Hearts in Zenith (Four Husbands and a Lover)

55. I Am Your Eyes, You Are My Sword (1 of 2)

In the palm of my hand, Taffiz' heart raced.

My first instinct was to jerk my hand back, but I counted to five before slipping it from his chest. "Why do you need my complete trust?"

"You fought Peleth before," Taffiz said. "She had refined her Cobra technique over the years. Numbers won't help you against her. Your squad fought bravely against the minions, but against Peleth, they could only die."

I grunted, because a grunt is what comes out when a woman chokes on You're right. "We must leave them here to recover."

He leaned forward with unmistakable eagerness. "It must be you and me, Your Grandissima. I'm not half the fighter Peleth is, but I can see her move before she moves. You can't see her move, but you could have been a sword-saint if Serket had raised you within the Scorpia's cult."

Sword-saint, bah! Scorpia Cult, like all mystics, liked pretty words and breeding smaller sects within a larger one.

"I'm an ax woman," I said.

"An ax-saint then." Taffiz's comfortable chuckle belonged in a ballroom, not inside of an airless pyramid.

"I'm good in a fight, we've established that," I prompted, before he broached the subject of weather or queried about the fashion in Char-Kermen.

"If we are to defeat Peleth, I must become your eyes, you must become my sword arm," he said.

Anastasia must have hopped into bed with him because he was the only human alive with the taste in poetry similar to her own. Flowery language aside, this sounded like utter nonsense.

"You can't call out the moves fast enough," I argued. "Unless you see two-three strikes into the future. Can you?"

"Only one. But I wouldn't be shouting commands at you. Nothing so coarse."

I was completely perplexed. "What then?"

"I'll be in your mind, making you see in time for your reflexes to fire. That's why I need your complete trust. Without your heart's trust, your mind will reject my presence."

I gawked at him while I digested his offer. He couldn't be serious! "Oh, so simple! I snap my fingers—and you are my boon companion. You, an assassin charged with my murder! Hadn't your own just called you a traitor?"

He got a hold of my hand again. "Ishmara, it's long behind me."

"Right," I muttered.

His glowing eyes implored me. "Do you remember being young and eager to prove yourself? So was I and I took Peleth's commission on a dare. The contract would be null and void if we take her alive. And if she dies, I would break it. I promise. Then I could continue with my true mission without interference."

Splendid. What if I died? I suppose I would have eternity in the River Vash to unravel his plans. "And your true mission is?"

"Why, to discern and satisfy your deepest heart's desire, of course."

Despite the gravity of the situation, I choked on laughter. "The last thing I want is a jinn from a fairy tale. And a man at that! I get what I want."

"Your stubbornness makes my task challenging and therefore exciting."

He gave me a horse who consoled me after losing Breva. He gave me Parneres after a fashion—or tried to. But being the subject of an Ashanti addict's game didn't sit well with me. I would put a stop to it... once Parneres was safe.

Taffiz was still murmuring to my fingernails. "Now that you know I'm doing everything in my power to dissolve the regrettable obligation I took on... that I would go to any length to not kill you... will you please put your hand back over my heart or over my forehead, steady your breath and... stop hating me, I suppose. If that's the best you can do."

I pictured Peleth hurting Parneres while I argued with Taffiz, and plastered my hand over his clammy forehead. Thankfully, he closed his disturbing eyes, focusing inward.

"Ladies," I told my squad, "you'll guard the prisoners. I'll search ahead and capture their commander or kill her. The spy is coming with me."

It sounded straightforward, just how a Commander should sound.

Then I did Taffiz's bidding. I closed my eyes shut. Every breath I took, I then expelled slowly through my nose. I emptied my mind, letting go of hatred, just like they taught me when I stood vigil in Gala's chapel. If the Mistress of Novices saw me putting her instructions to use here, she'd probably croak.

"Ten," Taffiz counted over my bent head, "nine, eight... Ishmara, empty your mind, I beg you... you're giving me a headache..."

"It's emptier than a wastrel's pockets," I argued.

"Please!"

Green gem. The Window into the Beyond on Gala's forehead. It sparkles. Green, deep, deep...

"Ten, nine..."

When it came down to three this time, Taffiz and I thought as one.

Or as close to it as I ever came in my life. His voice and a certain layer of his thoughts were in my mind. I wasn't privy to his deepest secrets, but we understood one another faster than with words. Also, an impulse made me notice things he wanted me to notice. So, I focused on one of my woman's faces, counted folds on her cloak, then looked at the wall. Away from his eyes... clever.

Ready? he thought to me.

And I thought back to him, I'm ready.

Walls had shadows I didn't notice before. Those shadows solidified into body parts once they had moved into the predicted position. They were Peleth and Parneres... I saw them through the walls.

The thrill of the battle seeped into me. Let's move.

I didn't need foresight to know that Taffiz would pull in a long draw of Ashanti's fumes before climbing to his feet. He sighed in response to the condemnation in my mind.

"I hate magic," I explained through gritted teeth. I sounded the words out-loud, on purpose. "I hate it that poisoning your mind sharpens my prescience... or yours, however it works. I hate magic."

"I know. Try not to hate it for a short while. It hurts me."

I gritted my unfortunate teeth and moved toward faint outlines I could sense through the stone. Just as faintly, the thought wound its way into my head, tinted with amusement. But I'm touched by your concern for my health.

I did my best to produce an inward derisive snort, then focused on the enemy.

The hunt is on. May Mythra favor us.

May Indara favor us.