The Council has sent messages by ship across the Mediterranean, trying to make contact with Cleopatra. But they either come back unanswered or they don’t come back at all. Candra’s taunt that Octavian has claimed victory over our queen haunts my every thought. I’m conflicted over whether I should lock Xarion in the palace until his mother’s return, or trust the gods to ensure his safety. I fear the pressure mounting on the pharaoh to act in his mother’s stead, coupled with our falling out may drive him to desperate measures. I worry that he’ll consider becoming a martyr to save his family and city. Walk right out to the Leymak and surrender. Every time I see his face contort when the Council confronts him with a new problem, I feel as if I’m losing the man I love—slowly and irreplaceably—as he disappears into himself. Every day that passes I’m getting closer to giving in; asking Xarion to do whatever it is that will free me of my binds, and accepting his offer to run away together.
