Bullish shifted but remained stubbornly silent. Having a sudden inspiration, I clambered off the bed, still holding Merius's hand. *What are you doing? Merius demanded.
*Just keep hold of my hand. I stepped toward Bullish. "You don't want to answer my husband's question?" He just stared at me, his eyes creepy glints. He did frighten me more than the other assassins. He was so big and inclined to nasty threats, and I really didn't like not being able to sense his aura. His lack of aura reminded me of Peregrine or Undene, but I could at least smell their auras even if I couldn't see them. However, there was nothing from him. Not a flash of color or the faint hint of a scent--Undene's glamour apparently worked the best on his aura.
"So you're really not going to speak? What if I do this?" Gulping down my fear, I reached out and tried to touch his sleeve. He sidestepped away, further into the corner. "What, you can touch me, but I can't touch you? Perhaps you're worried that since I'm still touching Merius, if I touch you, there'll be another explosion of sparks? Why don't we just test that?" I stepped toward him. There was nowhere he could go without touching me--even lifting his arm to reach in his pocket for the Ursula's Bane would put him too close to me. I smiled.
*You insane witch. What the hell are you doing? Merius tried to jerk his hand from my grip.
"Why did you touch me?" I asked out loud, not blinking as I stared the assassin down.
He cleared his throat finally. "I wanted to see what his aura would do. Undene told us that if we touched you while you were touching him, we'd be able to see the sparks from his aura and tell if the mind bond was still strong."
"And why would you want to test the strength of the mind bond?"
"To see if your quarrel about Bara and your separation afterwards had affected it. I didn't think you would wake up."
I nodded, satisfied he told the truth. "Thank you," I said as I climbed back on the bed. "Now please leave."
Bullish's head bobbed in perfunctory acknowledgment. "My lady," he said, the first time he had addressed me as such, or at least the first time I could remember. The emissary was a low echo following Bullish, and then both melted out of the chamber with eerie silence. The lantern flame flickered in the draft from the door closing behind them.
"They left us the lantern," Merius observed as we looked at each other.
"The bed's a mess," I said, fingering the edge of one of the charred holes in my pillowcase. It was cool to the touch. "At least nothing caught on fire."
"Thank God for small blessings," Merius muttered. "Damn them." His aura darkened to pewter, a sign he was upset.
I touched his shoulder. "I'm so glad you're my husband--I need never fear them again with you nearby."
He frowned. "Even if I did almost set fire to the bed?"
"It's not that bad--we'll change the sheets in the morning."
He covered my hand with his fingers, his aura slowly losing its tarnish as it brightened to silver again. "I wish I could control those sparks better--I would have aimed them all at him."
I grinned. "You did just fine, my love. You scared the hell out of them both."
"Me? You're the spitfire who had the big bastard backed in a corner. I swear, you should have been a tiger tamer--I've never known a woman so bold. You know, what we just did, that vision we shared while we made love, I think it healed me. There's no more pain." He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed my knuckles one at a time. "I have something for you," he murmured. "I was going to save it till tomorrow, but I doubt we'll be able sleep anytime soon, so . . ." He suddenly bounded off the bed and headed for the chair where he'd piled his things earlier. I admired the ripple of light and shadow over the muscles of his shoulders and back as he fumbled through his saddlebags. The now healed SW still glowed white against his skin, a permanent reminder of the risks he was willing to take for his principles. I shuddered even as I stared at him with appreciative eyes. What if that arrow had been but a few inches lower? It could have killed him, and I would have been too far away to help.
He padded back to the bed, holding a triangular, mother-of-pearl box in his hand. I swallowed as he gave it to me, his eyes intent on my face. The box had braided gold around all the seams and scrolled golden feet and hinges. Someone had inlaid a design in amethyst and flame-colored topaz and gold across the top, a slender bird with a plumage crown, its wings outspread forever in graceful flight.
"I found this at Landers Hall among my mother's things--I think that's a phoenix on the lid."
I bit my lip, tears already threatening to overflow. "It's lovely," I managed.
