Chapter 42. That Woman Is Our Ticket In

AURELIA

I did not have a home in Rome. At least not without Julian. The past two days since our arrival had been a blur of wandering through its crowded streets, Sigrid trailing behind me like a shadow. Neither of us spoke much. It was easier that way, to avoid facing how lost we both were in this familiar, yet distant city.

We found shelter in the market, sleeping in whatever nooks and crannies we could find, disguised as traders. I knew better places, of course, but the market had its advantages—chief among them being gossip. In Rome, the market was the heart of rumors, and rumors were my only hope of finding Julian.

Sigrid’s patience, however, was running thin.

“All we do is roam around the market listening for whispers, my lady?” She grumbled, tearing a piece of bread with more force than necessary. We had earned the bread by helping an old lady set up her stall earlier in the day. “Is that really why we’ve come here?”

I didn’t need to look at her t