Kushiel's Mercy - Jacqueline Carey [264]
“Let him be flogged.” Sidonie fixed the Caerdicci merchant with an implacable gaze. “Let him be put in stocks and given a public flogging, then turned loose to leave the City, his back bloody and bare, that all across the realm might know the price of speaking sedition in the matter of my husband.”
Ysandre nodded. “So be it.”
Ah, gods! I was torn between relief and horror. Elua knows, the man had spoken the truth, even if it was driven by greed and idiocy. My rage had been unfeigned, although no one would have guessed at its cause.
But Sidonie . . .
I wasn’t sure.
Later that day, Antonio Peruggi was flogged in Elua’s Square, kneeling on sifted dirt denuded of its paving-stones, his bent head and helpless hands held in stocks, his thick, fleshy torso bare. I watched the Queen’s chastiser’s arm rise and fall, wielding the metal-tipped flogger. I watched it shred Peruggi’s skin as he jerked and moaned in the stocks, blood running freely down his back. I watched Sidonie’s calm, appraising gaze.
My heart ached.
When it was done, a watching crowd roared their approval. Members of the Queen’s Guard helped a stumbling Peruggi from the stocks, helped him to mount. Slapped his horse’s haunches and sent him toward the southern gates. I made my way unobtrusively to Sidonie’s side.
“Are you still there, love?” I murmured under my breath.
For the space of a few heartbeats, she didn’t answer; but at last her head moved in an imperceptible nod. Wherever she’d gone, it took a long time to come back. “Get out of the City,” she said in a low voice. “Save yourself before this truth breaks in earnest.”
“Not without you,” I said steadily.
A glance, one glance. Anguish surfacing in her dark eyes. Gods, I wished I could make it go away! Instead, Kratos shifted, placing himself closer to Sidonie. Ysandre’s suspicious gaze found us. I moved away.
That night I couldn’t sleep. I gazed out my narrow window. The moon was very nearly full. Three days. In three days it would be full. I wondered if the spell’s strength waxed and waned with the moon. I thought about the emerald flash I’d seen before the madness on Sunjata’s needle took me and wondered if mayhap the gem would emit a spark by the rising moonlight.
It seemed no less implausible than anything else, so I rose and went to saddle a horse. In the process, I awoke the sleeping stable-lad, who went to alert the guards. One went to fetch Joscelin, who came to stop me.
“You can’t go out there alone, Imri,” he said. “It’s not safe.”
I thought about all the dangerous places I’d ventured alone and I could have laughed until I wept. Instead I told Joscelin my notion about the moon affecting the gem.
“I suppose it’s worth a try,” he said. “I’ll go with you.”
And so we rode out together, starting our quest under the moon-shadow of the ancient oak tree in Elua’s Square, where the dirt was still clotted with Antonio Peruggi’s dried blood. I kept feeling myself drawn to the place where it had begun. But there was no emerald flash, only the rustling of the spring breeze in new leaves.
We rode in aimless circles, making a rough outward spiral through the streets of the City. The City was restless, the sounds of harsh revelry and discordant music pouring from inns and wineshops open well past the usual hour. Atop Mont Nuit, the Houses of the Night Court were all ablaze with lamplight.
“Soldiers,” Joscelin said, gazing toward the distant lights. “Bidding farewell to the pleasures of the flesh. One can’t begrudge them.”
“No.” I thought about Sidonie lying in my arms the night before battle. As much as I’d like to make love to you until the sun rises, I’d sooner have you go into battle well-rested. I’d prayed to Blessed Elua for a hundred thousand nights to make up for that one. My eyes stung. “But I’m surprised Drustan and Ghislain don’t insist on better discipline.”
“When did you start thinking like a commander of men?” Joscelin glanced at me. “Ah, well. I imagine they’ll have a good long march to sweat out the excesses of debauchery. And in the end . . .” He fell silent.
“In the end it doesn