Call of Wizardry, page 8
Master Delucco’s arm came down. Perrin cried out in agony. The last syllables of fury sped away from Sienne’s lips. Six yellow bolts of magic energy erupted from her to strike the four men, with two bolts grounding themselves harmlessly in the ceiling and wall. All four men collapsed, twitching, into unconsciousness.
Sienne dropped to her knees beside Perrin, though she knew fury didn’t do permanent damage. Where were the others? She’d never wished for that group thought-sharing blessing so hard as she did just then.
Footsteps pounded along the hallway, and Alaric came to a panting halt inside the door. “Sienne? Where are you?”
“Here.” With a thought, she dismissed vanish. “We need to get out of this place. They’ll be unconscious for a while, but—”
Alaric bent and heaved Perrin over his shoulder. “Hold hands,” he said. “I can’t balance him for more than a minute.”
Dianthe and Kalanath peered in around Alaric’s bulk. “Well, that’s one solution,” Dianthe said, whistling in appreciation.
“Talk later,” Alaric said, grabbing Dianthe and Kalanath by the hands. “Move now.”
Sienne fumbled for her friends’ hands and cast transport. Moments later, they arrived in the library, startling Cressida into a shriek that turned into weeping when she saw Perrin. “What happened?” she exclaimed, brushing his hair away from his face.
“He distracted Master Delucco so I could get the children away,” Sienne said. “He’s just unconscious—he made me cast fury on him to keep Master Delucco from beating him.”
Cressida’s mouth fell into an O of astonishment. “Father Delucco never sullies himself with physical violence,” she whispered.
“I think Perrin pissed him off royally,” Alaric said. “At least, that was his plan.”
“But he—” Cressida’s words cut off abruptly as she seemed to remember the children were present and listening avidly. “What do we do now?”
“How long do we have?” Alaric asked Sienne.
“I’m not actually sure anymore how long it takes fury to wear off,” Sienne said. “A minimum of twelve hours.” She prodded Perrin with her toe. “But that means he’ll be out that long, too. And we need him to decide what we’ll do next.”
“No,” Cressida said, “we don’t.”
Sienne looked at her in surprise. There were tears in Cressida’s eyes, but her voice was as firm as her chin. “You said you were going to Ansorja, or would have done had our affairs not interfered,” Cressida said. “Then that is what we will do. We will go to—Esthold, is it? and find a safe place for me and the children to stay while you accomplish whatever you intend. And Perrin will go with you.”
Sienne glanced at Alaric, who looked like he’d been struck by fury himself. “Perrin won’t agree to that,” he said. “He’ll want to stay with you.”
“But you need him more than we do,” Cressida said. “It is past time I started taking responsibility for my children’s lives. We will be safe in Esthold, and when you return…then Perrin and I have things to discuss.”
Sienne could tell when Alaric reached the conclusion she had, which was that arguing with anyone who looked as stubborn as Cressida did was pointless. “All right,” he said. “Let’s everyone get some sleep, and we’ll leave in the morning, since it looks like no one will chase us tonight.”
“Thank you,” Cressida said. “For everything. Will you bring him to…to my room? I will not feel comfortable if he wakes unexpectedly and is alone.”
Sienne thought about reassuring her that it was unlikely Perrin would be conscious before dawn, but decided not to interfere. Alaric picked Perrin up like a long-limbed baby and maneuvered him through the library door and up the stairs to Cressida’s room. When they’d said goodnight to the Deluccos, and were standing together in the hallway, Sienne said, “Are we sure we want to stay here overnight? Master Delucco may be out of it for a while, but he has servants.”
“None of whom will want to act on their own initiative, unless I’m wrong and Master Delucco is a kind and generous human being,” Alaric said. “And finding an inn, let alone a Rafellish enclave, in Esthold at this hour is going to be tricky. Better we approach the city by daylight.”
“I won’t argue,” Dianthe said. “Mortal terror makes me sleepy.”
“Was it that bad? I couldn’t hear anything,” Sienne said.
