He looked up to those eyes, and saw the great curved wings unfold above the Sphinx’s body.
You cannot pass, the voice continued, the eyes bright and cold as moonlight. It was the voice of a stern woman, and yet almost motherly. There was no tenderness, no emotion, only a certainty of ages that all the Sphinx said or decided upon was truth. Lies had no power over her, nor trickery.
Lucius began to shake, and grew angry with himself, for he felt he should be otherwise, that with the sword in his hand, he was invincible. But any feelings of power or strength were sapped from his spirit as soon as they came to him.
“By the Gods, please let me pass,” Lucius said, his voice more like that of a child’s.
“No. Your gods cannot help you here, Roman.”
Lucius looked left and then right to see the
