Kushiel's Scion - Jacqueline Carey [222]
"No," I said. "But I try."
Canis tilted his head, considering me. An errant shaft of sunlight caught his face, turning it momentarily into a gilded mask. His thick black hair was curly with washing, no longer lank and greasy. Dust motes sparkled in it. His sun-shot pupils shrank, no longer guileless.
"What more can we do?" he said softly. "Perhaps it is enough to try."
I shrugged. "Let us hope."
* * *
Chapter Forty-Five
Life in Tiberium resumed its normal pace.
Or almost, at any rate. The number of Master Piero's students dwindled. I wasn't sure, not at first. He kept imperfect records, and attendance was betimes spotty. But within a few days, we learned. We had lost Akil and Vernus. They had transferred their allegience, going to study with other Masters; ones who might prove more useful to their future careers. It surprised me, a little. Not Akil; I had known he was discomfited. But Vernus surprised me, for I thought he had valued Master Piero's lessons.
And it surprised me that despite everything, Lucius Tadius stayed.
One evening, in the wineshop, I told him so.
"Why?" he asked, swaying a little in his seat. He was drunk; we were all drunk. His hazel eyes glinted. "Why do you say so?"
I shrugged. "You're more serious than I reckoned on first meeting, that's all."
"I am serious." Lucius pointed at me. "Serious as death, Montrève. In less than a month's time, I'm off to be wed and assume my duties in Lucca. I mean to make the most of my time in Tiberium. What did I tell you? I told you Master Piero was the purest natural philosopher since the Hellene Sokrates. I believed it then, and I believe it now. Don't you?"
"Near enough," I said, thinking of Canis.
"Oh, near enough, is it?" Lucius scoffed. "And you question me!"
"Peace, lads," Eamonn rumbled in his deep voice. "It's not a contest." He sat at his ease, one brawny arm slung over the back of Brigitta's chair. For better or for worse, it seemed they were a pair. She was still prickly, as prickly as ever. Only now, Eamonn seemed exempt from her distrust. Although it wasn't, it felt like a betrayal.
"No one said it was," I said pointedly. "We're just talking."
Lucius nodded. "Mind yourself, Prince Barbarus."
We chuckled, both of us, as Eamonn shot us a significant look and rose to see to the refilling of our empty winejug. I liked Lucius a great deal. The better I knew him, the more I liked him. Betimes I wished I could have grafted his nature onto Claudia's form, the way gardeners do with plants to create a new strain, combining the best of elements.
"What about you?" Lucius asked when Eamonn returned. "Brigitta's right, you do ask a lot of questions. But when all's said and done, Montrève, you're a bit on the reticent side when it comes to talking about yourself."
"Oh, there's not much to tell," I said.
Across the table, Eamonn snorted.
Lucius raised his brows. "Now that," he said, "I find hard to believe. I know how you came to find Master Piero, but what brought you to Tiberium in the first place? When so many D'Angelines have turned away from the University, what made you come?"
I traced the rim of my cup, thinking how best to reply. "Lots of things. Eamonn. I wanted to study with him; we talked about it during his time in Terre d'Ange. And I wanted to follow in Anafiel de Montrève's footsteps and learn more about him."
"I remember," Lucius said. "The arts of covertcy, wasn't it? You said something about it at Deccus' dinner party. Did you ever find out?"
A hot flush suffused my face, and I found myself grateful for the poor lighting in the wineshop. With the memory of the