"Here now, don't cry yet. You haven't even gotten to the main gift." He smiled as I met his gaze. "Open it, sweetheart."
Inside was a heavy, twisted gold chain. As the lined surface flared to life in the flickering candlelight, I gave a delighted squeal at the tiny golden leaves growing all along its length. It reminded me of an ancient, gnarled vine in a fairy tale, turned to pure gold by the fairies. Then I noticed the tiny gem flowers nestled at the base of every leaf, and I sank back on my heels, transfixed by the winking of amethysts and topazes and emeralds . . . there were even earrings to match. I slid the necklace around my neck, and Merius's hands brushed my shoulders as he helped me with the clasp. Then I put on the earrings, my earlobes tingling with the expensive weight of artistry and gold.
I swallowed back tears as I looked at Merius. He rubbed my shoulders, his eyes an intense dark gray as they bored into mine. "God, you're lovely," he said, his voice husky as if it was an effort to draw breath. "Do you like them?"
I touched the earrings, then ran my fingers over the necklace, marveling at its intricacy. "I love them, Merius. Who made them? I've never seen such craftsmanship."
"The jeweler Guillard. I commissioned them months ago."
"The Guillard in Calcors? This must have cost you a fortune . . . dear heart . . ." I trailed off, hot tears dripping down my cheeks.
"Shh." He touched my face gently, his feather light fingers gathering my tears as if they were pearls. "I'd give you the world if I could afford it. For now, this will have to do."
I threw my arms around him, my cheek against his shoulder. His heart thundered in my ear, the rush of the blood in his veins like the distant roar of the sea captured in a shell. We stayed like that for a long while, the silence crackling between us.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The next day, I went to visit at Dagmar at Landers Hall while Merius and Jared wandered the hills in search for more yew staves for the glider. When I returned home that evening, I headed straight for the sitting room. I had to feed the canaries, and I wanted to finish my charcoal study of the vagabond caravan emerging from Underhill, all sorts of enchanted elfin wares for hapless mortals dangling from its eaves. I drew up short as I went through the doorway, for Korigann, my painting instructor and friend from the Sarneth court, stood near the window, examining my sketch board. The long beams of late afternoon sunlight shone yellow against his white hair and the golden threads of his fine doublet. I noticed that despite the expensive doublet, his shirt sleeves were smeared with paint, and I grinned.
"This is a pleasant surprise," I exclaimed, stepping forward. "What are you doing here? I mean, I'm delighted, but . . ."
He started and glanced up. "Safire, my dear, I didn't even hear you," he said as he set the sketch board aside and came over to wrap me in an embrace. "Let's see how you look," he said, clasping my hands as he backed away and examined me. His skin felt as if it were covered in a light dusting of sand, the result of handling turpentine and pigments every day for the past forty years.
"Roses in your cheeks and a babe on the way--Merius must be pleased. And I must say, I'm pleased with your work. I took the liberty of going through some of your paintings while I was waiting, and your skill has improved by leaps and bounds."
"I've been sketching and painting almost everyday. You know, when I was younger, I struggled against the constraints of my position because I worried about whom my father would force
me to marry, what rules he might impose on me. I shouldn't have--I couldn't ask for a better husband than Merius. He's always encouraged my drawing and painting, and now I realize how fortunate I am to be noble born and have the time to pursue this work . . ." I trailed off.
Korigann's brow furrowed through my speech, his dark eyes narrow, and I faltered a little near the end. His face, never a courtier's face, betrayed an odd thoughtfulness, his aura suddenly clouded as if I kicked up sediment in clear water. "What is it?" I demanded, concerned that I had unwittingly offended him somehow.
"Nothing." He smiled. "I was just listening. It's good to hear how content you are. Where is Merius? I'd like to congratulate him."
"He and his steward went for a ride in the forest--I expect them back in time for dinner. Do you want me to show you to the guest chamber?"
"Not yet. I have something to tell you. Here, Safire, let's have a seat."
"Oh." I sat down on the window seat sideways, facing him. "Do you want anything to eat then?" I asked.
