Sorceress of Faith (39 page)

“Now
there’s a pair,” Alexa whispered. She leaned closer to Marian.

The
first man was dressed in immaculate white Chevalier fighting leathers that bore
no stain or scar. Remembering the garb she’d seen in the inn the night before,
Marian could only think that the clothes must have a spell on them, or he’d
dressed up—to meet her? His hair was black with a wide streak of silver at his
left temple and a smaller brush of silver at his right. His eyes were brown
like most of the Lladranan men, but he was taller than average, and they were a
tall race. His build was lean and muscular, his face was narrow, and something
about him reminded Marian of Bastien—so this must be Luthan. His expression was
somber.

The
second man was only an inch shorter and his body type less lean and more
athletically muscular—mesomorphic. He had medium-sized streaks of silver,
denoting Power, at each temple framing a face as elegant as his voice had been,
and strikingly handsome. He winked at them. Marian sat up straighter.

Luthan
halted a few feet from them, took a breath. He looked braced for something,
then a shudder moved through his entire body, but he remained expressionless.
Alexa caught Marian’s hand and squeezed in silent support.
Try not to hold
it against him
, she said with quiet sadness. Alexa had dealt with a
brother-in-law who’d found her revolting.

Marian
nodded.

The
man came up and bowed formally, looked to Alexa.

Alexa
sighed. “Luthan, Lord Vauxveau, Chevalier Fifth Rank, Representative of the
Singer to the other Communities of Lladrana, please meet Marian Harasta, M.A.,
Exotique Scholar of the Fourth Degree.”

“I
was instructed to introduce myself to you and assure you of the Singer’s
support in all things.” He held out his hand.

Just
then, Marian recalled that this was the man who had prophetic visions, like her
friend Golden Raven back home. Marian wondered if his was strongest when
touch-activated, like Golden Raven’s. Now it was her turn to brace herself. She
put her fingers in his and he bowed gracefully over them.

The
peacock screeched.

Luthan
dropped Marian’s hand.

Both
men turned.

Faucon
bowed. “Salutations, feycoocu.”

Luthan
inclined his head. “Salutations, feycoocu.”

Marian
wondered if one or both of them knew Sinafin’s name.

A
smile lifted one side of Luthan’s mouth as he set two books and three scrolls
next to Marian. “Here are some Lorebooks from the Singer’s Abbey that she sent
you. She also told me to inform you that Alexa, here, was the one who mended
Bastien’s bad Power flow.”

Marian
stared at Alexa, who pinkened and shifted.

“It
was an accident. I did it—um—instinctively.”

Faucon
jostled Luthan aside, bowed deeply and sent Marian a charming smile. “I see
that Exotique Terre has supplied us with another gorgeous woman.” He took
Marian’s hand and lifted it to his lips. “Your wish is my command.”

Had
he really said that? Marian went over the line in her head, translated it into
English, French, back into Lladranan. It scanned the same in all languages.

His
fingers stroked her palm and a flicker of heat entered his gaze. Obviously this
was the man who was immediately and innately attracted to Exotiques. Marian
told herself not to be so pleased, it was nothing personal—but it felt
very
personal. “One of my ancestresses was an extraordinary Medica and Sorceress. I
bring you copies of her studies.”

Withdrawing
her hand, Marian smiled. “Thank you.”

His
fingers dipped into a pocket of his breeches. When he withdrew it, he held a
small, square bottle of dark-green stoppered with a tiny cork. “I have a small
pool of jerir on one of my estates, and had this liquid harvested for you. My
ancestress said this was the greatest amount of jerir a person should imbibe.”

“Huh.”
Alexa eyed it. “Guess I didn’t swallow any more than that in my three dips or I
wouldn’t be here.”

“A
devastating thought,” Faucon assured her. He handed the bottle to Marian. “With
my compliments. Would you like to join me for—”

Luthan
dropped a hand on Faucon’s shoulder. “No, Faucon.”

