close.”

“I flew into your chamber and stole your weapon. Riddle-free. I rode away on wings of smoke.”

She looked slightly less certain. “Who trained you?”

A liar in a mask. A burned spado. A woman with tall hair who keeps disappearing. A lizard that can see the end of everything.

“That's no longer important.” He locked eyes with the princeps. “Call them off. Leave my friends alone. Go back to your world, and in return, I'll talk to the lares. They won't follow you blindly. But they will march for you, if you make it worth their while. Even the caela. I can't unsound the note that freed them. Now they're just another dangerous thing. The question is: what will you do with them?”

“Andrew.” Shelby was staring at him. “You can't.”

They were all he had. These beautiful, lopsided people. He loved them awkwardly, imperfectly. He couldn't imagine a world without them.

He looked steadily at Latona, who was beginning to realize that he meant it.

“There's no other choice,” he said.

Latona smiled. “You'll help me forge an army?”

“Yes.”

She glanced at his former company. “And what of them? What if they decide to get in our way?”

They will. That's what they do best.

“Fate,” he said, “moves as it must.”

“So it does.” She watched him beneath the red glow of all those eyes. “Not even Fortuna could have seen this coming.”

Andrew looked at Shelby and the old harpsichord that stood next to her.

Then he stepped forward and offered his wounded arm to the basilissa.

Aditus:
An intersecting avenue.

Anfractus:
A city controlled by Basilissa Latona.

Artifex:
A member of the Gens of Artifices. They build machines, which they can occasionally infuse with life.

Arx:
The palace of the basilissa and the seat of the court.

Auditor:
A member of the Gens of Auditores. They are able to speak with lares (though they cannot see them).

Baculum:
A ceremonial staff carried by some auditores and oculi.

Basia:
A brothel that serves a diverse clientele.

Basilissa:
A hereditary position and a vestige of the former empire. City-states such as Anfractus and Egressus are governed by a basilissa. The position is matrilineal.

Caelum:
A lar whose natural habitat is smoke.

Caupona:
An inn that offers food and entertainment.

Chlamys:
A ceremonial robe fashioned of leather and worn by the basilissa.

Cloaca:
The sewer, which contains a system of tunnels.

Domina/us:
A wealthy landowner who administers a large house (domus).

Egressus:
A city controlled by Basilissa Pulcheria.

Fortuna:
The goddess of chance, whose wheel determines fate.

Fur:
A member of the Gens of Furs. They are thieves or peddlers who serve the Fur Queen.

Gens:
A guild or “family” of members devoted to a particular mastery. There are six gens devoted to the day (miles, sagittarii, auditores, trovadores, medica, and artifices) and six gens devoted to the night (spadones, meretrices, sicarii, furs, oculi, and silenoi, the last constituting a wild gens).

Gladius:
A short sword generally carried by a miles.

Gnomo:
A lar whose natural habitat is earth. They are rarely seen.

Hippodrome:
A complex that features chariot racing, duels between miles, and performances.

Hypocaust:
A furnace designed to heat a domus (larger versions heat public baths).

Impluvium:
A basin in a house designed to catch rainwater.

Insula:
A block of apartments, often with shops on the ground floor.

Lar:
An elemental spirit.

Lararium:
A roadside or indoor shrine to lares.

Lupo:
A slang term for meretrices, meaning “wolf.”

Machina:
An automaton built by an artifex.

Medicus:
A member of the Gens of Medica. They are surgeons and chemists.

Meretrix:
A member of the Gens of Meretrices. They are courtesans and sex workers who offer their services at the basiorum.

Miles:
A member of the Gens of Miles. They are soldiers and law keepers who also guard the grounds of the palace.

Nemo:
An individual who does not belong to a gens.

Oculus:
A member of the Gens of Oculi. They can see lares (though they cannot hear them).

Oscana:
The territory covered by Wascana Park.

Pedes:
A servant under the protection of a wealthy dominus or domina.

Popina:
A street-side bar that offers food.

Sagittarius:
A member of the Gens of Sagittarii. They are archers who patrol the battlements of the arx and are considered the first defense against intruders.

Salamander:
A lar whose natural habitat is fire. They are generally amenable.

Sicarius:
A member of the Gens of Sicarii. They are assassins who sell their services.

Silenus:
A satyr (half humanoid, half hircine) who hunts at night. They comprise the Gens of Silenoi, though they do not respect the tradition.

Spado:
A member of the Gens of Spadones. They are eunuchs who serve as palace officials in addition to supervising archives and libraries.

Subura:
The entertainment district of Anfractus.

Tabularium:
A room for storing books and parchments.

Triclinium:
A formal dining room, which is named after a style of slanted couch upon which guests can recline while eating.

Trovador:
A member of the Gens of Trovadores. They are musicians, entertainers, and poets.

Undina:
A lar whose natural habitat is water. They are natural tricksters.

Via:
A main road.

Vici:
A neighborhood.

Learn more about the work of Bailey Cunningham by visiting his website: cunningbailey.com.