Kushiel's Dart - Jacqueline Carey [111]
Melisande glanced from my face to his, then back again, framing a question. "You?" she asked me, astonished. "The Cassiline Brother serves you?"
I opened my mouth to reply, but Joscelin's bow and answer came quicker. "I protect and serve," he said flatly.
It was the only time I ever saw Melisande Shahrizai startled into true laughter. It rang from the vaulted roof of the salon, free and spontaneous. "Oh, Anafiel Delaunay," she gasped, gaining composure and wiping her eyes with a lace-edged kerchief. "You priceless man. No wonder... ah, well."
The white lines were back at the sides of Joscelin's nose and I could nearly hear his teeth grind. As if oblivious to his discomfort, Melisande patted his cheek, then traced a line on his chest with one finger. "It seems the Cassiline Brotherhood has been robbing the Night Court's cradles," she murmured, regarding him. He stared over her shoulder, the blood rising in a tide to heat his face. "Lucky brethren."
I thought Joscelin might well explode, but he held his stance fixedly and stared into the distance. It is a long discipline, the Cassiline training. Even Melisande Shahrizai couldn't breach it with a touch. No, it would take somewhat more, I wagered; five minutes, perhaps even ten.
"Well, then." Her eyes sparkled with the aftermath of laughter; a darker blue than Joscelin's, the starry hue of sapphires. "You will carry my regards to Alcuin, and my everlasting admiration to Delaunay?" I nodded. She had not given me the kiss of greeting, but she kissed me now in farewell, knowing it would set me off-balance with Joscelin watching.
It did.
"Who," he said when she had left us, "is that?"
I cleared my throat. "The Lady Melisande Shahrizai."
"The one who testified against House Trevalion." He continued to gaze after her. I was surprised he knew that much about the affairs of the realm. He shuddered, as if shaking off a spell; I actually sympathized with him, for a moment. "Will you be leaving now?" he asked then, polite and toneless. He had defaulted on his duty once through haste, I thought; it would not happen again.
My feeling of sympathy evaporated.
TWENTY-NINE
When we returned, Delaunay was waiting for us in his receiving room, unusual in itself. I wondered if the formality was for Joscelin's benefit, and grew further irritated with him to think it. Alcuin was there, sitting cross-legged and quiet on a low couch; he had been watching Delaunay pace for the better part of an hour, I guessed.
"Well?" Delaunay asked as we entered. "Will he do it?"
As I made ready to speak, once again Joscelin beat me to it.
"My lord," he said in his most impassive voice, unbuckling his baldric and slinging the sheathed sword off his shoulder, "I have failed in your service. I beg you to accept the blade of this unworthy one."
I stared at him open-mouthed as he went to one knee before Delaunay and proffered the blade across the back of his vambraced left arm. Even Delaunay looked startled.
"What in Elua's name are you talking about?" he asked. "Phedre looks well enough to me, and I ask no more than that."
"Show him," Joscelin said, not looking at me.
"What, this?" I touched the trickle of blood that had dried at my throat and laughed, uncomprehending. "From Childric d'Essoms, this is no more than a love-scratch, my lord," I said to Delaunay. "And 'twas Joscelin kept him from giving me worse."
"D'Essoms grew violent toward you?" Delaunay raised his eyebrows.
"When he learned that I had betrayed his patronage to you. But Joscelin-"
"He laid a blade against her and drew blood," Joscelin interrupted me, adamant in his profession of guilt. "I failed in my warding, and then in my anger, I let her out of my sight."
I caught Delaunay's inquiring glance. "Melisande." Her name sufficed as explanation. "She sends her greetings and her regrets upon your injury," I added to Alcuin. To Delaunay, I said, compelled by fairness, "Joscelin did not fail you. He protected me well. D'Essoms took him by surprise, that's all."
Joscelin didn't rise, still holding