The Queen's Blade Prequel II - God Touched Read Free

of
warm water from the kitchen, she used the grey towel to wipe all
those parts of him that were not covered with bandages, dressings
or casts.
    In the
process, she removed his last vestment and discovered that the
reason for his lack of a beard was not extreme youth. His
mutilation shocked and saddened her. Who would do such a thing to a
man, and why? It seemed a particularly cruel thing to do,
especially to one so young. Sacred Knights underwent voluntary
castration, but she doubted that the Dance Master had submitted
willingly.
    In the
afternoon, she bought a bowl of watery soup from the tavern at the
end of the street and propped her patient up on the pillows to
spoon it into his mouth. He swallowed on reflex, consuming most of
it. Satisfied that she had done all she could, she went to the
brothel to earn her keep, returning in the early hours, as always.
The assassin still had not moved, but his skin remained cool and
dry. As she lay down to sleep on the floor, she thought about her
children, in the care of the fishwife down the road. She must go
and visit them again soon; she missed them.
     
     
    Five days
later, Lilu bustled around her shabby room, tidying up. She had
long since packed the assassin's clothes away in the sagging
cupboard, and he lay as still as ever, the sheet covering him to
his chest. She fed him nourishing broth every day, wiping away what
spilt down his chin. Sometimes he twitched and his eyelids
fluttered, making her catch her breath. Two days ago, he had
developed a raging fever and tossed and moaned, soaking the sheets
with sweat. She had been forced to call the healer again, and pay
him five more goldens to overcome his reluctance. It had used up
all her savings, and she had had to work harder to survive.
    A soft groan
made her swing around, the damp rag she was using to wipe the dusty
shelves clutched to her chest. The assassin had turned his head to
the side. She crept closer, her heart hammering. Her enquiries at
the fish market had told her that his name was Blade, and his
reputation, according to gossip, was as fearsome as it was
mysterious. How could one who was God Touched be a killer? She
wished that he would wake up, but also dreaded it. At least she
knew assassins did not kill without a client, so she was safe.
    The assassin
turned his head again, and his eyes opened a slit. Lilu held her
breath, creeping closer still. Blade's eyes flicked up to her, and
their frigid greyness made her shiver. He raised his head and
grimaced, sagging back, then licked his lips and coughed.
    “ Where am I?”
    Lilu took the
last few steps and sank down on the bed at his side. “You're in my
room on Tarbriar Way.”
    He scowled.
“Who are you?”
    “ My name's Lilu, and I found you in Pitcairn Alley, more dead
than alive. Someone tried to beat you to death.”
    “ I don't remember.” He looked down to the sheets that covered
all but his arms, his eyes lingering on the cast. “How badly am I
injured?”
    “ You have a broken arm and leg, three broken ribs, two stab
wounds and a cut on your head. I paid a doctor to splint your bones
and bought his tonic and salve. Oh, and your nose was broken. The
healer fixed that too.”
    He stared at
the ceiling, grimacing as he tried to move his broken limbs. Sweat
popped out on his brow, and he hissed. “How about something for the
pain?”
    “ I can't afford it, and you were asleep anyway.”
    “ I wasn't asleep, I was unconscious.”
    “ Same thing.”
    “ No it isn't. Why did you bring me here?”
    “ You needed help,” she said. “You would have died if I'd left
you there.”
    “ Then you should have.” He pulled a face. “God, why does it
taste like something died in my mouth?”
    “ You've been unconscious for five days.” She frowned. “Why
would you want to die?”
    “ None of your business.”
    “ I think it is my business, since I went to so much trouble,
not to mention expense, to save you.”
    “ You shouldn't have bothered.”
    “