Faucon
stepped away from Luthan, scowling. “I will not listen to any specious lies
from you this time, Luthan.”

Shrugging,
Luthan said, “It was only a word of warning. I’ve been told there’s a very
strong Song linking Scholar Marian and Circlet Jaquar Dumont. Of course, if you
want
to irritate the Circlet—”

Faucon’s
jaw set. He glared at Luthan, turned his glance to Marian, shook his head and
sighed. “My timing is off once more.” He bowed to Marian again. “Truly, Scholar
Marian, should you need anything I can provide, send word.”

“Thank
you,” Marian said, slipping the bottle into her pocket.

Sinafin
shrieked and made to herd the men from the garden.

For
the first time, Luthan smiled fully. “And farewell to you, also, feycoocu.” He
bowed to Alexa and Marian and left. Faucon gave a small salute to Alexa,
another melting smile to Marian, and followed Luthan from the garden.

There
was a short silence after the door closed behind the men, then Marian said,
“Lladrana certainly grows handsome men.”

Alexa
chuckled. “Yes, indeed, and my Bastien is the best of the lot.”

Marian
shrugged. “Tell me about curing Bastien.”

Shifting
again, Alexa said, “Well, uh, it happened during sex.”

“Oh.”
Marian was eager to know, but couldn’t find the right words to pursue the topic
gracefully.

“To
be precise,” Alexa said, looking away, “I noticed that Bastien’s crystal star
had a flaw during sex, and afterward, I removed it.”

“What
crystal star?”

Alexa
looked surprised. “When we make love, we both project multi-pointed stars that
touch and meld together.”

“Oh.”

“That
doesn’t happen with you and Jaquar?”

“No,
I, uh, don’t get visuals. Mostly I just get swept away by this spectacular wave
of music.”

They
met each other’s gazes, began to laugh.

“Oh,”
Alexa said.

They
laughed some more.

Alexa
tapped her fingers on her baton sheath. “That’s interesting. You might be
better suited to Lladrana and Amee than I, since you seem to have a more aural
than visual sense. I’m gonna have an accent for the rest of my life.”

Marian
touched her fingers to the books beside her, sending her mind and intuition
questing, hoping to receive an indication that help for Andrew lay within one
of the tomes. Nothing.

“Perhaps
when you get back to Earth, you’ll still have Power, at least enough to cure
your brother,” Alexa said reassuringly.

“I
hope so,” Marian murmured.

“It
will be interesting to know whether and how much Power works on Earth.”

They
shared another smile. “Yes,” Marian said.

A
cautious tapping came on the door. It creaked open and a young man poked his
head inside.

“Oh,
you’re here,” he said.

Alexa
shrugged. “Come on in, Urvey.”

Steps
dragging, the youngster did. Marian thought he was about the same age as
Marwey—late teens. He was dressed in fighting leathers and a midnight-blue
tunic that after a few instants, Marian placed as Bastien’s livery. Bastien’s
servant, then. He darted a glance around the garden as if it were a strange and
threatening landscape.

“This
place sounds funny,” he said.

“It’s
mostly our Exotique Songs,” Alexa said. She tilted her head as if listening,
touched Marian on the forearm. “Though since Marian is still connected with
Earth—Exotique Terre—I can hear echoes of my mother planet, too.”

Alexa
looked a little wistful, but nothing in Alexa resonated with a wish to return
to Colorado. She was certain of her course. Marian envied that.

Urvey
appeared unconvinced. He fingered the piece of paper he held.

“You
have a message?” asked Alexa, putting out her hand.

Shifting
his feet, he stared at Marian. “It’s for her. And the Circlet,” he whispered.

“Oh,”
Alexa said. “Marian, this is my husband Bastien’s squire, Urvey Novins. Urvey,
this is Exotique Scholar Marian Harasta.”

He
was not like any squire Marian had envisioned.

