The Crimson League (The Herezoth Trilogy) (65 page)

In response, Vane took her off-guard with a goodbye hug that brought a teary smile to her face. Zacry wa
s holding his kicking
and cooing
eight-month-old, who had her mother’s skin and rounded nose.
T
he younger sorcerer slipped off
, he said
to pack a few necessary items
, but Joslyn knew him well; his real priority was giving her family a private moment
.

Once she
saw his door close down the hall—the kitchen was open to the rest of the house—she asked, “What is it about your homeland? Why is there always such violence?”

Zacry tossed his daughter in the air, and she laughed as he caught her. “
Vee!”
she shrieked.

“It’s like she’s trying to say her name,” he said. He tickled her stomach, and she cooed “
vee”
again.

“She doesn’t know what she’s saying,” said Joslyn. “She’s saying
Vee
, not
Vye
. Her name’s Viola. T
here’s no
Vee
in it anywhere, a
nd you’re ignoring my question,” she accused. “Why is there such violence?”

“Be fair,” said Zacry. “There’s not always unrest in Herezoth. If that were the case, you wouldn’t have dreamed
of going there as a girl. I
t’s been almost fifteen years since the last real threat.”

“You were in the thick of that too,” said Joslyn. She laid a hand on his shoulder. “Must you be in the thick of this as well? You and your family, why must you tangle yourselves in these horrors?”

“Joslyn, the king’s a friend. He saved my sister’s life.”

“I know,”
she said. She swallowed
. “I know he’s a friend. I know he needs your help, and I know if you refused him, you wouldn’t be the man I fell in love with. You wouldn’t be a person I’d want anything to do with. But Zacry, I was raised in an orphanage. I never had a father, and I don’t want Viola to grow up without….”

“Take her,” said Zacry. His wife scooped the baby from him, and he wrapped his arms around them both from behind
, speaking in Joslyn’s ear
.

“I spent time in an orphanage too, and not like yours. We didn’t study six hours a day, and there were few apprenticeships. There were days I never thought I’d see my family again. I may have had a father, but I lost him young. I know what that does to a child. I promise you, Viola will always have me: always, do you hear? I won’t take unneeded risks. I’ll be back before you know it, good as new. Nothing’s going to happen.”

“You don’t know that, Zacry.” Joslyn’s voice was firm, but the rate at which her words tumbled forth betrayed her fear. “You don’t know anything, not who has the king’s children, not how many the foe number, not what powers they have. Don’t you give me empty promises you can only keep by chance. That’s worthless, and it’s not like you.”

“What should I promise, then?”

Joslyn shut her eyes. Soaking up his presence, she let his touch, the strength of his arms, his soft breath on the side of her neck overpower her.

“Promise you’ll do everything you can to aid your king. Promise you’ll act worthy of his brother’s ring, the one he passed to you all those years ago. Promise me you’ll protect Vane.” Vane held a
special place in Joslyn’s heart
as a fellow orphan. An upstanding woman had raised the boy, not the state, but Joslyn still felt defensive of the young noble. “Promise that whatever may come, whatever tragedies occur, Herezoth and I, I especially, will be able to honor you without shame.”

“That I can pr
omise,” he whispered. “And I do.
I swear I will never shame you.”

“Thank you,” she said, and turned her head to kiss him. Zacry was all she had in life: no family but his, no training beyond moderate skill with a ne
edle and thread that had
allowed her to eke out a living before her marriage. Zacry was all she had, and she stood to lose him, but for that moment she had him yet.

“As far as promises go….” began Zacry.

“What do you need from me?”

“I need you to keep busy while I’m away. If you’re busy, you won’t make yourself sick worrying. And I want you to go to Parker and Kora if you need anything: help with the baby, anything at all.”

“I will,” she said. “I have plenty of trousers and dresses to mend. I’ve actually fallen behind, and I’ll be fine with Viola, you know that. She’s much happier now her cold’s gone. She hardly fusses at all, and most nights now she sleeps through to morning, which means I too get to sleep.”

“Good,” said Zacry. He kissed Joslyn one last time, then cradled Viola in his arms, stroking her cheek. It was time for her to go to bed. Her eyelids were growing heavy, and within two minutes she was fast asleep, her fist wrapped around Zacry’s index finger. He pressed his lips to her tiny hand as he pried himself loose and handed her back to her mother. “You remember your promises,” he said.

“And you yours, Love. Watch your step, every step. I don’t think I could live if you never made it back to me.”

“You could, and you would, if God forbid you had to. You could bear that burden, for the sake of the one you bear right now.”

Her daughter.
Their
daughter, with Zacry’s dimples and strong chin. Joslyn sensed Zacry needed a response from her, some kind of affirmation, so she looked him in the eye and said, “For her I could bear that. Your memory would give me the strength.”

“Joss, you know I’m coming back.”

“You take your time,” she said. “Don’t get yourself killed rushing the operation. Whether it takes a day or a decade, I’ll be here, Viola too.”

He kissed her again, and she leaned her head against his shoulder. Without con
viction she fussed
, “Take your sandwiches and stop that.” He reached for her, and she slapped his hand away with a gentle smile. “Stop that, you! You’ll never leave if we keep this up.”

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THE MAGIC COUNCIL

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