Kushiel's Scion - Jacqueline Carey [216]
"I wasn't boasting," I said shortly.
"No," he agreed. "But now I know."
I sighed. "Tomorrow, sunset."
"Of course," Ruggero promised. "I was merely… curious."
I shook my head. "I told you, messire. My word is good."
Eamonn opened the door to the inn. "Time to go, Imri," he said, ushering me out. He closed the door behind us, and no one followed. I breathed deeply, drawing in the scent of the Tiber River. The siren sign creaked in the light breeze.
"So!" Eamonn said brightly. "That seemed to go well."
I thought about it. "You know, it could have gone worse."
* * *
Chapter Forty-Four
On the morrow, Ruggero Caccini kept our appointment. I hadn't been sure he would, not after the way we'd parted. He did, though. As the sun was setting over the seven hills of Tiberium, Ruggero appeared at the Fountain of the Chariot, accompanied by a pair of companions. I was glad we were meeting in the Great Forum with members of the city cohort in plain sight.
"Here," he said, thrusting a folded sheet of parchment at me.
I scanned it quickly in the fading light. It was written in a heavy scrawl, but it was legible. Everything was in order. He had not detailed the attempts made, but he'd rendered the commission clearly and identifed Bernadette de Trevalion by name. It would suffice. "Will you affix your thumbprint, messire?"
Ruggero scowled. "Where's my money?"
Eamonn stepped forward, jangling a heavy satchel. I raised my brows. "Your thumbprint, messire? 'Tis for surety's sake."
He grumbled, but he did it. I unstoppered a small bottle of ink I'd brought, and Ruggero daubed his thumb and placed a clear impress at the bottom of the page.
"My thanks," I said, nodding to Eamonn.
Ruggero accepted the satchel and took a quick glance at its contents, then handed it to one of his men. "I'll count it later," he said. "If it's short, you'll hear from me."
I blew on his thumbprint to hasten its drying. "It's not."
"D'Angeline." His tone was flat. I glanced up. "If you fail to keep your word, if your ambassadress' guards come for me, you will die. That, I promise you. With nothing to lose, I will reach out from the gaol with every means at my disposal. Every brigand, every unscrupulous mercenary, every chambermaid and cook willing to be bribed will become your enemy. I'll spend every last brass sestertius I've ever earned to ensure your death."
"Fair enough," I said.
Unexpectedly, Ruggero grinned. "On the other hand, if you do keep it…" He shrugged. "Consider me a friend. If you've enemies in Tiberium, I'd gladly do business with you again."
With that, he and his companions took their leave. Eamonn and I watched them until we were certain they were gone. I checked the thumbprint and found the ink had dried, folded the letter, and thrust it into my doublet.
"What do you mean to do with it, Imri?" Eamonn asked, curious.
"I don't know," I said. "I haven't decided."
"I'm sure it will be interesting." He eyed me. "Someday, I truly hope you'll be able to tell me what all this mystery is about."
"So do I," I said. "Believe me, so do I."
After the deal with Ruggero Caccini was struck, a pervasive sense of menace was lifted. I was glad to have settled the matter, for once, on my own terms. Whether or not the Guild knew what I'd done, I couldn't say and didn't much care. I'd done nothing to expose them, given them no cause to object to my actions. All I had done was take matters into my own hands, using the very methods they'd instilled in me. No word came from Claudia, and I made no effort to contact her. I was content to let the matter lie.
I still felt ensnared, but the knot had loosened.
In the mornings, I went with Anna to visit Gilot. In some ways, his condition was improving. He hurt, though. It hurt him to draw breath. Not just his ribcage, but a sharp pain, somewhere deep inside. A bone splinter, the priest said. Left alone, it might heal; might fuse to the bones of his ribs. Or it might shift and kill him. There was nothing to do but pray.
So I prayed.
In the afternoons, I met