The Silent Emperor in Bloomington, MN

Second instalment in the bold new historical fantasy of a secret order of Roman monster-hunters.
“I am shadow, and I am terror. They call me Silent Claw."
Aemilius and his new comrades in the Hidden Legion have a new mission: to infiltrate the villa of a powerful politician and foil a plot against him.
Posing as a servant to their host’s “cousin” and her “children”—the Legion’s latest recruits, a pair of adorable orphans trained in murder and espionage—Aemilius must keep his cover, while helping expose a killer who always seems one step ahead of them.
As his newfound magical powers slowly unfold, he begins to hear the thoughts of animals and finds unexpected new allies, including a housecat with an inflated sense of its own importance.
He’ll need all the help he can get, as the Legion find themselves locked in a desperate fight for survival against a foe with even darker and more terrible powers than those they faced in Alexandria.