Thirty-Six: Of the Arming, and of the Vigil

Before dawn at Elysium House, Delphine—disguised as the page Diego—whispers up to Isnard and persuades him to open the door. She coaxes him with distraction plans and the promise of an ivory comb, securing access to Thomas’s room, armor, and horse despite Isnard’s fear of punishment.

Delphine and Thomas ride out past the tanners, Thomas savoring the feel of Jibreel and accepting the likelihood of his own death. Wearing a gleaned breastplate over his own rusty mail and no surcoat, Thomas no longer resembles the Comte.

They quickly stop at the nearby Franciscan house. Brother Albrecht, nearly blind but compassionate, stables their mounts, offers them rest and prayer, and provides a new habit for Thomas’s disguise. He senses goodness in Thomas and asks only that they not shame the order. Their declared purpose is to attend the feast in the Courtyard of Honor where a dubious candidate will be made cardinal.

As evening gathers, Delphine draws Thomas’s sword and deliberately cuts her hands, smearing her blood along blade and hilt like a chrism. Thomas recognizes that this blood—previously what made the sword lethal to a river-born abomination—sanctifies the weapon where common arms failed.

Delphine hands Thomas the spear as well; he discards his dagger and readies both arms. In an intimate exchange, Thomas asks what she is, and Delphine says she is two things, soon to be one, hinting at imminent transformation. When Thomas asks about killing, Delphine forbids him to kill men, declaring their true foes are not human, setting the terms for the confrontation to come at the feast.