Mark of the Thief

At Horatio’s apartment near the amphitheater, Nic is locked in an underground room. He misses Aurelia and regrets being angry with her. Reflecting on who could have turned him in, he realizes it must have been Sal. His suspicion is confirmed when Sal later visits him: Sal reveals that, as a reward for revealing Nic’s whereabouts, he has been pardoned and given a post as manager of Horatio’s servants. Sal hates that he has a debt to Nic for saving his life in the games. Sal reveals that Nic’s father had magic and died trying to create a Jupiter Stone. When Rome conquered Gaul, his wife and children were forced to flee. Nic’s mother left Nic and Livia in the mines and asked to be sent far away to prevent the empire from finding Nic.

Sal also reveals that he saw Livia with Radulf looking happier than he has ever seen her. Nic’s emotions threaten to overwhelm him, but he decides that he will not be enslaved ever again. Sal’s revelations have left him feeling angry and confused but also in control. He allows the magic to dissipate and feels stronger than ever. He is learning to control his magic, and Sal’s visit helped him learn how.

In the evening, Horatio visits Nic to ask why he has not escaped. Nic warns him not to be at the amphitheater the following day: Valerius intends to kill him, become the presiding magistrate, command the praetors, and possess the three amulets. He has used Nic to lure Radulf into the arena. Horatio brushes him off, saying whatever Valerius has planned will fail. Horatio intends to present Radulf with the key to the Malice of Mars. He wants Rome to fall because it could not save his wife, who died giving birth to Aurelia. Horatio thought that by exposing her, he could forget her, but he was wrong. He tells Nic that he can run, but Nic insists he will face Radulf.

Later that night, Aurelia visits him. Nic realizes that he probably would have done what Aurelia did if it meant he could save Livia. Aurelia warns him that his plan will not work and urges him to escape Rome with her, but he refuses. Nic asks if she sees them as equals just as Horatio arrives to bring Nic to the arena. Aurelia begs him not to go, prompting Horatio to insist she obey him if she lives in his home. She leaves.

At the arena the following day, the terrible stench of the hypogeum overwhelms Nic, and he realizes he is not the enslaved boy he was before. He warns Horatio that if he enters the arena, he will not come out alive, but Horatio insists that he must be there as the sponsor of the day’s games. He tells Nic that if he survives the day, he will understand everything.

Felix prepares Nic, dressing him in his old tunic. According to Felix, Valerius believes Nic can stop the threat Horatio’s games pose to the empire. Felix has warned the emperor not to attend. Nic asks Felix how bad it will be, and he admits it will be bad. Felix passes a message from Valerius: He will honor his bargain if Nic does likewise. Nic understands that Valerius intends for Nic to recover the key and for Horatio to die. Before leaving, Nic asks Felix to “get everyone out from the hypogeum,” and he agrees (300).

As the lift carries Nic up to the surface, he sees 12 raised platforms on which Radulf’s soldiers stand, dressed as each of the gods. Another lift carries Horatio, and Nic is pleased when lukewarm applause greets him. Horatio asks the crowd whether Nic can defeat the gods, and they boo. The floor bursts into flames, herding him toward a ramp. Horatio introduces a man “with the power of the gods,” and Radulf appears (304). Radulf attacks first, but Nic begins using his magic. The fight becomes more even until Radulf vanishes and reappears behind him. He punches Nic’s Divine Star, and Nic collapses. Radulf asks for his last words. Nic replies that he is not done fighting, but Radulf objects.

In the imperial box, Valerius calls out that Horatio has given Nic an advantage to ensure the crowd is properly entertained: the key to the Malice of Mars. Radulf is enraged at the claim and demands the key from Nic, who swears he does not have it. Valerius calls out again asking whether Horatio is playing his own game, attempting to keep the key for himself. Radulf turns to Horatio, who insists Valerius is lying. Radulf threatens to kill him if he does not turn over the key. Nic shouts that it is a trap by Valerius, throws a protective shield in front of Horatio, and summons a storm to extinguish the fire on the arena floor. When the storm becomes too fierce for Nic to control, and lightning briefly threatens, Radulf becomes frantic; this puzzles Nic, who calls up the animals from the hypogeum and sets them loose in the arena, ordering them not to attack any unarmed men. Radulf’s soldiers drop their weapons and run from the pursuing animals, out of the arena.

