The Cursewright's Vow

Chapter 12: In Titansgrave, Part 4

 Mielle said nothing for a long while. "I have to know, Ammas. Is she infected?"

"You don't usually take such an interest in my trade, Mielle."

"This is different. An infected werewolf is a danger to public safety."

"She won't be." The sardonic tone had vanished from Ammas's voice and his expression was just shy of furious. "If she hurts or infects a single soul I will personally turn myself over to your guards and submit to public execution. But I will not allow you to take her into custody."

"If she were simply a brothel girl who had the blood sickness," Mielle said, her tone soft to Ammas's glare, "I might consider such a bargain. I know you wouldn't offer your neck lightly."

"Is that a compliment or an insult?"

"It's simply truth. But this isn't a brothel girl, or a fishwife, or a deaconess from the Libraries. This is a daughter of the Malachite Throne. Gods, Ammas, she's potentially a future Empress!"

"There would have to be quite a bloodbath in the Chalcedony Palace for that to happen, not that many would weep to see it."

"Are you sure of that? I've heard her called the Emperor's favorite. Three of her older siblings are already gone. And he's yet to name an heir. She's certainly preferable to some of her brothers."

Ammas said nothing, thinking of Silenio and his butchery at Shattercrown.

"What I am trying to tell you, Ammas, is that when the Doge or anyone on the Argent Council finds out who she is, and the nature of her illness, they will order me to arrest her. Not torture her, not harm her. She probably won't even be held in Titansgrave. The Doge's Villa has plenty of secure guest rooms where she could be held. But they will order her arrest, and they will send their fastest messengers to Talinara, and they will celebrate this generous gesture of friendship with the Throne." Mielle met Ammas's angry gaze unflinchingly. "And just for good measure, they may order me to arrest you as well, especially if they think you can treat her. And the only way you'll practice the cursewright's trade is under the Emperor's thumb. Assuming you can even cure her. If you can't -- "

"I know perfectly well what he'll do to me if I can't," Ammas snapped. "None better."

Mielle looked away. When Ammas spoke his tone was no softer.

"So what is it you want? Just to torture me with words until you order her arrest and mine?"

"I don't enjoy torture of any sort. I try not to employ it whenever possible. What I want is for you to understand the situation I am in. I must arrest Carala. I may have to arrest you."

"Don't," Ammas said, pleading at last, his hands gripping the edge of the unyielding block. "Please don't, Mielle. You can't. It's not about your authority, or public safety, or diplomacy with the Anointed Realms. Right now the wolf inside her is gentle and fearful. But it won't take much to turn her savage, and once the wolf is savage she'll never be gentle again, not without years of treatment. You throw her into a cage, or even a gaol cart, and she's liable to change, and kill or infect any number of guardsmen or citizens. Even in a best case scenario you'll be forced to kill her, and what will the Emperor say then?"

"What will he say when he finds out the city of Munazyr knew his daughter was under the care of an illegal cursewright and its city guard did nothing about it?" Mielle replied softly. "Do you know the Emperor to be a reasonable man, especially where his children and this city are concerned? Where your outlaw fellowships are concerned?"

"He's left Munazyr alone for thirty years."

"The Yellow Death stung him. It didn't kill him, or his desire to bring us back into the Throne."

"Then place us under house arrest. Send your men to the temple. Let me treat her my way."

"Ammas -- "

"She's not even going to stay in Munazyr much longer. I don't have what I need to treat her here. I'm forced to take her beyond the Straits, to consult with an old colleague of mine. Wait until then. I'll send a message, then you can tell the Argent Council, and you can have just missed us." Ammas heard the desperation in his own voice and hated it. But he was quickly running out of options.

Something in this last, however, seemed to intrigue the Captain. "You want to take her out of the city?"

"Yes." Relief swept over him in a cautious wave.

"Where?"

"Mielle -- "

"Not here. Beyond the Straits of Twilight, you said. Maybe that's good enough. Especially if it does turn out I just missed you." She studied him for a moment, leaning back in her chair. "When were you planning to leave Munazyr?"

"About a week. She reacted poorly to my initial treatment. I want to observe her before I take her on any kind of journey."

Mielle swore under her breath. "That's not good enough, Ammas. If not for the dead girl, the wolves -- a few -- other factors -- maybe it would be."

Ammas's eyes narrowed. "What 'other factors?'"

Mielle Thalia leaned forward, lacing her fingers together on the table. Ammas did likewise, as if by instinct. "Let's make a bargain, Ammas. I think you'll agree I've treated you fairly in the past."

"More than fair. I'm willing to listen."

"I'll give you until midnight. When the clocks strike twelve, I'll deliver a message to the Argent Council -- Lady Zinna, I think, she's always been fond of you, and she'll have retired by then. Sometime between midnight and dawn I will personally visit your temple with a small squad. If you and this girl are there, I'm arresting you both. If you're there alone, I'll have to bring you in for questioning, and I doubt you'll have satisfactory answers." Ammas scowled. Mielle raised a finger before he could interject. "If, however, neither of you are present, why, I'll inform the Argent Council that you slipped away, presumably to secure the girl a cure away from the depredations of these beasts."

"Mielle, this is very reasonable, but I can't allow a raid on my premises. Even if I wanted to dispel all the wards I have on the place, I could never do so in time to meet your deadline."

"That's why I'll be leading the squad myself, Ammas. I'll be satisfied with a knock at the door that goes unanswered. Or Barthim telling me you've left town."

"And I have your word your men would know not to loot the place while I'm gone? It would be dangerous for them, and I'd rather not return home just to be arrested on a charge of sorcereal murder."

"I could have Sergeant Lyros lead a patrol and watch the neighborhood. That stretch of the Old Godsway is undermanned anyway, which I think tonight neatly proved. And Lyros is one of my better men. He likes you, too, if I'm not mistaken."

"Let us say he tolerates me." Ammas felt a faint smile on his lips. "But you mentioned other factors."

"I did, and as part of this bargain, I need you to advise me on them. It shouldn't take long."

Ammas allowed himself to surrender to that feeling of relief. "Then it's a bargain. I'm happy to advise you, Mielle."

"Excellent. The beasts from your temple should have arrived at the morgue by now."

"Irgrin can't autopsy a werewolf?"

The Captain rose and opened Ammas's cell door, inviting him to follow. "I'm sure he can. I need your advice on things these creatures might have done while alive."

Ammas wasn't sure how to interpret that, though a suspicion was growing in his mind as to why men had been dispatched so quickly to Brightmoon Bay. As he rose, he said, "One last thing, Mielle. I'd advise you bar Cayle from ever setting foot on the Old Godsway."

"Why is that?"

"Because if Barthim the Beast ever found out one of your Sergeants laid hands on a Lioness girl while the two of us were detained next door, that Sergeant would never return from the Old Godsway again."

Mielle had no response for that. In a moody silence they left the interrogation cells and descended into Titansgrave's morgue.