Only now, Abaddon was in the game. A greater game, one only he and Cade would play. Abaddon just didn’t know it yet.

“Come on, lad,” the voice said, drifting through his consciousness. “We’ve waited long enough.”

Cade opened his eyes, and Marius’s face swam into view.

“That’s it,” Marius said, squeezing Cade’s shoulders. “Up you get.”

A hand pressed his back, and Cade sat up, taking in the room properly for what felt like the first time.

Marius sat on a stool beside him, with the contenders crowding around. It was some relief to Cade to see the others there. He had seen them, briefly, in his strange, wakeful walks to the baths.

“You’ve been through a lot, I can see that,” Marius said, not unkindly. “But you’re back now. And we need the Codex.”

He waved behind him, where the Codex hung motionless in the air.

“Jesus, give him a min—” Scott began, but a look from Marius clapped his mouth shut.

“It won’t respond to your friends, let alone me,” Marius said, his voice firm. “So I think it’s time you swore us in as contenders and passed control to me.”

Cade rubbed his eyes and let out a sigh. He had not even considered this situation.

He was just so tired. Even despite his long sleep.

So he laughed. It was a bitter laugh, but one that lasted until his breath ran out. He wheezed, then faced Marius.

“The Codex is mine. Kill me if you want to. But Abaddon was quite clear.” He looked Marius dead in the eye. “You’re a good man, Marius. But you’re not an idiot. So tell me, why do you think we won against the Grays, when you had failed for years?”

Marius’s face was grim, but he leaned back and considered Cade’s question. “You breached their stronghold,” he allowed grudgingly.

“How?” Cade asked.

Marius furrowed his brow. “We all know what happened,” he growled. “Don’t ask me stupid questions.”

Cade held up his hands in peace. “Just tell me, how many rounds did you win before we came along?” he asked.

“I’ve won more battles than you’ve hairs on your balls, whelp,” Marius snarled. “You had better get to your point quickly, before I present my own point to you.”

He gripped the hilt of his sword tellingly, but Cade was unfazed. Marius needed him, and there was something of a performance in his voice. As if the man regretted his words even before he said them.

“I’m not talking about battles, I’m talking about rounds,” Cade said. “We’ve won two. Three if you count the battle with the vipers. I’m sure the others have told you about that by now.”

Marius relaxed his grip and nodded for Cade to continue.

“I don’t care who leads here. I have no desire to be commander. But you cannot forget, this is a game, not a war. We’re nothing more than pawns.”

“Pawns?” Marius asked.

Cade shook his head. Obviously Marius’s vocabulary did not extend to chess. It probably hadn’t even existed in the Roman’s era.