Chapter 33 #2
“Your Blessing,” Sinan corrected. “And speaking as your new mystic advisor, I still need a formal acceptance of my offer.”
“Soon.” Rixende waved that off, her focus on her brother. “The Queen will announce you’re the heir to the throne in my absence, and every mage in the Noviodunam will be forced to repudiate Odart of Dol.”
“Odart will still have witches loyal to him.” Meri glanced over at Jacques, who kept his head down.
The incensor had defied his father for Rixende’s sake—and out of loyalty to the Grimoard line.
Gallmau might not have liked Jacques much before this whole mess, but he would need an ally in the Noviodunam.
“Even if we kill all the prisoners, rumors, gossip, and wild tales will spread like wildfire in Lutecia.”
Gallmau gave Meri a shocked look in response to her comment about finishing off the rest of the Shields. She needed to give him another talk about being ruthless with his enemies.
“That’s why Jacques will become the Sorcier du Roi after he takes the loyalty oath.
” Rixende’s words made the incensor lift his head, his eyes bloodshot and ringed with dark circles.
The princess nodded at the two necromancer brothers, whose approving expressions indicated they followed her political maneuvering better than Gallmau.
“My mother will announce a non-aggression pact with Karakoncolos. That will lead to a re-establishment of trade with Iotape, which should regain our support from the merchant class.”
“Speaking of Karakoncolos.” Sinan put his own steel into his voice.
“We need to take you there now, after you’ve had a talk with Plumette and her babies about your travel plans.
The Artifact is no longer closing us off to the outside world, and a Soissons army regiment has already entered Terra Amata. They’ll be here soon.”
Rixende swallowed, and for a moment she was only a girl, facing a future where she never saw her family or home again. Then she schooled her features back to calm determination and gave the Prince of Shadows a nod.
“Rixende Grimoard.” Sinan let the words ring out loud and clear, and all the necromancers nearby paused what they were doing to listen.
“I will bear witness to the Councils of the Living and the Dead that you are one of the Blessed. We offer you asylum in Karakoncolos, with all of the rights and responsibilities that entails.”
“I accept.” Rixende stood up straighter, then pulled an envelope out and handed it to Gallmau before she wrapped her small frame around him in a tight hug. She embraced Valentina next, then turned to Meri and whispered, “I can’t argue with your and Gallmau’s taste. Sinan is awfully handsome.”
“Allow us to escort you, Sister Rixende.” The taller aristocratic necromancer extended his arm for the princess to take, and he and his goat-horned brother walked with the princess in the direction of the Azhdarchids.
“Get the word out that everyone but you and me should head back home.” Sinan nodded at the knife-wielding necromancer. “We’ll watch over the prisoners until the army comes and make sure whoever is leading the troops marching toward us is loyal to Gallmau before we leave.”
“So we’re letting Jacques live.” Knife Boy sounded sulky as he gave the incensor a sour look. “Again.”
He picked up a wrapped parcel from the ground and handed it to Sinan, giving Meri a challenging glance as he did. She responded with an amused smile, and he stalked off in a huff.
Jacques rose to his feet and stared at Gallmau, his expression one of utter despair. “I can’t become your Sorcier du Roi. I’ve broken so many laws of the Noviodunam regarding working with necromancers that I should face execution. And my father is—also a necromancer. No one will believe that part.”
Meri hadn’t been surprised to hear Odart was one of the Blessed as well as a mirror mage. It explained why the head of the benandanti had covered up Rerek’s crimes. The veneficus had used far less scandalous secrets to blackmail others.
“You haven’t broken as many rules as I have.” Valentina, for her part, sounded positively cheerful about it.
“If any of those Noviodunam witches come after you or Valentina, I’m going to order my undead servant rat to chew their faces off.” Gallmau gave the incensor a slap on the back that all but sent him sprawling. Jacques was going to have to get used to Gallmau’s idea of a friendly pat.
“I’d appreciate it if you’d escort me over to the prisoners.” Valentina put her hand on Jacques’s arm. She knew what to say to get her former fiancé to snap out of it. “Many of the Shields are injured, and if they’ll accept my aid—I want to offer it.”
Jacques gave Sinan a questioning look, as if unsure whether he was a prisoner himself, but the necromancer waved at him to leave.
That left the three of them alone, with the death and terror of last night burned away by the rising sun.
Meri felt an aching pain in her chest that had nothing to do with the physical strain her body had been through.