"No, my dear, not yet," he said gently. "Let me get this off my chest so we can enjoy the rest of our time together, maybe do some painting later. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"
"Of course--I've missed your instruction a great deal. I have so many questions for you, you have no idea."
"Well then, this shouldn't take long." He glanced down at his hands, his fingers loosely woven together, one elbow resting on the window ledge. "King Rainier sent me here to see how you and Merius fare with the assassins as bodyguards."
I gave an astonished laugh. "Are you in jest? How we fare? Don't get me wrong--I'm grateful that they've protected us. But they also force Ursula's Bane on us and that big one makes all these nasty threats . . . let me tell you what they did last night." I noticed the creases in Korigann's brow deepen to furrows and then to crevices as I related our midnight adventure.
"They shouldn't have upset you like that," he said abruptly. "I'll talk to them and tell them King Rainier will be most displeased if they persist in this rough manner. Unfortunately, this assignment requires a rare sort of man--one skilled not only in fighting and assassination but also in diplomacy and courtesy. I'll have you know King Rainier was most concerned about the state of the mind bond following your quarrel over Bara. . ."
"King Rainier already knows about that? How?"
"Undene and the assassins communicate almost daily through mirrors."
"Oh." A moment of silence ensued before I said abruptly, "Did they tell the king having constant spies following us everywhere and dosing us with Ursula's Bane puts strain on any marriage? We wouldn't want the royal voyeur to miss out, now would we?" I fixed my unblinking gaze on Korigann.
He sighed. "You see, the king is a brilliant man, but he doesn't understand marriage very well sometimes. I advised him that even the happiest of marriages are subject to quarrels, particularly when the husband and wife are both stubborn and hot-tempered, but he didn't seem to hear me. Undene understood, but she wouldn't help. She wants you at that court now, Safire, you and your child. She wants Merius there too, but she realizes it will be years before his duties as a Landers will allow him to leave Cormalen, years before Mordric will let him go without a nasty fight, years that she hasn't got."
"Why does she want us there so badly?" I cradled my hands under my belly, as if I could shield Dominic from the wicked crone.
"She's lonely more than anything, I think. No children of her own. She's always plotting and scheming with the king but that's an alliance, not a real friendship. You--you're another witch, someone who can understand her in ways that no one else can. Also, you're young and lively and sharp-tongued, good company for a woman like Undene. Of all the witches and warlocks who've been at that court, she liked you and Merius the best."
"What other witches and warlocks?"
Korigann shifted and seemed vaguely uncomfortable as if he'd just eaten something that didn't agree with him. "See, they shouldn't have sent me. I told them it wouldn't work, me keeping things from you. Artists don't always make for good courtiers, do we?"
"What other witches and warlocks, sir?"
"Surely you know you're not the first witch Queen Jazmene or King Rainier has taken an interest in? I mean, there's Undene of course, but she's in a class of her own. There's been a whole parade of witches and warlocks at that court, but Undene's the only one who's lasted."
"You mean, the others d-died?" I stammered. My fingers started to shake, and Korigann grasped my hands between his warm palms.
"Yes, my dear, the others died," he said softly.
"How?"
"One of the warlocks they sent back to Cormalen as a spy got caught and burned at the stake. Another went mad--he's still alive but is locked away in an asylum. Queen Jazmene gave one witch too much Ursula's Bane, and the poor woman dove off a parapet in the midst of a hallucination. That's when they started having women inhale the Ursula's Bane instead of using a dart in the neck like they still do with men." He hesitated, squeezing my hands.
"Go on, sir. I deserve to hear the truth."
He drew a deep breath. "A couple of the witches died in childbirth. The strain of being held captive caused others to commit suicide. Pregnancy has been particularly difficult--no woman wants to give her child to a man like King Rainier to raise, and witches seem more prone than other women to moodiness and raw emotions during pregnancy. Pregnancy usually exacerbates the fluctuation of an ordinary woman's humors, and witches are extraordinarily sensitive."
I managed a sharp, mirthless bark of laughter. "I can attest to that. What about mind bonds?"