“We followed Perrin into the inn, after he drew off all the guards and servants,” Alaric said. “We heard him taking a beating. I don’t think Master Delucco did all of it, but even if he did, he’s no weakling for all he’s sixty and more years old. Perrin insisted we not interfere until he knew you had the children away safely.” His face went grim. “I’m not ashamed to say I’d be just as happy if Lysander Delucco never woke up.”
“Alcander will fix the legal side of things, so they can be a family again and Master Delucco won’t have power over them,” Sienne said.
“And then we’ll dissuade him from pursuing any…extralegal options,” Dianthe said with a bloodthirsty grin.
“That’s a good long way off, though, and right now I can only think about sleeping,” Alaric said. “Not to mention we didn’t bring any of our things. Is everyone packed? And—damn. I forgot about Leaf. She’ll be wondering what happened to us.”
“All these rooms on this level are empty guest suites,” Sienne said. “Go ahead and settle in, and I’ll fetch our things and Leaf. Then we won’t have to go back to Fioretti in the morning.”
She stayed long enough to see where everyone went, then cast jaunt and silently went through Master Tersus’s house gathering people’s packs and Kalanath’s staff. Leaf was asleep on Alaric’s old bed, but woke when Sienne entered. Are you going somewhere?
“We’re leaving for Ansorja in the morning. It’s…a long story. Will you let me carry you while I jaunt to where Alaric is?”
I do not know jaunt. You sound as if it is unusual.
“It is, a little. I’m a wizard, and jaunt is a transportation spell.”
The Pekkanen cringed away from Sienne. You are a wizard? And Alaric—his smell is all over you. I do not understand.
Sienne hitched up Dianthe’s pack where it slipped over her shoulder. “Alaric and I are lovers. And he trusts me. I know it must seem odd, when that wizard is your enemy, but I’m nothing like him.”
Lovers? Leaf sat up. You are not Sassaven.
“I know. It’s not what you expect. But I love him, and he loves me.”
He has a duty to his people. You are not it. The Pekkanen’s matter-of-fact tone stung, and Sienne had to bite back a harsh reply. There was no sense yelling at Leaf for something Sienne knew in her heart was true, even if Alaric had chosen differently.
“You’ll have to talk to Alaric about it,” she said instead. “Now, can I carry you? It will only be for a minute.”
She juggled her load and the awkward dog, who felt like a knobbly bag of bones, but eventually got everything balanced and cast jaunt to the Verannus library once more. Putting Leaf down a little faster than was strictly polite, she hitched up the bags again and made her way up the stairs to the third floor, going slowly so Leaf could keep up. The Pekkanen walked stiffly, like a dog twice her age—apparent age; if Leaf had known Alaric since infancy, she was more than twenty-five years old. It wouldn’t surprise Sienne if Pekkanen lived as long as humans.
By the time she reached the top of the stairs, she felt more weary than she had in days, and was grateful for Alaric’s decision that they stay the night. She delivered her friends’ belongings to them and then sank onto the bed in the room Alaric had chosen. “I’m tired enough I don’t care if anyone knows we’re sleeping together,” she said. Leaf gave her a disapproving look. Sienne resisted the urge to stick out her tongue.
“Don’t your parents already know that?” Alaric said, stretching out beside her.
“Yes, but the nobility like to keep up appearances—oh, I don’t know why it matters. We love each other, we’re not married, and that’s nobody’s business but ours.” She unbuttoned her shirt and pulled it off over her head before remembering that Leaf was watching. Blushing, she put on her nightdress as rapidly as possible, then lay down in the curve of Alaric’s arm.
She watched as Leaf settled down on the rug before the fireplace. There was so much she didn’t know. How much dog was still in the Pekkanen? Did they eat the sort of thing dogs usually did? Was a hearth rug sufficient bedding for them. “Are you comfortable, Leaf?” she asked, then repeated herself in Sorjic.
This is enough. Far better than most of where I have slept these last seasons.
“You disapprove,” Alaric said. Sienne, confused, turned to look at him. He was regarding Leaf with a steady, unblinking gaze.
She is not Sassaven.
So, they were going to have this conversation with her in the room. “I should go,” Sienne said, but Alaric’s arm tightened over her and made leaving impossible.
