Gilded Serpent by Danielle Jensen (top 10 novels txt) 📕

“Lescendor first,” Wex said. “We need to talk.” Then he frowned. “And you need a haircut.”

Not answering, Marcus dug in his heels and headed down the Via Lescendor at a gallop.

 93TERIANA

She clung to Marcus with a death grip as they rode at what felt like reckless speed down the road, the horses’ hooves leaving a cloud of dust in their wake. Her neck stung from where Hostus had cut her, but that was the least of her concerns.

Marcus said nothing, and neither did the tiny old man who galloped next to him, their escort riding ahead and behind. The young boys couldn’t have been more than thirteen, though judging from the number stamped on their armor, they’d already graduated. Children, and yet for all they were skinny and speckled with pimples, half of them probably still devoid of facial hair, she knew they were dangerous. Trained killers, even if they’d yet to take a life.

They rode for close to an hour, and then in the distance, a massive fortress loomed out of the countryside, the ground for miles around it nothing more than churned-up dirt. Hundreds, possibly thousands, of children stood in neat lines in the field, men on horses watching from the rear. She heard the familiar whistles and horns, the boys changing position, following the orders of their commanders as they played at war.

Yet as her group passed, and someone recognized the banner they carried, the ranks all turned as one and the thunder of salutes filled the air.

They approached the gates to the fortress, the towering walls patrolled by more children, their expressions serious as they watched. One of the boys in their escort shouted a code, and a heartbeat later, the portcullis rose, a deep horn bellowing from within.

Relaxing her grip, she looked upward as they passed into the long tunnel, seeing the murder holes in the ceiling and wondering if they were armed. Likely, she thought, for it seemed Lescendor conducted itself as though it were in the heart of enemy territory, not within the heart of the Empire.

And she was about to see the inside.

The gates at the far end of the tunnel swung open, and they rode back out into the sunlight.

The buildings were all columns and elaborate porticos, everything carved in swooping patterns and scenes of battles throughout history. Fountains depicting famous commanders spewed water to either side of the group as they rode down the wide lane, which split at the end, circling around a gleaming gold fountain carved in the shape of Celendor’s dragon. On the far side, a large domed building stood, crimson-and-gold banners flapping from poles that jutted out from the base of the dome itself.

There were boy children everywhere, all seemingly engaged in various sorts of training overseen by either older boys or men with silvered hair. All of them stepped into neat lines as they passed, small fists hitting their chests in salute.

“How many children are in training here?” she asked, wishing she wasn’t the one to break the silence.

The commandant turned to look at her, his grey horse frisking beneath him. “Thirty-five thousand at present. And the Fifty-First remains, and they have 5,197 legionnaires in their ranks.”

An army larger than nearly any other, and that was just those in training.

Stopping in front of a large building with towering columns holding up a wide portico, the commandant dismounted, handing his reins to one of his escort. Marcus let go of the reins and gently tugged her hand free from where it clutched his stomach, lowering her to the ground, then dismounting swiftly himself. They followed the commandant up the steps and into the shade of the building, six of the boys following suit.

The interior was as fine as any senator’s home, the tiles polished and the tables holding delicate glass vases filled with flowers. Marble busts depicting young men graced the alcoves, and when Teriana looked up, it was to find the ceilings painted with a battle scene, dead and dying littering a burned field with Celendor’s banners rising above it all.

The commandant led them up several flights of stairs, then down a hallway, pausing next to a door. “Teriana, you can get washed up in here. A medic will be along shortly to see to the injury to your neck, and we’ll also see if we can’t find you some fresh garments.”

“I want two of you with her at all times.” Marcus’s voice cut the air, the first thing he’d said since they left the Twenty-Ninth’s camp, and Teriana twitched at the tone of his voice. “Under no circumstances is she to be left alone, understood? The other four of you will remain outside her door.”

The young centurion frowned, clearly aware that Marcus was someone important, if not of his precise identity, but at the commandant’s nod, the boy answered, “It will be done, sir.”

Without saying another word, Marcus and the commandant strode down the hall to the next room and disappeared inside.

“This way, miss,” the centurion said, swinging open the door, and she stepped inside.

Judging from the furniture, which included a narrow bed, this was sleeping quarters of some sort, but it was devoid of any personal items, the linens tucked tight around the thin mattress.

“What’s your name?” she asked the boy.

“It’s centurion Pullo, miss,” he answered. “This here is Norin.” The other boy who had entered bobbed his head, his eyes skipping to her chest and then back to her face. “Miss.”

Gods, but they were young. “You can call me Teriana.”

An older servant woman entered carrying a jug of water, which she set on the table next to a basin, along with a cloth and a small piece of soap. “I can get you a dress,” she said. “If that will suit you, miss.”

“My own clothes are fine, thank you.”

The woman departed, and after she shut the door, Pullo blurted out, “Who’s that man with the commandant?”

“The one ordering you about, you mean?” She winked at him, as much to diminish her