A Jewel Bright Sea. Claire O'Dell

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СКАЧАТЬ four years later. She had been twenty, older than the princess, but younger in the ways of Court and society. Remembering that night, Anna reached for her mug and wet her lips with wine. He didn’t force me, she told herself. At least I can say that much.

      A phrase she had repeated to herself often over the past two years.

      “I’m sorry,” Maté said softly.

      She shook her head. “It might have been worse. But thank you.”

      She took another drink of wine, then added water. All around them the wine shop’s other customers continued their endless games, their quiet conversations. In the kitchen, a woman started singing. Phaidre, perhaps.

      “Where would you go?” Maté said at last. “Or could you go?”

      She knew what he meant. Did she have the price of her bond, or would Brun sell her to another household?

      It was time to admit the rest.

      “He promised…” This next part was more difficult to confess. “Lord Brun promised me a reward,” she said. “If I deliver the jewel by autumn, I get my bond returned and a sum of money above that. I could go into free service with another Hêr Lord. I might even obtain a position with the University, as a clerk or scribe. My father was friend to dozens of scholars and tutors. It’s possible one might remember his name and offer me a chance.”

      “And Hêr Lord Brun?” Maté said. “Will he mind having you in the city?”

      Anna smothered a painful laugh. “I doubt it. I’ll be invisible, living in another world entirely from the Imperial Court.”

      “Your father was not so very invisible, as I recall.”

      Her laughter faded at once. It was because her father had known both Court and University that Lord Brun had visited their small house to inquire about obscure points of law or magic. And because he knew the scholar, he had offered to pay Michal Zhdanov’s debts after he died, and to provide the daughter employment in his household. For a price, of course.

      “No,” she said sadly. “He wasn’t.”

      She glanced up to see Maté regarding her with a strange expression. “I remember when you came to us,” he said softly. “A skinny child with unkempt hair and eyes the size of twin moons. You’ve changed a great deal—except for the eyes.”

      She had been sixteen. Still grieving for her father, still terrified by that interview with the moneylenders, who had described in great detail how much her father had owed them, and how those debts were now hers. And grateful, so very grateful to be rescued by Lord Brun.

      She was not certain she had changed much in the past six years.

      “I’m sorry I lied,” she said.

      He shrugged. “Eh. We have Lord Brun to thank for that. No doubt he wished to keep us uncertain of each other. He does that with his friends, you know, as well as his enemies.”

      Anna let her breath trickle out. A mountain of dread and anxiety seemed to have vanished, now that she and Maté had been honest with each other. “I missed you,” she said simply.

      He smiled. “And here I was thinking I was right by your side these past three months. No, I know what you mean. We shall find that jewel, Anna. And you shall have your freedom. Though,” he added, “I cannot promise not to argue with you from time to time.”

      She smiled back. “I like it better when you argue.”

      “Liar.” But he was laughing softly. “Come. Speaking of troubles, we must return to the inn. Lukas and I discovered our new guards tied up and snoring behind the stables. We didn’t stop to question them, we only knew we had to find you as quickly as possible. Lukas took one direction. I took another. If he returns before we do, he might execute them in a fit of rage.”

      Anna shook her head at the thought of Maté and Raab charging through the streets of Iglazi. Then her mood sobered. Maszny had not disagreed when Anna had called Koszenmarc a dangerous man. She gave a shudder, in spite of the heat.

      “What’s wrong?” Maté asked.

      She hesitated a moment. “Nothing definite. Something Maszny said about the pirates, Koszenmarc in particular. He’s a very odd man—Maszny, I mean. Not what I expected.”

      “And I’ve news about our friend Sarrész. The three of us need to hold a conference this afternoon.”

      Back to their mission, in other words. Maté left to order a sedan chair for Anna and a horse for himself. Anna waited with a bored air, sipping her wine. He was never at a loss, she thought, whether it came to fighting brigands, or tracking down a thief, or playing the part of escort and guard.

      She was glad she had finally told him the truth.

      * * * *

      Raab had not executed their newly hired guards, but Anna and Maté found him standing over them with a grim expression on his face, his hand set on the hilt of his sword. Several of the stable boys and girls loitered nearby, clearly fascinated by this new spectacle.

      “My lady,” he said shortly. “I am glad Kovács found you in time.”

      Mindful of their roles, Anna said, “Not exactly in time. I had to extricate myself from a most uncomfortable situation. However, he did prove very useful in keeping me extricated. I shall have to commend both you and him to my father.”

      “That’s good to know.” Raab glanced at the half dozen men lying in a heap on the stable floor. “My apologies for neglecting you, Lady Vrou. I thought it best to question these idiots. Perhaps I did wrong.”

      “No, you showed good sense,” Anna said. “Koszenmarc might’ve murdered these men to keep them quiet.”

      Maté was frowning. “They look drunk.”

      “Drugged is more likely.” Raab prodded one of the men with his boot.

      Anna wrinkled her nose at the smell. “Disgusting. But I suppose we must summon a healer for them. Which one of you volunteers for this errand?”

      “Neither,” Maté said. “My Lady Vrou, let me send one of the stable hands. We can question the men ourselves before the healer doses them. First impressions are often important in matters such as this one.”

      Meaning, Anna needed to examine the men for any magical clues before a healer erased those traces with their own magic.

      “Very well,” she murmured in a dissatisfied voice.

      She settled herself on a bale of hay. Raab ordered one of the stable boys to fetch a neighborhood healer or surgeon, whichever one proved the least expensive. The rest he dismissed back to their duties. Once that was accomplished, he and Maté searched through the guards’ clothes.

      “No extra cash,” Raab said. “They weren’t bribed, which is as much as we expected. Lady Iljana, if you wish to make your own inspection, this one might prove useful. He’s the man I put in charge of the others, to my everlasting regret. Kovács and I will question him afterwards.”

      Anna knelt СКАЧАТЬ