Radulf runs to one of the lifts to escape the lions pursuing him, but Aurelia appears; she blocks his path with an arrow knocked and announces that she stands with Nic. Nic presses his bulla against Radulf’s Divine Star to drain his magic. Horatio pulls Aurelia away, holds a knife to her throat, and orders Nic to dismiss the lions. Nic obeys, but Radulf retorts that Horatio’s pledges of loyalty are useless since he would sacrifice his own daughter. Nic warns Radulf that the key will be lost forever if he kills Horatio, but Horatio replies that the key “is not what you think,” adding they “both have it now” (314). Radulf kills him, prompting “jeers and applause” from the audience (314). Nic tells Aurelia to run.

Valerius announces himself leader of the Senate and the praetors and orders the arrest of Horatio’s murderers, Radulf and Nic. Aurelia pauses in shock at Valerius’s announcement, and Nic orders her to shoot him with one of her arrows, which he catches and sends toward Valerius, stopping its motion just in front of his nose, prompting cheers and laughter. Nic swears his innocence and rejects Radulf’s command to join him or die. Radulf then begins draining Nic’s magic, but Valerius orders him to stop, backed by hundreds of praetors who Nic notices wear silver bands around their arms in the shape of Diana’s arrows. Radulf warns Nic that the praetors are not what they seem and vanishes.

Crispus comes to Nic’s side to help him out of the arena, but Nic confronts him. Valerius has used Nic as bait to get the key and is responsible for Horatio’s murder. Crispus counters that his father did what had to be done to stop Radulf, and he hoped Nic would survive. Nic replies that Valerius has charged him with Horatio’s death to force Nic to help him. Crispus responds that Nic has nowhere to turn, and Nic disagrees; he will never help Valerius or accept any offers from him. Aurelia rushes to Nic, and Caela appears. Nic asks Aurelia to come with him, but she tells him she needs time alone. She is upset that Nic was not able to save her father. As Caela carries Nic over the amphitheater, the mob below cheers him. He, an escaped enslaved person, has “earned the hearts of the people” (326).

Nic has Caela bring him to the emperor’s palace, intending to warn the emperor and pledge his support to him, but he finds Radulf there instead. Tacitus has left for a campaign in Gaul, leaving Radulf in charge. He orders Caela shot, but she escapes at Nic’s urging. Radulf reveals that the emperor is likely already dead. Nic swears he will save the empire, but Radulf scoffs that he cannot even save himself. Radulf orders Nic to be put in chains and branded. He takes his bulla and then brings Livia into the room. Livia urges Nic to stop fighting: Radulf is their pater familias (male head of a household). Radulf makes Nic say what he has suspected: Radulf is his grandfather.

Radulf insists that he and Nic can rule not only Rome but the gods themselves. Together, they will create a Jupiter Stone that will make Radulf immortal. Nic says this is outrageous, reminding Radulf that he tried to kill him. Radulf counters that he was only testing and teaching Nic. He asks how Nic summoned the storm and insists that Nic must have the key, but Nic denies it and refuses to participate in Radulf’s plans. Nic reflects that he is caught between two sides, neither of which he wishes to support. Livia begs him to stay and cooperate. He responds that she is just as enslaved here as she was in the mines.

Radulf admires Nic’s courage but implies Livia will pay the price if he leaves, as Radulf is determined to be victorious. He lifts his sword to strike her. Nic yells at him to stop and agrees to join his house. Livia does not want to believe Radulf’s threat was sincere, saying they have nothing without him, and he has the bulla. Nic smiles. The glowing stones of the bulla now lie in Aurelia’s crepundia. Nic switched them before entering the arena. His strength begins flowing again, Caesar awakening within him once more.