"You and Merius are the first mind-bonded couple they've encountered, which is just one of the things that made you special. Then there's your artistic ability being an outlet for your talents--that was something unique, of particular interest to Queen Jazmene with her penchant for collecting artists. So many things really . . . Merius's high position in the Cormalen court, his strong drive and intelligence, your instinctive, creative use of your abilities, your hardiness and youth . . . for such a couple to appear at the Sarneth court seemed a godsend to King Rainier and Queen Jazmene's schemes, and considering how they treated the other witches and warlocks, they've kept on kid gloves with you, even though I know it doesn't seem that way."
I thought of Merius's duel with Toscar and shuddered. "No, it doesn't seem that way at all, though I believe what you say after hearing what happened to the other witches and warlocks. So why did they send you here, really? It can't have been just to tell the assassins to back off."
"Because they hoped I could persuade you to come to the Sarneth court on your own. They thought perhaps you were upset enough with Merius that you would willingly leave him. The last thing they want to do is sever the mind bond against your will--they have no idea what that would do to you . . ."
"Why would they want to sever the mind bond?" I interrupted.
Korigann paused and tipped his head, a faint, oddly sad smile flitting across his mouth. "They didn't count on Merius--and his father--and you for that matter--being so difficult. You see, the other witches and warlocks--some of them were highborn, yes, but their families had cut contact with them, so they were alone and easily imprisoned despite their positions. So the mind bond itself has become a problem, since you and Merius together are far stronger than either of you alone. And the support of your family, especially Mordric, with how cunning and powerful he is, has always been a problem. Also, the very traits that made you and Merius interesting--cleverness and audacity--also have made you recalcitrant and difficult to control. I think that's why Undene likes you so much, honestly--you remind her of herself."
"Surely they didn't want you telling me all of this--are you going to be in trouble when you go back to Sarneth?"
He shrugged. "Perhaps, but I warned them what might happen if they sent me. Honestly, Mordric has already figured out there were other pregnant witches--he weaseled it out of one of the assassins. It was only a matter of time befor
e you found out some of this on your own, and better it come from someone you trust in the Sarneth court, someone who knows the truth, than one of King Rainier's many enemies who would pervert the facts to suit his or her own ends."
"How long have you've known these things?" I asked, suddenly worried. If he had known all of this when I first met him and hadn't warned me then . . .
"Not long. Before I saw how Queen Jazmene treated you and Merius, I had no idea how ruthless she could be. If I'd known what plans she had for you, what King Rainier plotted for you behind her back, I would have told you to flee and then fled myself. Too late for that now, though, for either one of us." He shook his head and glanced out the window. "Beautiful sunset," he remarked.
Peach and lavender horsetails floated across a ruddy sky, the sun a deep bronzy orange in the west. I heard Merius's voice saying Red sky at night, sailor's delight. "Who told you everything? Not King Rainier surely--he likes ferreting out other people's secrets, not telling any of his own."
Korigann met my gaze, the red sunlight reflecting in his eyes. "Undene. She used to talk to Queen Jazmene, but since Her Majesty was imprisoned, the old witch made do with me." He raised his brows. "She likes to have an audience, as you know, and I don't talk much when I'm painting, so I'm ideal. It started when she sat for a portrait right after you left Sarneth--I had never even spoken three words to her before then. She thought it quite amusing, sitting for a portrait that she would never see because she's blind. She said she should have had you paint her portrait, that she could sense the movement in your paintings because she's a witch too, and that's how it all started. Tough old bird--she's had both Queen Jazmene and King Rainier in the palm of her withered hand for the past two decades, and Aesir above, does she know a lot of stories."
"King Rainier allowed her to talk?"
"He couldn't stop her--I think he preferred that she tell things to me instead of blabbing all over court."
I grinned despite myself--Undene was profane, devious, and wicked, but she certainly hadn't been dull. I wouldn't mind seeing her again. "I'll have to paint her portrait for her--she wanted me to paint her as a spider--and Merius as the fly."
Phoenix Ashes (The Landers Saga Book 3) Page 34