Part of her—a selfish desire—wanted to touch Sinan again, rub her skin against his, even though she knew how much pain it would cause him.
Sinan’s Blessing wasn’t even the main reason she and Gallmau could never be with him again. She and Gallmau were Tomb Fighters, no matter what fancy titles came their way, and Sinan was the Prince of Shadows, a defender of his people wherever he found them and whoever they were.
“I’d like to give you a hug.” Gallmau sounded as forlorn when he spoke to Sinan as Meri felt. Not that she was going to show her raw emotions like that. “It wouldn’t be a good idea, I guess.”
Gallmau sharing Meri’s sense of loss didn’t make it any easier. Nothing good came of tumbling her fellow fighters, and this particular job had been an excellent example of why.
“No, it wouldn’t.” Sinan’s tone was dry, but the corner of his mouth quirked up, and Gallmau beamed back. “Also, you somehow succeeded in binding a rodent corpus animatum in service to you, so unless you also figure out a complicated exorcism spell, my undead rat’s all yours.”
“I’ll give him all the cheese he wants,” Gallmau promised. “Even if he can’t eat it.”
“This is for you.” Sinan handed Meri the parcel, wrapped in the spider silk material the Blessed used for their cloaks.
“Your blades, as I promised. Also, I put the kaftan Abarsam created for Baahir inside. It saved my life, and I’d like to return it to his family.
He was a brilliant and courageous man, and I know you cared about him. ”
Now Meri’s eyes were burning with grief and gratitude, and she hated that.
She unwrapped the package, its fabric smooth and cool to the touch, like the skin of the man handing it to her.
A consolation, perhaps, for not being able to run her hands over him one last time.
Her water swords were nestled in Baahir’s blue garment, gleaming and polished.
“I dreamed of Sanura while Valentina healed me.” Meri needed to share that news with Sinan and try to understand it better. “I know she’s not in Paradise yet. Is there anything I can do to help her?”
“Let’s ask.” Sinan held out his hand, and shadows writhed in the air beside him.
A hand, wizened and bony, reached out to grasp his, and Naghwe materialized. Next to her, Sanura took shape as well, as solid in form as if she were still alive.
“Your sister fought death itself to save you.” Naghwe gestured to Sanura. “Yet she is one of the very monsters you fear and attack.”
Meri swallowed, knowing she needed to face another hard truth.
“You’re one of the Blessed, aren’t you?” The words spilled out to her little sister’s ghost, and there was no taking them back. She knew the answer to her question and had known it for a while, but couldn’t admit it to herself. “So were the little boys. Rerek preyed on his own kind.”
It should have been unsettling, talking to a ghost, but the love that emanated from her sister wrapped Meri in a warm embrace of protection and power. Sanura had kept her soul on this plane for only one reason—to save and protect her older sister.
“They’re at peace now, and so is he.” Sanura’s somber tone brightened. “But I want to stay here with you a little longer, Meri.”
Sinan spoke up. “Sanura was able to become a corporeal spirit with your help and can visit you any time she wishes. If that’s distressing, you can ask her not to.”
“I don’t want her to leave me alone.” Meri didn’t even need to think about her answer. She turned to her sister. “Until you want your eternal peace, which you deserve as much as any of us do.”
Naghwe nodded in satisfaction, and she and Sanura faded away into the motes of light from the early morning sun.
Sinan lifted his head to regard the sky above him, and Meri followed his gaze up to see a large vulture circling the area. Not surprising, considering the number of bodies piled up nearby. Then she remembered the bird on the arm of the necromancer assassin.
“The Gardes Soissons is close.” Sinan stared down at a piece of dark paper that fluttered in his fingers like bat wings.
His hand had been empty only a moment before.
More shadow magic, and Meri realized the scavenger bird gliding in the sky above them must be able to share its detailed view of the landscape with Sinan’s other beast master.
“The force is being led by the captain who accompanied you before—Tumas. You should be in good hands when he arrives.”
“Will we see you again?” Gallmau shifted his weight, his words thick with emotion. “As a friend, I mean. Not as someone we’re fighting against.”
Sinan paused, then answered with a catch in his own voice. “Let’s hope we do meet again—and not as enemies.”
Gallmau gave him a formal bow that would have made Queen Xiaolian proud, and Meri crossed her blades over her chest in an arena salute.
The Prince of Shadows gave them one last look, desire mixed with regret, and walked off, his shroud cloak floating behind him.