“I make my own choices. I always have,” Alaric said.
You have a duty to your people. And you always wanted children.
“I want Sienne more. If I can free my people from the wizard, I consider my duty fulfilled.”
Your mother will be disappointed.
“That’s a low blow, Leaf. She can hardly expect me to be unchanged by living among humans all these years.”
Viveka—
“My cousin has nothing to do with it.”
She waited for you.
Sienne moved involuntarily. He had a cousin who waited for him? Even she could tell Leaf meant some kind of romantic entanglement with this Viveka. “She wasted her life if she did,” Alaric said. “I might never have come home. I might not have survived to come home.”
If you want to throw your life away—
“Stop right now,” Alaric said. “You’re being overdramatic, and worse, you’re being ridiculous. Who I love, who I make a life with, isn’t throwing my life away. Sienne intends to help me defeat the wizard and save Genneva. She is deserving of respect.”
Leaf sat up and growled, her lips peeling back to reveal sharp teeth. Genneva is lost. You cannot save her. It has been too long. That is my fault.
“It’s not too late. I won’t let her down.”
Then you are as much a fool as you ever were. Leaf rolled over to face the empty hearth, as clear a gesture of dismissal as Sienne had ever seen.
Sienne looked at Alaric. His gaze was focused on something in the distance, and his arm across her weighed her down. “You’re not a fool,” she murmured, low enough that she didn’t think Leaf could hear. “We’ll save Genneva and free your people. I know it.”
He glanced down at her, his eyes coming into focus. “You believe that?” he said, his voice as quiet as hers. “Because I’m no longer sure.”
Sienne put her hand on his cheek and made him look at her. “You’ve gotten us this far,” she said. “Don’t give up now. I believe it. I believe in you.”
His eyes lost a little of their distant expression. Then he bent to kiss her, his lips firm and passionate, his hand rising from her waist to caress her cheek. It made Sienne forget Leaf was in the room, forget everything except his hand touching her, his lips on hers. He kissed her again, longer this time, and when he finally pulled away from her, said in the same low voice, “Marry me.”
Sienne sucked in a sharp breath. “What?”
“It doesn’t have to be tonight, or even anytime soon. Just—I want to be your husband. I want the world to know what we are to each other. Marry me.”
Her heart beat hummingbird-fast in her ears. “I—” She threw her arms around his neck. “Aren’t you even the least bit superstitious about this? We’re heading off to possible death…suppose God sees this as an opportunity to make our lives desperately tragic?”
“I don’t think God thinks that way, sweetlove.” He kissed her again, lightly this time. “But this is my way of promising you that we will come back from this. I was going to wait until it was all over, but then I realized—there’s always going to be one more job, one more flirtation with mortal danger, and if I wait for all of them to be over, for the perfect moment, I’ll miss out on it entirely. So…” He took her hand and rubbed the back of it with his thumb. “This wasn’t the reaction I hoped for.”
Sienne smiled. “Really? What were you hoping for?”
“Oh…for you to leap into my arms, shouting yes, and then tearing my clothes off and having your way with me.”
“With Leaf in the room?”
“Pekkanen don’t care about human sexuality. It doesn’t embarrass them.”
“Well, it embarrasses me.”
Alaric nodded. “Well, if that’s how you feel…it’s not like we need to be married…”
Startled, Sienne said, “What do you mean?”
“It’s not what you want. I understand.”
“Of course it’s what I want!” Her arms tightened around his neck.
Alaric arched an eyebrow. “You didn’t say yes.”
“Didn’t I?” She reviewed the conversation in her head and blushed. “I guess I didn’t. Ask me again.”
He smiled. “Sienne, will you marry me?”
She drew him closer. “I will. Forever and always.”
Alaric cast a glance at the hearth. “Leaf is asleep.”
“And we’re both exhausted, Alaric.”
“I’m never going to be that exhausted.” He slipped a hand down her back to pull her close. “And who knows when we’ll have the chance again?”
“When you put it like that,” Sienne said, “how can I say no?”
