Bardas stood with Cato near a hidden entrance of the Palace. Opposite the heavy metal door, they heard a soft knocking. "You cut it close, Juluis," Bardas said in a joking tone, but was left awkwardly smiling, getting no reply. Beneath Julius' hood, he could see the man's deeply cold emerald eyes.
"Why is he here?" Julius looked at Cato with hate. The eunuch clicked his tongue and shrugged.
"Your little scheme is stupid and unreliable. If it weren't because of this dog's blackmail, you wouldn't be alive still." Julius scoffed and pushed past. "Let us see. We need to know if this will work."
Julius froze and, with shaking hands, grabbed his hood. Pulling it down, the two were stunned into silence at the large burn that covered half his face. It had only started to heal properly, and neither could imagine how painful it must have been for him. Grabbing the top of his shirt, Julius pulled it down and showed a wound over his chest that had been carefully sewn up and treated.
