Key of Valor
Page 86
He drew forth a paper he’d written up, hurriedly, at their instructions, which they had signed. And he, Flynn, Jordan—and Simon—had witnessed. “This document, though informal, is self-explanatory and valid.”
He held it out, waited for Pitte to come over and take it.
“Payment was agreed,” he began.
“That was before.” Malory looked up at the portrait. “Before we knew you, or them. When it was a kind of challenging game. We can’t take money for this.”
“We took the down payment,” Dana put in. “And we’re not giving it back because, well, it’s gone.” She shrugged carelessly. “But we’re not going to get rich off their souls.”
“The money means nothing to us,” Rowena began.
“No.” Zoe nodded. “But it means something to us, so we can’t. Wherever we go from here, whatever we make, we’ll do it on our own, and together. That’s our decision and we . . . we expect you to honor it,” she finished.
“Honor,” Pitte said slowly, “is beyond price. I am humbled by yours.”
“Then let’s drink.” Grinning, Dana lifted her glass. “It’ll be the first time I ever drank to turning down a million.”
Rowena walked to Zoe’s side. “If I could have a moment with you, in private.”
She’d been waiting, and though Zoe stood, she stayed where she was. “You’re going to offer me a boon, the way you did when Malory and Dana found their keys. Isn’t that right?”
“Yes.” Rowena quirked her eyebrows. “Here, there?”
“Yes, please.”
“Very well. You know the debt is deep. As you were the last, you know most of all how deep, how impossible to pay. But whatever you want that I’m able to give is yours.”
“Malory and Dana didn’t ask for anything.”
“No. Still—”
“But I’m going to.”
“Ah.” Pleased, Rowena took her hand. “What will you?”
“It seems to me that since we unlocked the box, that even if I ask for something you can’t handle—”
“I can handle quite a bit,” Rowena said with a laugh. “I promise you.”
“But if you can’t, that under the circumstances, there are others who know what happened here, what I did, and they could get it for me.”
“You intrigue me.” Rowena angled her head. “I believe you can have whatever you like. As I told you, our king loves his daughters and would surely repay you for all you’ve done. What do you wish, Zoe?”
“That you and Pitte be allowed to go home.”
Rowena’s fingers went limp on hers, dropped away. “I don’t understand you.”
“That’s what I want. It’s what I decided to ask for even before I knew it was what they wanted.” She gestured to the portrait. “They touched us, and the six of us were like one for that moment. It’s what we want.”
Pitte stepped forward to lay his hand on Rowena’s shoulder. “We’re responsible for our own prison.”
“No, Kane is,” Dana interrupted. “And I like to think he’s writhing in hell. Whatever part you played, you’ve paid for. The daughters understand that.”
“You told me you weren’t forgiven,” Zoe continued. “But those most hurt never blamed you. And you kept your bargain, your word, your honor for three thousand years. Whatever rules you broke were only to spare lives after Kane crossed the line. I’m asking that you not be punished for that.”
“It’s not something . . .” With a helpless look at Pitte, Rowena shook her head.
“I wouldn’t argue with her.” Giving Simon’s hair a quick ruffle, Brad sent Zoe a warm look. “She’s a very determined woman.”
“And a generous one.” Moved beyond measure, Rowena pressed her palm to her heart. “But we have no power for this thing you ask.”
“The king does. Will he tell me no? Will he tell them no?” With her mind made up, Zoe pointed to the portrait. “If he does, he may be a god, but he doesn’t know squat about justice.”
“Careful.” Weakly, Pitte held up a warning hand. “Even a warrior so well proven should have care when she speaks of a king.”
There were times to lay down the sword, Zoe remembered. And there were times to fight. She drew herself up. “He gave me a sword, and I used it. I fought for his children, and I helped save them.”
She turned in a circle, studied the faces of her friends, her family. “Everyone in this room worked and risked and struggled to free them, to send them home. This is what I want in payment. This is my balance. If he’s any kind of a king, any kind of a father, he’ll give it to me.”
Thunder boomed, not only outside but seemingly in the room itself. The great house shook, and in the hearth flames leaped.
“Boy.” Dana swallowed hard, and snuck her hand into Jordan’s. “I hope that’s a yes.”
On a small cry, Rowena pressed herself against Pitte. The words she spoke were foreign, drenched in emotion, as his were when he whispered in response.
Utter peace settled over his face before he buried it in her hair.
“I’d say that’s a big yes,” Jordan decided. “You’re a stand-up woman, Zoe.”
“Well.” She picked up her glass now, amused to see her own fingers tremble. “Whew.”
“In all the years since I came here,” Pitte said quietly. “In all the endless hours and days of longing for home, I never knew I would miss anything from this world. I will miss you.” With Rowena tight to his side, he bent down to kiss Zoe. “I will miss all of you.”
“We will not forget you.” Rowena stepped away from Pitte to drop into a deep curtsy, then chuckled as Moe pranced over to lick her face. “And there is much I will miss. Take care of them, my handsome warrior.” She kissed Moe’s nose. “Take care of each other. The gods are grateful to you all.”
She straightened, smiled beautifully. “Sisters, brothers. Friends. Our thanks to you, and our blessings on you.” She held out her hand for Pitte’s.
Their fingers linked, and they were gone.
