Page 40 of The Warrior Priest
“Like the men?”
“You seem skeptical.”
“You think you can match them?”
“I’m not sure. I’ve never fought a warrior priest.” She watched me grapple with the notion before adding, “Physical strength isn’t everything in a fight, Jac. Did you notice Brother Aemon?”
“The wiry one?”
She nodded. “He’s smaller than all the other warrior priests, but he bested most of his opponents. He’s quick and agile, and he used their size against them. He’s also smart and observant.”
I recalled each move Brother Aemon had made while I watched his group practice with daggers. She was right. He had defeated almost everyone. Only Rufus stopped him when he joined in.
Giselle got to her feet but stayed low. “They’ll be eating now. We should go.”
I followed her back down the stairs then out through the side door into the street. She locked the door behind her and we walked together to the main road.
“You dress like that because you’re hiding from someone, aren’t you?” Giselle asked. “You want everyone to see just a boy, not the pretty girl. Or are you a woman? I admit it’s very hard to tell how old you are.”
“Old enough,” I said, wincing at how stupid it sounded. But I’d had to say something or she might guess from my silence that she was right.
“How do you see this playing out?” She indicated my body again, the padded middle and flattened breasts.
For the second time that day, someone was asking me my plans. Whereas Rufus was asking because he was concerned about me being a distraction for Rhys, I suspected Giselle’s intentions were different. “I don’t know,” I admitted.
When we reached the intersection, she held out her hand. I shook it, like a man’s. When she firmed her grip, I firmed mine. She smiled. “Goodbye, Jac. Good luck.”
Although I wanted to stay and watch her leave, she didn’t move, so I walked away first. When I reached the corner, I turned to see if she was still there, but she’d gone.
Mistress Lowey watchedme taste her latest creation with all the patience of a child presented with a gift box. “Well? How is it? Too much spice?”
I savored the mouthful of eel and pastry mixed with a blend of spices that exploded on my tongue like fireworks. I’d never tasted anything like it. “The borrodi and amani are just right, but you need to decrease the tumini. It overwhelms the others. Just by a little,” I reassured her when her face fell. “It’s almost perfect.”
“You’re right. I knew it before I gave it to you, so I don’t know why I expected you to say anything else.” She picked up the rest of the pie. “I’ll give this to the Finnigan boy. He eats anything.”
“Don’t waste it on him. I’ll finish it. It’s one of your best, Mistress Lowey,” I said gently. “After the minor change to the tumini, it’ll become your customers’ new favorite flavor.”
She clucked her tongue at me. “You’re a charmer, Jac. Now, you be sure to eat it all. You’re too skinny.”
“I think I’ll enjoy it down by the river.”
“It’s getting dark. Be careful.”
She wrapped the pie in a cloth and tied the ends together to make it easy to carry.
I pecked her cheek and headed out, but not toward the river. One slice of pie had been enough to fill me. I decided to give the remainder to Minnow, who would in turn feed it to a hungry soul who’d fallen on hard times. With the whores still not released, some of their loved ones would be struggling without a regular income.
I hadn’t got very far when I heard a set of light footsteps. It wasn’t late and the road was quite busy, so it could simply be someone walking in the same direction as me. I tested it by making a turn then another and another.
The footsteps continued.
I ran, but only as far as the next corner. After I slipped around it, I sank into a recessed doorway. A figure passed by, clad in black with the hood up to obscure his face and hair.
No, nothisface. Hers. The scent of orange blossom lingered in her wake.
I stepped out. “Why are you following me, Giselle?”
She whipped around, one leg out in a move smoother than any dancer could manage and hooked my leg with her foot. I couldn’t keep my balance on the slippery cobblestones, and fell onto my hands and knees in a bone-jarring crunch. Before I had a chance to recover, she grabbed my arm and shoved me onto my back. She loomed above me, knife blade at my throat and a slick grin on her lips.
