Deadly Games by Lindsay Buroker Page A

Sicarius since he was sighted this
morning.
    “ Supposedly sighted,” Amaranth said.
“I wonder if we can find out who sent that fellow and what he
wanted to accomplish. Basilard, I apologize, but my reason for
wanting someone from our team in the Imperial Games isn’t entirely
selfless. I’m hoping an insider might be more likely to hear about
what’s going on. Maybe they’ll even target you for one of the
kidnappings.” She bounced on her toes, then caught herself. “Sorry,
that should probably not excite me.”
    I’ll take solace knowing you’d be just as
happy if you could pose as an athlete and get kidnapped.
    Maldynado snorted. “That’d make her even
happier.”
    “Basilard, you’ll need someone to play the
role of trainer and translator,” Amaranthe said. “Akstyr and Books
may be busy, so...”
    Maldynado slung an arm over Basilard’s
shoulder. “I’m always happy to spend time at the stadium and watch
all the fine...events.”
    Just keep your pants on , Basilard
signed.
    Amaranthe opened her mouth again, shut it
again, and shook her head.
    “No promises.” Maldynado winked.
     

CHAPTER 5
     
    An ice wagon trundled across the grounds,
selling blocks to vendors who turned them into chilled tea and
strawberry juice. Amaranthe thought about buying a glass of the
latter, but the midday sun left few shadows for wanted women to
hide in. Clad in white athlete togs again, she was sitting on a
bench on the edge of the grounds with a wide-brimmed sun hat pulled
low over her eyes while she waited for Fasha to meet her. Sicarius
had pointed out that night meetings would be safer, but Amaranthe
wanted to listen in on the local gossip. The trail leading from the
stadium to the baths and barracks wound past her perch, and she had
already overheard quite a bit.
    “...need more guards,” a woman with
sweat-dampened bangs told her comrade as they strolled past.
    “The enforcers aren’t admitting to anything,”
the other woman answered. “They’re saying nothing’s going on, that
the missing athletes probably went home.”
    “Oh, sure, they trained all year, and then
just went home before the competition even...”
    The women walked out of hearing range.
Amaranthe bent her head to study the short list of names on a
notepad in her lap. Five athletes were missing now: two foreigners,
including Fasha’s sister; and three Turgonians, one a local, and
two from other satrapies. She recognized the local man, a
warrior-caste wrestler, because they were the same age and had
competed in the junior events at the same time. What eluded her was
the common theme. All of the missing people had disappeared in the
middle of the night from their barracks or, in the wrestler’s case,
a private room in the lodge.
    “You should pay attention to your
surroundings when you’re in a public area,” Sicarius said from the
shrubs a couple of feet behind the bench.
    Amaranthe stifled her usual twitch of
surprise and did not lift her head, wondering if she could wheedle
her way out of a lecture. “I knew you were on the grounds.”
    A long moment passed before he answered. “You
are assuming that you’re safe, simply because I’m in the area?”
    “You know I’m not at my most attentive when
I’m plotting and mulling. I’ve come to trust you’ll keep an eye on
me.”
    “That’s reckless,” Sicarius said. “I’m your
colleague, not your bodyguard, nor can I guarantee your safety
since I cannot walk about freely here. If you must study papers in
a public area, you should scan your surroundings every fifteen
seconds, ensuring you are aware of the movements and interests of
everyone within a radius of at least… Why are you smiling?”
    Actually, it was more of a grin. “You called
me a colleague,” Amaranthe said. “I’m flattered.”
    “You are not taking my admonishment
seriously.”
    “I am, too,” Amaranthe said.
    Another pair of athletes was approaching, so
Amaranthe left the bench to join Sicarius in the