7
Sienne woke the next morning to Alaric rolling out of bed and opening the door to let Leaf out. Sleepily, she wondered where the Pekkanen would go to relieve herself, but decided she didn’t care enough to pursue the question. Alaric, rather than returning to bed, shook her shoulder. She blinked up at him. “It’s after dawn,” he said. “We should check on Perrin.”
Sienne rose and collected her scattered clothing. “I forgot last night that he needs to pray for blessings so he’ll be able to scry out a location in Esthold for me to jaunt to. His father might be here before we can get away.”
“Your parents won’t let Delucco in,” Alaric said, pulling on his trousers. “They have no idea where we are, and likely don’t know where the children are, either. They’ll stall him long enough. Don’t worry.”
Sienne’s stomach chose that moment to rumble. “I suppose we can’t go down for breakfast.”
“Dianthe will sneak in and fetch something. We’ll have a proper meal in Esthold.”
They crossed the hall to knock quietly at Cressida’s door. No one answered for a long time. Alaric raised his hand to knock again, and the door opened, revealing a harried-looking Cressida. “He is awake,” she said. “Perhaps you can convince him to see sense.”
Perrin reclined on the bed, his head propped on several pillows. His black eye had spread and turned a glorious dark purple. “Was this your idea?” he asked Alaric, his voice hoarse. “This madness?”
“If you mean taking your family with us to Esthold, no. It was Cressida’s plan,” Alaric said.
Perrin attempted to sit and groaned, falling back against the pillows. “Abandon my wife and children in a strange city where they do not speak the language and have no means of support?”
A little thrill went through Sienne to hear him refer to Cressida as his wife again, but Cressida didn’t react as if it thrilled her too. “I have already said I am not afraid,” she said. She sounded tense, as if this argument had been going on for some time. “Esthold is a civilized place, is it not? And I am certain you will provide for us for the time you will be gone.”
“It’s nearly as big as Fioretti,” Alaric said, “and far more modern than the capital at Aldmerrow. They would be perfectly safe in the Rafellish enclave.”
“Which we do not know exists!” Perrin shouted.
“All right,” Alaric said, unmoved by his outburst. “What was your plan?”
Perrin fell silent. “Marisse,” he said. “Sienne has been there before—she can transport us there. We will disappear into the city.”
“That is an excellent plan,” Cressida said. “Save for the small matter that it will prevent you going with your companions.”
Perrin closed his eyes. His lips pressed tightly together as if he were biting back words. “I will not leave you again,” he said, opening his eyes and looking at Cressida. “You do not know the journey we intended to embark upon. It is extremely dangerous—”
“And will be more dangerous for them if you do not accompany them,” Cressida said. She sat on the edge of the bed and took Perrin’s hand in both of hers. “They risked themselves to rescue our children. You work well together—I have seen it myself. Am I correct that you intend to go with or without Perrin?” she said, turning to face Alaric.
“Yes,” Alaric said. “We can’t wait for your situation to be resolved. I’m sorry.”
Cressida shook her head. “You need not be sorry. Perrin will go with you, and when he returns, we will discover what Alcander Verannus has done in our absence. And all will be well.”
“Cressida,” Perrin said, “you—”
“You are not the only one who prays, Perrin Delucco,” Cressida said sharply. “I feel certain this is the path Averran has chosen for you. The path he put you on eighteen months ago when he set that disreputable Evander Galli before you.” She smiled, a rueful expression Sienne wished she knew the cause of. “Do not deny God’s word when She goes out of Her way to present it to you.”
Perrin again struggled to sit up, and this time he succeeded. “An excellent notion,” he said. “I must pray for a scrying blessing to send Sienne and the others on their way. I will ask Averran what he thinks of your plan. And when he concurs that it is madness, will you leave it and do as I ask?”
Cressida’s lips twitched upward at the corners. “If you do not fear the answer you will receive, I hardly think I should stop you.”
Perrin rose as if he ached everywhere and walked across the room to a chair near the window, lit by the soft light of dawn. He dropped heavily into it and rested his hands on his knees. Closing his eyes, he drew in a slow, deep breath, then another, until he was breathing evenly. Sienne found she was breathing in time with him. It was a compelling rhythm.
