“Stop!” one of them called out.

By then, we had come up to the vestalis. I had been wrong before, for she was far more beautiful than the images painted on the walls, with eyes like the sea and a smile that passed with the wind, leaving a stern expression behind. “Yes?” she asked. Her voice was kind, at least.

“We seek asylum.” Aurelia’s head flipped around to the soldiers, then turned back to the woman. “Please.”

One of the soldiers approached her too. He bowed respectfully and said, “My lady, this boy is a criminal and a slave, wanted for crimes against the emperor and against all of Rome. He is dangerous.”

She looked at me. “This boy? He doesn’t look dangerous.”

I tried not to look dangerous, but inside I felt worse than ever. Because I was everything he said, even if I didn’t intend to be.

“Even for criminals, Caesar’s temple is a place of asylum,” she said. “Or do you not feel that this temple should be honored?”

The soldier’s eyes darted. “Of course, Domina. Which is why I need to remove this boy. He carries powers that should not belong to any human. He defiles Caesar’s temple.”

“No, my lady, he honors it.” Aurelia pulled my tunic down at the shoulder, exposing the mark to the woman. “Grant us asylum. Please.”

I heard her draw in a breath as she recognized the Divine Star, then she said to the soldier, “You will leave, sir. It is not I who has granted this boy asylum. Caesar himself has done it.”

The soldier grunted a terse “Very well,” and gave her another bow, but before he rose back up, he met my eyes and said, “You can’t stay in here forever, slave. If you stick even one hand outside this temple, I will cut it off, and catch the rest of you as it falls.”

“If you see my hand, be sure it isn’t aimed at you,” I snarled back before Aurelia kicked me in the shin. Maybe it wasn’t the wisest thing to say, given the shocked reaction of the vestalis, but I felt better afterward and that had to be worth something.

Once the soldier left, the woman frowned at me. “I know what happened in the amphitheater. It will not happen here, on sacred ground.”

“No, Domina,” Aurelia said. “Of course not. We promise.”

She seemed to accept that and her tone softened. “This is the place where Caesar’s body was burned after his death. At times, his wandering spirit can be felt here. No doubt he will feel the presence of your … abilities.”

No doubt at all, for though I tried to deny it, I already felt the truth of her words. Yes, he was here. And not at all pleased that I was too.

Caesar’s temple was grand, ornate, and very tall, but not particularly large inside. The vestalis told us we were free to remain as long as we wanted, but warned that the Roman soldier had been correct before: Once we left, the laws of asylum no longer protected us. I kept my back to the other patrons, who seemed equally uninterested in me. The last thing I needed was their curiosity.

While we obviously couldn’t stay in this temple forever, I wasn’t sure I could even last the night — my hunger was becoming desperate. Within another day or two, if I didn’t risk my life trying to outrun the soldiers, I’d lose it anyway to starvation. I glanced over at Aurelia, who didn’t seem much better off. She eyed the sheath for her knife like it was dried meat, and I wouldn’t have been surprised if she gave it a taste, just to be sure.

As we entered the afternoon hours, the temple seemed less busy, though the forum was as lively as ever. A careful glance outside the doors indicated the soldiers were still there, determined to wait me out. I walked into the cella, where Aurelia was on the floor leaning against a wall.

At first, I thought her mind was somewhere much further away, but once I sat, she whispered, “If Radulf has the Divine Star on his shoulder too, then maybe that’s how he found you. Maybe you’re connected.”

“Or maybe his soldiers saw me go into the sewers.” That was a better thought than acknowledging any connection between us. I didn’t want to think about how his voice got into my head.

“I don’t understand what happened in the cistern. There are easier ways to kill you.”

I looked over at her. “Well, that’s good to know. Thanks, Aurelia.”

“I only mean that if he wanted you dead, why go through that elaborate attempt at drowning you?”

“He wanted to scare me into unsealing the room, but I don’t think he wanted me to drown.” How else could I explain the moment I had almost given up, when he urged me to force myself back to the air? Obviously, it had something to do with the bulla, but too many questions still remained. Although it sent a shiver down my spine, Aurelia was right. There were easier ways for Radulf to get me.

“How are you going to take Radulf’s magic?” Aurelia asked. “Is that even possible?”

“I think so.” I hoped so.

“He’ll probably try to do the same to you,” Aurelia said. “Before he kills you.”

I shook my head at her. “Is this a normal thing for you? Encouraging people right into the grave?”

“I just think you need to be realistic about what you’re facing!”

I gestured around us. “We’re starving, and trapped in here with soldiers waiting to arrest me! Radulf is probably already on his way here, and I doubt he’ll care about the laws of asylum. I perfectly understand the reality of my situation!”

“Our situation.” More quietly, Aurelia said, “I’ll stay with you until we get this figured out. I promise.”

I couldn’t hold back a grin. “The way my life has gone since I met you, that sounds more like a threat.”

She giggled and squeezed my arm. I wished she had not withdrawn her hand as quickly as she did, but at the same time, I wasn’t brave enough to reach for it again.

Aurelia should have been as tired as I was, but she spent the next half hour tapping her feet or fidgeting with her nails, maybe out of frustration at being trapped in here. Not me. I was glad for the chance to rest. Aside from the hunger, which was already bad enough, the magic I’d used underground had drained me, and the stinging in my back was growing worse. It felt like hundreds of needles were poking at me all at once, going deeper each time. I shifted around in hopes of relieving the discomfort, but movement only seemed to make it worse. Probably that was Caesar’s reminder that he didn’t want me here in his temple. As if I wasn’t already perfectly clear on that.

By early evening, the temple patrons had grown tired of their worship, and had cleared out, leaving us entirely alone. Aurelia had fallen asleep and I finally dared to take out the bulla and really look at it. The soft glow that had drawn me to it from the very first was still there. When I opened it up, I saw why. The jewels inside were the finest stones I’d ever seen. The largest was a bright green emerald, set between a purple amethyst and a blazing red stone that I didn’t recognize. All of them were glowing.

The bulla was cool now, and I was beginning to understand that the magic only worked when it was warm. But I didn’t know what caused it to heat, or how it was connected to the mark on my back, or how its power was supposed to be controlled. Maybe it couldn’t be controlled, at least by a human. If Venus had abandoned Caesar and withdrawn her powers from the bulla, then someone else was giving it power now. But who? Hopefully it wasn’t any of the gods who considered my life their personal game of dice.

I stood and walked over to Caesar’s statue, expecting the bulla to warm when it came closer to him. But it didn’t. The magic in it was no longer his. For reasons I could not explain, it was mine now.