Kushiel's Avatar - Jacqueline Carey [293]
For that, I had no answer save one.
Ihave no right to see him, and no right to ask it of you. This I know. I can say only that I am willing to place myself in your debt for this, and swear in Kushiel's name that no harm will come to you, nor to him.
I knew Melisande Shahrizai.
Joscelin capitulated in the end, although he looked sick at it. "Youknow this is like to go unrewarded," he said. "If it even works."
"Yes," I said. "I know."
"Melisande doesn't have the power to threaten Ysandre's life." He sounded uncertain. "Not any more."
I raised my eyebrows. "She has enough to convince the Pharaoh of Menekhet to play messenger-boy, and Elua knows how many agents searching for Imriel before she summoned us. Do you remember what she said to Ysandre in La Serenissima?"
"Yes," Joscelin said. "I remember."
" 'I have always understood, if you have not, that we played a game,' " I said, quoting the words from memory. " 'Do you take my son, we become enemies. Believe me, your majesty, you do not want me as an enemy.' "
"I remember."
"He's third in line for the throne, Joscelin."
He glanced over at Imriel's sleeping form. "And you think you can keep him there. With a promise. From Melisande Shahrizai."
I nodded.
Joscelin sighed. "Tell me at least that this is some prompting of Kushiel's, or Blessed Elua, or the Name of God stirring within you."
"I wish I could," I whispered. "Oh, Joscelin! We're already up to our necks in trouble with Ysandre. As far as she knows, we might be dead in Jebe-Barkal right now, slain by bandits and Imriel with us. Will it really make it so much worse if we return by way of La Serenissima and not Iskandria? For better or for worse, Melisande loves her son, and that's the only cord that will bind her. We only have the chance to try it once."
"Why?" he asked. "Why only once, why now?"
I told him the card I meant to play.
He sighed and rubbed aching temples. "All right. All right. We may as well be hung for a cow as a calf at this point. Ah, Elua, like as not it will be faster, if we're not killed or abducted in the process. I hope Ricciardo Stregazza has kept our horses fit and ready for travel."
"You see?" I said. "We would have had to go to La Serenissima anyway."
One of the Palace slaves awoke us at dawn, and I gave word to the guard on duty outside our doors. He nodded impassively and strode away, returning in short order with porters to bear our belongings back to the covered carriage. No one in the Palace acknowledged our presence as we left. It was a strange feeling. We had to hurry to catch theship, which was nearly ready to sail by the time we reached the harbor.
"La Serenissima?" one of the guards shouted to a sailor onboard.
"Aye!"
"Hold for three passengers!"
They waited while we were hustled aboard the ship, our trunks loaded. Joscelin snatched his weapons from the guard's hands, slinging his baldric over one shoulder and settling his belt about his waist.
"Come on, then, hurry," the ship's captain said in Caerdicci, hands on his hips. "We're out to catch the last of the autumn winds."
"Autumn," I murmured. "It's autumn?"
"Aye. Nearly winter." He eyed me strangely, as well he might, for I wore one of my Jebean gowns, pinned at the breast, with bracelets of ivory and gold encircling both wrists. I'd meant to have clothing made in Iskandria, or begged some of Juliette Laniol, the Ambassador's wife. "You're D'Angeline, my lady?"
"She is the Comtesse Phèdre nó Delaunay de Montrève of Terre d'Ange," Joscelin informed him, adjusting his baldric.
"Well, she's like to take a chill on the open sea in that attire," the captain said. He eyed me again. "Not that I'm like to complain. Stand by to weigh anchor!"
And with that, we were off.
EIGHTY-FIVE
IT TOOK the last of our trader's coin to pay our passage aboard the ship, and the berth was small. By the time we were out of sight of land, the winds turned chilly, and I was forced to barter with one of the Serenissiman sailors for a thick cloak of coarse-spun wool. He'd have given it to me for a kiss—which Joscelin failed to