Ten for Dying

Chapter Fifty-six

Dedi and Felix crossed the moonlit race track toward the spina. Felix half-expected to be greeted by the sight of the hanged man still dangling from the bronze serpents, the man without a face. Some whispered the emperor was a demon, that he’d been seen stalking around the palace late at night and he’d had no face.

Now the emperor was stalking Felix or rather having him stalked.

The shadows cast by sculptures and jutting pieces of architecture were so blackly featureless, every time he walked out of moonlight into their darkness he felt as if he were stepping into a pit. It felt like a dream, considering that he was here to observe Dedi bring back Theodora.

Which was impossible. Wasn’t it?

But then it was impossible that Felix had become involved with Theodora’s sister. Impossible that at any instant he might be seized and end his life screaming for mercy in the dungeons.

On the other hand, it was very possible that if he let Dedi out of his sight he’d run straight to the emperor or Narses in order to save himself by betraying Felix’s whereabouts. What choice did Felix have but to go along with him? Besides, he couldn’t bear to have the fiendish icon staring into his soul any longer. Its angry stare was like having skin ripped off by imperial torturers.

“This is madness,” Felix growled.

Dedi waved his hand dismissively. “Do you think I cannot accomplish what I say?”

“She’s dead, you fool! Your humors are deranged!”

Dedi shook his head in vigorous denial. “You’ll see! You’ll see! If I could control the demon that was posing as a servant to Antonina, I can control Theodora, too.”

“Servant posing as a demon?”

“Tychon. I followed him from the mausoleum to Antonina’s house the night the shroud was stolen. Later I put him under my power.”

So, Felix thought, there is a connection between the shroud and Antonina’s servant. No wonder she wanted Felix out of the city.

“You didn’t tell me anything about following demons that night.”

Dedi frowned. “Didn’t I?”

“No. Your boastfulness has betrayed you.”

“I didn’t mean to mislead you.”

“Nobody does. That’s why I’m totally lost.”

“You’ll feel better when you see Theodora return.”

“I’d much rather not see her, if I had any choice. And why the race track? You used every coin I had to bribe the guard to let us in. What if he recognized me? We might find ourselves surrounded by armed men before we’re much older!”

Or was that Dedi’s hope? Felix wondered.

“Maria told us he was the man to bribe,” Dedi said, “that he was honest. He wouldn’t talk. No one will think anything of another request.”

True enough, Felix had to admit. He wished the curse tablets he’d paid to have buried at the turns of the track had actually influenced the outcome of the races, or even one race. Then he wouldn’t have found himself in this dilemma because he would not have gambling debts.

“Couldn’t you summon her in a less public place?”

“No. We’re here because I need a place where thousands have died. It makes the magick more powerful.” Dedi’s crooked teeth glinted as he gave a malicious grin. “And where else in Constantinople have as many died as here during the riots?”

Felix had fought the mobs back then, under the command of Belisarius. That had been an exciting time. He had not been involved in the massacre, thank Mithra. “You’re right. It was nothing but slaughter, trained armed men against a rabble. You weren’t in the city then. It took days to bury the dead.”

The only sound was the faint crunch of their feet on packed sand.

Dedi came to a halt. Felix noticed uncomfortably the entwined bronze serpents looming above them, silhouetted against the gray sky. This was where the latest death had taken place.

“Now attend, and make sure you keep silent,” Dedi ordered.

He produced a necklace from his garment and laid it into a shallow hole he scooped out. “Stand back!”

Felix needed no urging. He took a few steps back and cast another uneasy look around. The bone white moon stared down. He could almost see the hanged man in the empty air beneath the serpents. The sound of Dedi pushing sand back over the necklace became the creak of twisting rope.

He looked into the stands. Inky shadows concealed most of the surrounding tiers of seating. He shifted from foot to foot, hoping whatever Dedi had to do could be done quickly and they could leave.

But what if Theodora suddenly appeared in the imperial box?

True, the Egyptian was deranged and yet…

Dedi finished scraping sand back and began to mutter, “May the blood of Isis-”

“Isis? What? Isis isn’t-”

“Fool! I’m not talking about that Isis! You must be quiet! First, a protective ritual. When powerful magick is involved, demons are not far off, waiting for their chance.”

Dedi returned to his task. “May the blood of Isis guard us from harm in this and all our doings.”

Clouds sailed across the staring moon and a chilly wind stirred Felix’s hair. From where had it come? Hadn’t the air been noticeably still earlier?

“…and by the words of power of the frog-headed goddess, I command you, Theodora, to come to me and do my bidding.”

Dedi spat three times onto the little mound marking the grave of the necklace and, raising his arms to the moon, burst into a rolling cadence in his native tongue.

It sounded hideously loud in the dead quiet.

Felix would have found the scene Dedi presented, his fierce face above the short body, addressing invisible gods in the skies in a shrill voice, comical under better circumstances. The wind was getting stronger and blowing some of the sand off the tiny heap by which Dedi stood. The clouds skittering across the moon made the light waver and the shadows lying across the Hippodrome squirm.

He could hear a rustling from the tiers of seats behind him.

Turning his head slowly he saw a shape rise and begin to step down.

Then more shapes. Animated shadows. Leaping and striding about.

Demons! The Hippodrome was filling with demons! The stands were alive with demons!

Cursing his imagination he forced himself to look away. But the effort did not free him from the nightmare, because he immediately saw, at the end of the track where the starting gates were located, a lone figure. Floating toward him, through bands of moonlight and darkness.

No, not floating, running.

A woman.

For a heartbeat Felix could see the cruel scimitar of Theodora’s smile, before he fought through the fog of horror engulfing him. “Anastasia!”

Dedi wailed in terror. “You’ve interrupted me! I warned you! The demons will descend upon us!”

“They’re already here,” Felix shouted back, grabbing Anastasia’s arm and turning to flee.

“Them?” She slapped his hand off her arm. “What are you seeing? You mean those beggars in the seats? A few always manage to get in here at night to sleep. Never mind them. I’ve got a message for you.”

Dedi moaned. “I should never have stood on those frogs!”

Anastasia put her face close to his. He felt her warm breath as she whispered. “Anatolius says you must meet him at his house. It is urgent.”

She had no time to say anything further before a contingent of armed men poured out onto the track, their raised lances and swords flashing coldly in the stark moonlight.