I took my place at the Emperor’s side when we got to the Arena and looked around at the crowd in awe; they had been overjoyed when they saw he was at the fight, and the atmosphere among the people was intense.
I didn’t feel as self-conscious as I had done the first time I sat on that platform with all those eyes staring at me.
I was not in shock this time - the last time I had been watched by so many people, I was still getting used to the idea that the Emperor was able to turn himself into a wild beast… and I had only just learned that he had turned Jax into a beast like him.
When Caius sat down beside me he reached out to me and rested his hand on my thigh on top of my dress. He squeezed it gently - a reminder of what we had done on the way here.
He was trying to make me think about
