Best Served Cold

He felt an unexpected stab of dismay at the sight of those marks of violence. Like seeing a painting one had always admired wilfully defaced. A painting one had secretly hoped to own, perhaps? Was that it? He shrugged his coat off and held it out to her as she came past him. She ignored it.

“Do we gather you are less than satisfied with tonight’s endeavours?” asked Morveer.

“We got Ario. It could’ve been worse. I need some dry clothes. We leave Sipani right away.” She limped up the steps, torn skirts dragging in the dust behind her, and shouldered past Morveer. Shivers swung the warehouse door shut and leaned against it, head back.

“That is one stone-hearted bitch,” muttered Vitari as she watched her go.

Cosca pursed his lips. “I always said she had a devil in her. But of the two, her brother was the truly ruthless one.”

“Huh.” Vitari turned back into the kitchen. “It was a compliment.”

– 

M onza managed to shut the door and make it a few steps into her room before her insides clenched up as if she’d been punched in the guts. She retched so hard she could hardly breathe, a long string of bitter drool dangling from her lip and spattering against the boards.

She shivered with revulsion, started trying to twist her way out of the whore’s clothes. Her flesh crept at the touch of them, her guts cramped at the rotten canal stink of them. Numb fingers wrestled with hooks and eyes, clawed at buttons and buckles. Gasping and grunting, she tore the damp rags off and flung them away.

She caught sight of herself in the mirror, in the light of the one lamp. Hunched like a beggar, shivering like a drunk, red scars standing out from white skin, black hair hanging lank and loose. A drowned corpse, standing. Just about.

You’re a dream. A vision. The very Goddess of War!

She was doubled over by another stab of sickness, stumbled to her chest and started dragging fresh clothes on with trembling hands. The shirt had been one of Benna’s. For a moment it was almost like having his arms around her. As close as she could ever get, now.

She sat on the bed, her own arms clamped around herself, bare feet pressed together, rocking back and forth, willing the warmth to spread. Another rush of nausea dragged her up and had her spitting bile. Once it passed she shoved Benna’s shirt down behind her belt, bent to drag her boots on, grimacing at the cold aches through her legs.

She delved her hands into the washbasin and threw cold water on her face, started to scrape away the traces of paint and powder, the smears of blood and soot, digging at her ears, at her hair, at her nose.

“Monza!” Cosca’s voice outside the door. “We have a distinguished visitor.”

She pulled the leather glove back over her twisted joke of a hand, winced as she worked her bent fingers into it. She took a long, shuddering breath, then slid the Calvez out from under her mattress and into the clasp on her belt. It made her feel better just having it there. She pulled the door open.

Carlot dan Eider stood in the middle of the warehouse floor, gold thread gleaming in her red coat, watching Monza as she came down the steps, trying not to limp, Cosca following after.

“What in hell happened? Cardotti’s is still burning! The city’s in uproar!”

“What happened?” barked Monza. “Why don’t you tell me what happened? His August fucking Majesty was where Foscar was supposed to be!”

The black scab on Eider’s neck shifted as she swallowed. “Foscar wouldn’t go. He said he had a headache. So Ario took his brother-in-law along in his place.”

“And he happened to bring a dozen Knights of the Body with him,” said Cosca. “The king’s own bodyguards. As well as a far greater volume of guests than anyone anticipated. The results were not happy. For anyone.”

“Ario?” muttered Eider, face pale.

Monza stared into her eyes. “Deader than fuck.”

“The king?” she almost whispered.

“Alive. When I left him. But the building did tend to burn down after that. Maybe they got him out.”

Eider looked at the floor, rubbing at one temple with her gloved hand. “I’d hoped you might fail.”

“No such luck.”

“There will be consequences now. You do a thing like this, there are consequences. Some you see coming, and some you don’t.” She held out one hand. “My antidote.”

“There isn’t one.”

“I kept my side of the bargain!”

“There was no poison. Just a jab with a dry needle. You’re free.”

Eider barked despairing laughter at her. “Free? Orso won’t rest until he’s fed me to his dogs! Perhaps I can keep ahead of him, but I’ll never keep ahead of the Cripple. I let him down, and put his precious king in harm’s way. He won’t let that pass. He never lets anything pass. Are you happy now?”

“You talk as if there was a choice. Orso and the rest die, or I do, and that’s all. Happy isn’t part of the sum.” Monza shrugged as she turned away. “You’d better start running.”

“I sent a letter.”

She stopped, then turned back. “Letter?”