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My life no longer ic But the absence of logic didn't botherof peace had come over me once I accepted that the only person I could trust in this world was also trying to kill me

My grandfather, General Flavius Radulf

Since he ure he hadelse Awful as his plans were, in some ways I orse than hi of my plans

Though for now, those plans would have to wait For, at therequired my full concentration

Chariot racing had been Radulf's idea He got the idea twothe horse in the a Rome's venatio, and I'd needed an obedient horse to do it Co in the chariot races one day had been the furthest thought from my mind

Yet here I was, driving a team of four horses around the circuit for a practice race and loving everytoo, which meant there were several hundred spectators in the audience, hoping for a good show Hoping to see blood

My blood, possibly Because even in practice, I intended to win, and winning drivers always pressed toward the innererous

Although greens and blues, or even whites, were more popular, I rode as part of the red faction -- Radulf had friends there Since I was new and had an unfortunate reputation for destroying things, such as the great amphitheater, no other team would even consider me I wasn't sure what it had cost Radulf in threats or bribery, but while on the track, I wore the red toga A couple of other red tea today, but they were already behind me

With eight other tea the circus, when twelve teaold So I took advantage of the lesser numbers and pushed my tealared back at me, and I s soht

Despite one well, though I had yet to be tested in a real race The Ludi Rorandest of all festivals, honoring Jupiter, the highest of the gods, so most Romans would attend at some point I had to prove myself to be accepted there If I worked hard to ih for that race

The chariot's reins were tied around my waist, which helped me control the horses more instinctively That was fine, unless we overturned, in which case the horses would drag me to my death I had a knife in h that wouldn't keepwas hardly the way I intended to die, so I had to pay attention now The ed him farther out from the center of the track Based on his expression, he'd be happy to see me fall I had few friendships anywhere, but none in the circus

Theon the floor of his chariot was less secure than he wanted ht for balance every tile with that as much Back when I'd worked as a slave in the mines, my master, Sal, had often forced me onto steep and narrow paths I hadn't fallen then, and I wouldn't fall now Or that was ht change things

I turned again, and the bag swung hard to the left, shifting ain my balance, but I didn't I couldn't Once the chariot had straightened out, I reset my feet in the center of the chariot and rode on even harder

Radulf had stolen ht in the aic fro Since our battle, the Divine Star on my shoulder had come to life in ways I'd never felt before I rarely used the ic from that mark -- I couldn't trust what Radulf would do if he knew I still had ic -- so instead I contained it withinmy horses But never to correct my balance That was far too risky

"I sahat you did in the amphitheater!" a white-faction charioteer shouted as he tried to pass me "Will you destroy the circus too if you lose?"

I sed my horses to block him "Probably not, since I don't intend to lose!"