Urvey
bowed. “My pleasure,” he said.

“Salutations.”
Marian nodded, then held out her hand.

Urvey
dropped the note in it. The paper was slightly damp. Marian unrolled the paper
and read the letters easily—a benefit of her bond with Jaquar.

Guildsman
and Townmaster Sevair Masif requests the presence of Exotique Scholar Marian
and Circlet Jaquar Dumont to discuss the matter of Weather Magic and frinks.
Please come as soon as possible.

Though
the note was courteous enough, Marian felt searing anger.

23

B
linking several
times Marian handed the message to Alexa. “Frinks are worms that fall with the
rain? I’ve never seen them,” Marian said to Alexa.

“I
have, but only once.” Alexa looked up with a frown. “I think I’ll go with you.
I don’t know what Jaquar’s relations are with Sevair, but the underlying tone
of this note concerns me, and I won’t let him push you around. He’s a nice guy,
really, so I don’t know what’s wrong.”

She
was throbbing with curiosity.

“The
Guildmaster’s journeyman is waiting in the cloister walk outside the Keep,”
said Urvey.

“Can
you call Jaquar mentally, please?” Alexa asked Marian.

“You
don’t think we should refuse?”

Drumming
her fingers along her baton sheath, Alexa shook her head. “I don’t think it’s a
good idea. The various communities of this society are distant enough. I’m sure
one of our jobs is bringing them together to fight the Dark. Let’s not alienate
a good man.”

“All
right,” Marian said, and stood.

Alexa
rose, too. With obvious relief, Urvey ran to the door and held it open for
them.

Jaquar!
Marian called,
holding an image of him in her mind.

Alexa
took Marian’s forearm, smiling. “Just tell him that you got an invitation to
visit Sevair Masif. From what I know of men, he’ll insist on accompanying you.
Then we can hand him the note on the way down.”

“All
right,” Marian said.
I am going to Castleton to meet with
—She had used
visual symbols for herself and the city, but had no symbol for Sevair. Taking
the note back from Alexa, she scanned it for any sort of icon, noticed a stone
block and a hammer.

Marian?
Jaquar asked.
His voice was filled with affection, making her smile. He sounded as if he were
in the Keep somewhere.

I
am going to Castleton to meet with Sevair Masif.
She sent the
mental image of the stone block and hammer.

What?

For
a third time, Marian began forming the pictures she needed to communicate
mentally with him.
I am going to
—

You’re
going to the cloister walk outside the Keep
, he said, obviously more
accustomed than she was to sorting images from their mingled Songs and
occasionally touching minds.

I’ll
meet you there
,
he finished.

“It
worked.” Alexa grinned.

“I
guess so,” Marian said.

Since
they had to go through the maze, Jaquar was already in the walkway, leaning
against a post with his arms crossed, when they met him. Another youngster
about Urvey’s age, dressed in dark gray livery, stood in simmering silence.

Addressing
the young man, Alexa said, “Marian, may I introduce you to Jumme, Townmaster
Masif’s journeyman.”

Marian
hesitated, then dipped a curtsey.

The
youth responded by whipping off his hat and making a flourishing bow such as
Marian had never seen outside of the movies.

“My
pleasure.” His voice vibrated with sincerity, and a little more.

“Do
you know—” Alexa started, gesturing to Jaquar.

“He
introduced himself,” Jaquar said coolly, pushing away from the pillar to take
Marian’s hand and tuck it under his arm. He scanned her face. “You look a
little different.”

She
smiled. She wasn’t ready to tell him she’d mastered Water. She wanted to be
able to practice outside in the ocean and be perfect when he next tested her.

“Do
you want to ride?” Jaquar asked. “It’s only a couple of miles, but riding—”

“No,
thank you. Let’s walk. It’s a beautiful day.”

So
they walked, two and two—Alexa and Jumme, and Marian and Jaquar—back down to
Castleton.