Kushiel's Chosen

ordering a detachment to the second floor, to Melisande Shahrizai 's chamber where she was confined. There, he found her guards slain; one with a dagger to the ribs, and the other with his throat cut. The chamber itself was empty.
    A piece of the puzzle fell into place, with a satisfying sense of tightness and surety I'd nearly forgotten.
    "She never left Melisande's room," I said, lifting my head.
    "You think ... ?" Joscelin stared at me. "Melisande."
    "Yes," I said. "Remember Selig's steading? People see what they expect. You put a wolf-pelt over your head and muttered a few words of Skaldi, and Selig's folk saw one of the White Brethren. It would take less than that for the guardsmen of Troyes-le-Mont to see Melisande as Persia. The Shahrizai are all cast from the same die. They saw a daughter of House Shahrizai enter alone, and they saw her leave. They saw what they expected."
    "Well, but how would Marmion guess it?" Fortun asked.
    I shrugged. "Look to the wolf-pelt. Whatever his sister wore into that chamber, she didn't have it afterward. They rode into Troyes-le-Mont cloaked and hooded. I'd be willing to hazard a guess that Persia Shahrizai somewhere mislaid that garment, and her brother Marmion took note of it. He's not stupid, no matter if he's a match for Melisande or not. He'd guess well enough to confront his sister with it." I stirred. "Elua! We need to talk to those guardsmen. Did the lads have any luck at the barracks?"
    Fortun pulled a glum face. "No one who served that night was with de Somerville in Camlach, my lady, but most of his men are quartered in outlying L'Agnace. Do you want us to pay a call?" His face brightened at the prospect.
    "I think so," I said decisively. "I need to hear from Phanuel Buonard, who found the slain guard at the postern, and anyone else on duty that night. Anyone! Unless I miss my guess, Melisande was at large from three bells onward, and Persia simply slipped back to her own quarters when the alarm sounded, before anyone thought to check Melisande's rooms. Whoever thought they saw Persia in that time, saw Melisande. Ghislain de Somerville made no report of it, but someone must have seen!"
    "Who killed the guards at Melisande's door, then?" Joscelin asked softly. "Did she do it herself, then, with never a sound to alert the guard at the stair?" He placed a finger on the map of the fortress, raising his eyebrows. "Is she so skilled with a dagger, think you? Or was it the unknown ally?"
    "I don't know," I murmured. "Melisande uses people well; it is her gift. I have never known her to dirty her own hands." I met his eyes. "What do you think?"
    Gazing at the plan, he bit his lip. "I think," he said slowly, "I think it was someone very skilled with a dagger, to dispatch two of Percy de Somerville's hand-picked guardsmen without a sound. If I were you..." His voice shook; he cleared his throat and steadied it, holding my gaze. "If I were you, my lady, I would ask who among the Cassiline Brethren attended Ysandre de la Courcel during the siege of Troyes-le-Mont. Because ... because that is a possibility so impossible we never even considered it. But there were Cassilines there. And we are human."
    Fortun sucked in a hissing breath. "Cassilines! If I were posted on guard by Admiral Rousse, in the old days ... my lady, I'd never think to question a Cassiline! I don't know as I'd even mark one's passing."
    "They carried intelligence," I said, sick at remembering. "The length and breadth of the nation, working on Ysandre's behalf. Lord Rinforte, the Prefect, pledged as much, because no one would ever suspect the Cassiline Brotherhood of politicking." I saw the same sickness reflected in Joscelin's eyes. "Joscelìn, you were one of them. Is there any Cassiline, for any reason, who would support Melisande?"
    "No." He sank his face into his hands. "I don't know. The training, oh, Phèdre! It goes bone-deep. But stranger... stranger things have happened, I suppose."
    "I will try to find out," I said gently. "But will you write to the Prefect, and ask him? All I need are the names. We will do the rest."
    Joscelin raised his stricken face. "I'll ask," he whispered. "You said ... do you remember? Even if..." He made his voice stronger. "Even if it is so, you said you didn't think the same person killed the guard at the postern gate, do you remember?"
    "Yes." My heart ached for him. "It may be ... it may be another blind alley, Joscelin," I said slowly, not pointing out the fact that he