EMBERS (Marcus Acacius)

XXI | Safe in the Crowd

It had been three days since I had moved into Senator Aemillius' home. I had finally settled into the rhythm of a routine and—despite having reluctantly agreed to be his eyes and ears—I was still feeling a strange resentment towards him; like I couldn't quite bring myself to forgive him for his outright manipulation and categorical omission of the truth.

I spent the mornings in Aemillius' house, tending to his family and overseeing the care of his guests. I felt safe behind the mansion walls, protected by the familiarity and repetition of the days, but it was all just a paper shield. and I was deluding myself by thinking I was truly safe here.

My mind constantly drifted away from my work. Sometimes I thought about the rebellion—whether I had made the right choice by entangling myself in it again. But mostly, my thoughts consisted of Acacius.

I thought about him more than I cared to admit.

The last time we had spoken was in the palace, where he had tried to dissuade me from rejoining the rebellion. The conversation played on repeat in my head, as if my mind was trying to make me reconsider my decision. I could picture him now, his eyes dark and concerned, his jaw twitching unsurely as he watched me from across the room.

He had been trying to protect me, I understood that now. But his method—shoving me back into the very world I had escaped—felt like a betrayal. Still, I couldn't ignore the way I felt when he was near, the way he made the very air around me hum with tension.

It had been two days since we'd last seen each other, and the weight of that silence was beginning to crush me. So, when I received word from Aemillius that he had something urgent to discuss with his fellow senators, I couldn't have left the house quicker.

I didn't wait for the details of the situation, I just spun on my heel and made for the front door. I desperately needed to escape the suffocating atmosphere of Aemillius' overly elaborate home anyway. Now I had the perfect excuse to do just that.

As I stepped out into the warm summer air, a content sigh escaped my upturned lips. The sun-drenched streets were packed with people, milling about or heading to the markets. I inhaled deeply. It was nice to breathe air that wasn't tainted by the salt of the sea for once. It was oddly refreshing.

I descended the marble steps and let myself be swept up by the crowd, heading in the direction of the square.

It wasn't until I reached the market that I saw him.

Acacius stood near of crowded vendor, his back to me. Despite the dark hood that shadowed his face, I could still recognise him. I hadn't realised how much I had missed just seeing him, until I had him right in front of me again. My heart thumped in a way that wasn't entirely uncomfortable. For a moment, I wasn't sure whether to approach him, or just spin around and pretend I hadn't seen him at all.

But then he turned, and I had no time to decide.

His eyes locked on mine almost immediately, as if intuition had alerted him to my presence. Something like surprise flashed across his face, before a sheepish smile twitched at the edges of his lips to replace it. I hadn't seen that smile in so long, but it still felt familiar, and it sent a warm feeling rushing through me that I wasn't quite prepared for.

"Adriana," he greeted, his voice low but still carrying over the loud buzz of the market. "It's good to see you outside those marble walls."

I managed a small smile, trying to keep things as light as possible. "I thought I was just starting to blend in," I replied, only half-joking. "I guess not."

"Impossible," he teased, taking a step forward, his cloak swishing in the gentle breeze. "I can spot you from a mile away."

I arched a brow, unable to contain the smirk that overtook my lips. "Is that a compliment?"