Cursor's Fury (Codex Alera #3)(108)

Isana forced herself to set aside the rising sense of panic, smoothing her expression back to calm. "I'm sorry... I'm just so... I'll be all right, Bernard."

"You're sure?" Bernard said. " 'Sana, I... well, when you told me to buy Fade, I did it. Never asked you why. I was sure you had your reasons, but..." A heavy silence fell, and Bernard asked, "Is there anything you should tell me?"

Isana dared not meet her brother's eyes. "Not yet."

Bernard frowned at the answer.

Before he could ask another question, Isana nodded at Bernard's working clothes, his woodland cloak. "Where are you going?"

He hesitated for a moment and gave her a lopsided smile. "Can't say," Bernard said. "Not yet. Mission."

"What mission?" Isana asked. She tilted her head to one side and then said, "Ah, I see. Amara's mission."

Bernard nodded, somewhat sheepishly. "Yes."

"She makes you happy, doesn't she."

Her younger brother's face spread into a little smile. "Yes."

As Isana had Septimus. A little pang went through her, but she covered it with a smile. "From the rumors I've heard," Isana added drily, "very happy."

"Isana," Bernard rumbled, his face flushed.

Isana let her lips curl around a small silent chuckle. "Leaving soon, I take it?"

"Before it gets light. I was about to go," he said. "I was hoping you'd wake first."

"Will you..." She frowned. "Is it..."

He smiled at her and touched her shoulder again. "I'll be fine. I'll tell you all about it when we get back."

She could feel Bernard's confidence and honesty, through his touch on her shoulder, but she also felt uncertainty and fear. Though her brother was not in fear of his life, or ruled by his trepidations, he knew full well that he was going into danger and that nothing in the future was certain.

There was a knock at the door, and Giraldi opened it and stuck his head in. "Your Excellency," he said. "Your skinny Countess just blew past on her way to the tower. Said you should catch up."

Bernard nodded sharply, then turned and gave his sister another, tighter hug. Isana knew that her ribs weren't really about to collapse, as she had endured many such embraces from Bernard in the past, but she finally made a sound of complaint and pushed at him. It was, she sometimes thought, the only way he knew when to stop.

"Giraldi will be with you," he said. "Love you."

"And I you," Isana said. "Good luck."

Bernard bent down and kissed her forehead, then rose, leaving. "Take good care of her, centurion."

"Go teach yer grandmother to suck eggs," Giraldi muttered, winking at Isana.

"What?" Bernard called over his shoulder.

"Sir!" Giraldi answered. "Yes, sir."

"Terrible," Isana murmured. "The lack of discipline in today's Legions."

"Shocking," the veteran concurred. "Steadholder, you in need of anything? Victuals, drink?"

"Some privacy first," Isana said. "Then something simple?"

"I'll find it," Giraldi said.

"Centurion. If you would, please send Fade to speak to me."

Giraldi paused by the door and grunted. "That scarred slave? The one-man Legion?"

Isana stared at him for a moment, saying nothing.

"Seems kind of odd, old Fade would be out there at your Steadholt all those years, and never saw him use so much as a knife. Figured all those scars on his arms were from working his smithy. Then tonight, he just went through those maniacs like they was made of cobwebs. Sort of makes a body wonder who he is."