“A scratch from swordplay. It was nothing.”
“Swordplay? You were in a fight?”
His voice grew jauntier. “Not much of a fight. Five bandits. They didn’t last long.”
“Really?”
Again, he hesitated. “No,” he admitted. “I got it in practice with my swordmaster. He was angry at me.”
“For what reason?”
“He thinks I’m too distracted to fence. I think he’s right.”
Anne felt an odd little warmth in her belly. “What has distracted you?” she asked innocently.
“I think you know.” His eyes were luminous in the dark, and for an instant …
“I told you, Cazio,” she said.
“Told me what?” he asked mildly. “You haven’t even told me your real name. And you complain of my honesty.”
She was silent for a moment, then nodded. “I deserved that.” She looked back up at him. “My name is Anne.”
He took her hand. She meant to pull it away, but somehow failed. “I’m pleased to meet you, Anne.” And he kissed the top of her hand.
“May I have that back now?” Anne asked.
“It was always yours.”
“Did you send my letter at all?”
“Yes,” he said. “I hoped he would come. I still hope so.”
“Why?”
“Sometimes distance improves love. Sometimes it dissolves it. I think you deserve to know which has happened.”
“Roderick loves me,” Anne snapped.
“Let him prove it, then,” Cazio replied.
“Do you love me then?” Anne asked, regretting the question in the same breath that asked it.
But Cazio didn’t answer immediately. When he did, it was in that new, uncertain tone. “I do not think people fall in love so quickly.”
That sounded honest, and somehow it upset Anne more than any declaration of love ever could have.
“In that case, what do you want from me?” she asked.
“To know you better,” Cazio said softly.
Anne’s throat felt thick. “And how will you do that?” she asked, trying to sound sarcastic. “Stare up at my tower all day?”
“I might,” he replied. “If it is the only way to see you.”
“This is ridiculous,” Anne said. She glanced over her shoulder.
“We’ll be missed. We have to go.”
“When can I see you again?”
“You can’t,” Anne replied, and with that she turned and went back out of the garden.
It was hard not to look back, but she managed it.
Cazio scuffed his foot in frustration and sighed. What was wrong with him? What did he care about this skinny, sickly pale, red-mopped witch anyway?
Nothing, that’s what. This whole thing had been Orchae-via’s scheme, not his.
A slight sound alerted him, and his hand flew to the hilt of Caspator, but it was only the other girl, the yellow-haired one.
“It was nice to meet you, Casnar Chiovattio,” she said, and made a little curtsey.
Inspiration struck Cazio. “A moment, please,” he said.
“I must follow my mistress.”
“I implore you, casnara. Anne won’t miss you for a mo ment or two.” He paused. “Did you say mistress?”
“I’m her maid.”
“And also in the coven?”
“I’m there, yes.”
“And is your name really Margry?”
The girl looked behind her. “No, casnar, it isn’t. My name is Austra.”
Cazio put on what he considered to be his most effective smile. “Now there is a proper name for a winsome creature like you,” he purred.
“You shouldn’t say things like that, casnar,” the girl said, looking demurely down.
“Call me simply Cazio, if you please.” He reached for her hair. “Was this spun from gold?”
She bridled at his touch. “Please, I must go.” She started to withdraw.
“A moment.” He stepped even closer. At first he thought she would flee, but she didn’t. He drew very near and took her hand.
“This Roderick fellow, Anne’s betrothed—is he so fine?”
“Betrothed?” Austra said, her eyes widening.
Aha! Cazio thought. So not even really engaged.
“I mean, yes, they are betrothed,” Austra corrected.
Cazio let the falsehood pass. “But that wasn’t my question. Answer me, pretty Austra.”
“He is—” Her voice dropped. “I do not think him so fine. To be honest, I think you’re much nicer, though I’ve just met you.”
“Thank you, Austra. That’s very kind of you.”
“It’s just that Anne can be … stubborn.”
“Well, let her be, then,” Cazio said. “I won’t pursue someone who has no desire to be caught.” He squeezed her hand. “Thank you for speaking to me,” he said.
“It was my pleasure, Cazio.”
He bowed, then wrinkled his brow in a show of consternation. “Oh, look,” he told her, pointing to her mouth. “You’ve something on your lip.”
“What?” She put her hand up, but he caught it, bent in quickly, and kissed her lips. She gave a little gasp and pulled back—not too violently.
“You see? There was a kiss there,” he said. “But I got it.”
He could see her white skin blush even in the faint light. Without another word she withdrew and fled down the hall after the vanished Anne.
Cazio watched her go, feeling pleased. Service hadn’t done the trick. Maybe a little jealousy would, he thought. The hunter was back on the trail. Whistling, he went to gaze at the stars.
7
Sacrifice
Aspar knelt to examine the horse droppings on the trail and nodded to himself.
“We’re close,” he said gruffly. “Not even a day behind ’em. And they’ve been joined by more, maybe ten more.”
Stephen watched what the holter was doing, trying to pick out the faint signs the older man was reading. “Do you think the newcomers are Sefry? This Fend fellow and his rogues?”
Aspar’s expression darkened. “That’s what your brother said, yah? That he was going to meet Fend at Cal Azroth?”
“I’m no brother of Desmond Spendlove’s,” Stephen replied, irritated by Aspar’s tone. “Whatever he’s about is nothing to do with the church.”
“You seem mighty certain of that,” Aspar said.
“Think, Holter,” Stephen said. “The fratrex saved our lives. Would he have done that if the church was behind all this?”
Aspar straightened. “You tell me,” he said seriously.
It still took Stephen aback when the holter really wanted his opinion. He recalled Desmond, that night at the monastery, talking about how he served the church. It had felt real, that conversation, like the one pure moment of honesty he had ever had from the murderous Spendlove.
“Brother Desmond answers to someone,” Stephen allowed. “It might be someone in the church. It might not. He’s not entirely sane, I think.”
“You think he answers to Fend?” Aspar grunted.
Stephen examined that for a moment. “No,” he said at last.
“He spoke of Fend as a sort of coconspirator, and with a certain amount of distaste. I think Spendlove and your Sefry outlaw serve a higher master. I don’t know who it could be.”
“Well, the forest ends soon,” Aspar said. “We’re coming to the plain of Mey Ghorn, where Cal Azroth stands. They’ve met up, so whatever they’re planning, it’ll happen soon.”
“Could we go around them? Reach the fortress before they do and warn the queen?”
“Maybe,” Aspar mused. “Likely not.”
“What then? Ten more makes sixteen men and Sefry. We can’t fight them all.”
Aspar arched one eyebrow. “We, Cape Chavel Darige? I could put what you know about fighting on the head of a beer and it would float.”
“Yes, well, you could have taught me a little, Holter. I might have been some help.”
“I could have taught you just enough to help you make a corpse of yourself,” Aspar rebutted.
“So you’ll kill them all yourself ? How?”
Aspar grunted a laugh. “I never said I couldn’t find a use for you. You could wave your arms and draw their arrows while I creep around behind.”