Kushiel's Mercy

there.” Sidonie rubbed unthinking at the bindings on her wrists. “I feel it. I feel it tugging at me. Even here, even now. It’s better, but I still feel it.”
    I laid my hand over hers. “Don’t fret at them, love.”
    She stilled. “Tell us where you searched, Uncle.”
    To the best of his ability, Barquiel L’Envers had done a thorough job. He’d searched the entire contents of the Royal Treasury. Those folks he’d recruited had scrutinized everyone with whom they came in contact, every inch of the City that they could scour.
    But a gem was a small thing and the City was large.
    And in the end, they’d found nothing.
    “So how do you propose to better my search?” L’Envers asked frankly.
    “Does my mother know about it?” Sidonie asked.
    He shook his head. “She had an inkling I was up to something, but I didn’t tell her what it was. When matters worsened, she accused me of trying to loot the Treasury for my treasonous plans.”
    “Good.” Sidonie allowed herself a faint smile. “Then I’ll get the entire City searching for it.”
    “And how do you propose to do that?” L’Envers inquired.
    “I’ll tell them it’s an extremely valuable talisman that Bodeshmun left behind to defend the City against all who would assail it,” she said steadily. “And that its charm must be invoked anew after Bodeshmun was foully murdered by an Aragonian assassin. With his dying breath, he bade me to flee to the City and see it done . . . but tragically, he perished before he could tell me its whereabouts.”
    Barquiel L’Envers ran a hand over his cropped hair. “Not bad, child,” he said thoughtfully. “It plays to their paranoia.” He looked at her with concern. “Are you sure you’re up to the task? It’s going to take one hell of a performance, especially on your part.
    Right now I’m not convinced you can utter Astegal’s name without sounding like you’re spitting poison, let alone play the grieving widow.”
    “She can do it,” I said.
    “I appreciate the feat the two of you managed to achieve in New Carthage,” he said.
    “This will be different. You’ll not be dealing with enemies. You’ll be dealing with folk you know and love turned horribly against everything they hold dear.” L’Envers sounded more somber than I’d ever heard him. “It’s going to break your hearts.”
    “I understand,” Sidonie said quietly. “All I can do is try.”
    “You won’t have much time.” Alais’ brow furrowed with anxiety. “No matter how well you spin your tale, it’s bound to be exposed soon. Sidonie, you and Imriel killed Astegal with all of Amílcar watching. Now that they’re not under a blockade and trade will be resumed, that news will spread. We can try to contain it, but you know what gossip’s like.”
    “We can contain it until the full moon, Alais,” L’Envers said. “If they don’t find this cursed gem by then . . .”
    He fell silent.
    We all did.
    I cleared my throat. “I suppose . . . I suppose we need to discuss what’s to be done if we fail.”
    “I believe that decision falls to the Dauphine,” Barquiel L’Envers murmured.
    It surprised me a bit. It had always irked L’Envers that Ysandre had proved more strong-willed and independent than he’d hoped, and I would have expected him to have wrung every possible ounce of power and control out of this situation. But instead it seemed the opposite had occurred. He looked old and tired and more than willing to let Sidonie take responsibility for the decision. Alais just looked relieved. It wasn’t a decision anyone wanted to make.
    I watched Sidonie square her shoulders once more. “What are our choices?”
    “We can withstand a siege for a few months.” L’Envers rubbed his temples. “I chose Turnone with that in mind. To buy time if things worsened. Unfortunately, it seems Ysandre has found a means to counter that gambit.” His mouth twisted. “In hindsight, we should never have sent so many delegates. We should never have let her know that the entire country is arrayed against her. I thought it would help convince her, but it didn’t. It angered her. She remembers. And she’s prepared to . . .”
    Whatever it was, he couldn’t bring himself to say it.
    Alais did.
    “Mother’s threatened to start sacking villages if we don’t surrender.” Her voice shook, but she continued. “One a day until Uncle Barquiel and I kneel at her feet and beg for clemency.”
    I felt the blood drain from