THE next day, at six-forty-five P.M., Dana closed the door of Indulgence, locked it. Turning, she grinned at her friends, then slid down into a heap on the floor.
He held it out, waited for Pitte to come over and take it.
“Payment was agreed,” he began.
“That was before.” Malory looked up at the portrait. “Before we knew you, or them. When it was a kind of challenging game. We can’t take money for this.”
“We took the down payment,” Dana put in. “And we’re not giving it back because, well, it’s gone.” She shrugged carelessly. “But we’re not going to get rich off their souls.”
“The money means nothing to us,” Rowena began.
“No.” Zoe nodded. “But it means something to us, so we can’t. Wherever we go from here, whatever we make, we’ll do it on our own, and together. That’s our decision and we . . . we expect you to honor it,” she finished.
“Honor,” Pitte said slowly, “is beyond price. I am humbled by yours.”
“Then let’s drink.” Grinning, Dana lifted her glass. “It’ll be the first time I ever drank to turning down a million.”
Rowena walked to Zoe’s side. “If I could have a moment with you, in private.”
She’d been waiting, and though Zoe stood, she stayed where she was. “You’re going to offer me a boon, the way you did when Malory and Dana found their keys. Isn’t that right?”
“Yes.” Rowena quirked her eyebrows. “Here, there?”
“Yes, please.”
“Very well. You know the debt is deep. As you were the last, you know most of all how deep, how impossible to pay. But whatever you want that I’m able to give is yours.”
“Malory and Dana didn’t ask for anything.”
“No. Still—”
“But I’m going to.”
“Ah.” Pleased, Rowena took her hand. “What will you?”
“It seems to me that since we unlocked the box, that even if I ask for something you can’t handle—”
“I can handle quite a bit,” Rowena said with a laugh. “I promise you.”
“But if you can’t, that under the circumstances, there are others who know what happened here, what I did, and they could get it for me.”
“You intrigue me.” Rowena angled her head. “I believe you can have whatever you like. As I told you, our king loves his daughters and would surely repay you for all you’ve done. What do you wish, Zoe?”
“That you and Pitte be allowed to go home.”
Rowena’s fingers went limp on hers, dropped away. “I don’t understand you.”
“That’s what I want. It’s what I decided to ask for even before I knew it was what they wanted.” She gestured to the portrait. “They touched us, and the six of us were like one for that moment. It’s what we want.”
Pitte stepped forward to lay his hand on Rowena’s shoulder. “We’re responsible for our own prison.”
“No, Kane is,” Dana interrupted. “And I like to think he’s writhing in hell. Whatever part you played, you’ve paid for. The daughters understand that.”
“You told me you weren’t forgiven,” Zoe continued. “But those most hurt never blamed you. And you kept your bargain, your word, your honor for three thousand years. Whatever rules you broke were only to spare lives after Kane crossed the line. I’m asking that you not be punished for that.”
“It’s not something . . .” With a helpless look at Pitte, Rowena shook her head.
“I wouldn’t argue with her.” Giving Simon’s hair a quick ruffle, Brad sent Zoe a warm look. “She’s a very determined woman.”
“And a generous one.” Moved beyond measure, Rowena pressed her palm to her heart. “But we have no power for this thing you ask.”
“The king does. Will he tell me no? Will he tell them no?” With her mind made up, Zoe pointed to the portrait. “If he does, he may be a god, but he doesn’t know squat about justice.”
“Careful.” Weakly, Pitte held up a warning hand. “Even a warrior so well proven should have care when she speaks of a king.”
There were times to lay down the sword, Zoe remembered. And there were times to fight. She drew herself up. “He gave me a sword, and I used it. I fought for his children, and I helped save them.”
She turned in a circle, studied the faces of her friends, her family. “Everyone in this room worked and risked and struggled to free them, to send them home. This is what I want in payment. This is my balance. If he’s any kind of a king, any kind of a father, he’ll give it to me.”
Thunder boomed, not only outside but seemingly in the room itself. The great house shook, and in the hearth flames leaped.
“Boy.” Dana swallowed hard, and snuck her hand into Jordan’s. “I hope that’s a yes.”
On a small cry, Rowena pressed herself against Pitte. The words she spoke were foreign, drenched in emotion, as his were when he whispered in response.
Utter peace settled over his face before he buried it in her hair.
“I’d say that’s a big yes,” Jordan decided. “You’re a stand-up woman, Zoe.”
“Well.” She picked up her glass now, amused to see her own fingers tremble. “Whew.”
“In all the years since I came here,” Pitte said quietly. “In all the endless hours and days of longing for home, I never knew I would miss anything from this world. I will miss you.” With Rowena tight to his side, he bent down to kiss Zoe. “I will miss all of you.”
“We will not forget you.” Rowena stepped away from Pitte to drop into a deep curtsy, then chuckled as Moe pranced over to lick her face. “And there is much I will miss. Take care of them, my handsome warrior.” She kissed Moe’s nose. “Take care of each other. The gods are grateful to you all.”
She straightened, smiled beautifully. “Sisters, brothers. Friends. Our thanks to you, and our blessings on you.” She held out her hand for Pitte’s.
Their fingers linked, and they were gone.
THE next day, at six-forty-five P.M., Dana closed the door of Indulgence, locked it. Turning, she grinned at her friends, then slid down into a heap on the floor.
