Kushiel's Mercy
Authors: Jacqueline Carey
Tags: #Fiction, #Kings and rulers, #General, #Romance, #Fantasy, #Erotica, #Epic
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2008 by Jacqueline Carey
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Grand Central Publishing
Hachette Book Group USA
237 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10017
Visit our Web site at
www.HachetteBookGroupUSA.com
.
First eBook Edition: June 2008
ISBN: 978-0-446-53745-2
Contents
other books by Jacqueline Carey
Kushiel’s Legacy
Kushiel’s Justice*
Kushiel’s Scion*
Kushiel’s Avatar
Kushiel’s Chosen
Kushiel’s Dart
The Sundering
Godslayer
Banewreaker
*Available from Grand Central Publishing
A
s another trilogy draws to a conclusion, I’d like to express my gratitude to everyone who’s contributed to its success. Thanks to my agent, Jane Dystel, for her wise advice and unfailing support. Thanks to everyone at Grand Central (a.k.a. Hachette Book Group, a.k.a. Warner Books), and especially to my editor, Jaime Levine, for her dedication and enthusiasm. Thanks to all the booksellers who’ve done so much to hand-sell the series. And as always, thanks to my readers.
H
OUSE
M
ONTRÈVE
Phèdre nó Delaunay de Montrève—Comtesse de Montrève
Joscelin Verreuil—Phèdre’s consort; Cassiline Brother (Siovale)
Imriel nó Montrève de la Courcel—Phèdre’s foster-son (also member of the Royal Family)
Ti-Philippe—chevalier
Hugues, Gilot (
deceased
)—men at arms
Eugènie—mistress of the household, townhouse
M
EMBERS OF THE
D’
ANGELINE
R
OYAL
F
AMILY
Ysandre de la Courcel—Queen of Terre d’Ange; wed to Drustan mab Necthana
Sidonie de la Courcel—elder daughter of Ysandre; heir to Terre d’Ange
Alais de la Courcel—younger daughter of Ysandre
Imriel nó Montréve de la Courcel—cousin; son of Benedicte de la Courcel (
deceased
) and Melisande Shahrizai
Barquiel L’Envers—uncle of Ysandre; Duc L’Envers (Namarre)
H
OUSE
S
HAHRIZAI
Melisande Shahrizai—mother of Imriel; wed to Benedicte de la Courcel (
deceased
)
Mavros, Roshana, Baptiste Shahrizai—cousins of Imriel
M
EMBERS OF THE
R
OYAL
C
OURT
Ghislain nó Trevalion—noble; Royal Commander; son of Percy de Somerville (
deceased
)
Bernadette de Trevalion—noble, wed to Ghislain, sister of Baudoin (
deceased
)
Bertran de Trevalion—son of Ghislain and Bernadette
Amaury Trente—noble, former Commander of the Queen’s Guard
Julien and Colette Trente—children of Amaury
Raul L’Envers y Aragon—son of Nicola and Ramiro (see Aragonia)
Denise Grosmaine—Secretary of the Presence
A
LBA
Drustan mab Necthana—Cruarch of Alba, wed to Ysandre de la Courcel
Breidaia—sister of Drustan, daughter of Necthana
Talorcan—son of Breidaia
Dorelei (
deceased
)—daughter of Breidaia, wed to Imriel
Sibeal—sister of Drustan, daughter of Necthana, wed to Hyacinthe
Hyacinthe—Master of the Straits, wed to Sibeal
Grainne mac Conor—Lady of the Dalriada
Eamonn, Mairead, Brennan, Caolinn, Conor—Lady Grainne’s children
Brigitta—Skaldi wife of Eamonn
Urist—commander of the garrison of Clunderry
Berlik (
deceased
), Morwen (
deceased
)—magicians of the Maghuin Dhonn
C
YTHERA
Ptolemy Solon—Governor
Leander Maignard—D’Angeline expatriate
Deimos—sea-captain
C
ARTHAGE
Astegal, House of Sarkal—General of Carthage
Jabnit, House of Philosir—gem-merchant
Sunjata—Jabnit’s assistant
Bodeshmun, House of Sarkal—Chief Horologist
Gillimas, House of Hiram—magistrate; member of the Unseen Guild
Maharbal—innkeeper
Kratos, Ghanim, Carthaginian Brothers One and Two—bearers
Gemelquart, House of Zinnrid—noble; member of the Unseen Guild
A
RAGONIA
Roderico de Aragon—King of Aragonia
Justina—member of the Unseen Guild
Esme—bath-house attendant
Nicola L’Envers y Aragon—noble; kin to Queen Ysandre
Ramiro Zornín y Aragon—noble; kin to King Roderico
Serafin L’Envers y Aragon—son of Nicola and Ramiro
Rachel—D’Angeline chirurgeon
Liberio—army general
Aureliano—army captain
Marmion Shahrizai—D’Angeline exile
Paskal—guide
Leopoldo—Duke of Tibado
E
USKERRIA
Janpier Iturralde—ambassador
Bixenta—keeper of the guesthouse
Nuno Agirre—messenger
Gaskon, Miquel—soldiers
O
THERS
Brother Thomas Jubert—Priest of Elua
Claude de Monluc—Captain of the Dauphine’s Guard
Lelahiah Valais—Queen Ysandre’s chirurgeon
Emile—proprietor of the Cockerel
Quintilius Rousse—Royal Admiral, father of Eamonn
Favrielle nó Eglantine—couturiere
Bérèngere of Namarre—head of Naamah’s Order
Amarante of Namarre—daughter of Bérèngere
Diokles Agallon—Ephesian ambassador; member of the Unseen Guild
Jean Le Blanc—noble
Tibault de Toluard—Marquis of Toluard (Siovale)
Roxanne de Mereliot—Lady of Marsilikos
Jeanne de Mereliot—daughter of Roxanne; chirurgeon
Oppius da Lippi—captain of the
Aeolia
Lucius Tadius da Lucca—friend of Imriel’s
Claudia Fulvia—Lucius’ sister; member of the Unseen Guild
Maslin de Lombelon—former lieutenant in the Dauphine’s Guard
Henri Voisin—captain in the D’Angeline Navy
Marc Faucon—lieutenant in the D’Angeline Navy
Gilbert Dumel—D’Angeline barge captain
Antonio Peruggi—Caerdicci trader
Isabel de Bretel—Baronesse of Bretel
H
ISTORICAL
F
IGURES
Benedicte de la Courcel (
deceased
)—great-uncle of Ysandre; Imriel’s father
Baudoin de Trevalion (
deceased
)—cousin of Ysandre; executed for treason
Isidore d’Aiglemort (
deceased
)—noble; traitor turned hero (Camlach)
Waldemar Selig (
deceased
)—Skaldi warlord; invaded Terre d’Ange
Necthana (
deceased
)—mother of Drustan
The Mahrkagir (
deceased
)—mad ruler of Drujan; lord of Darˆsanga
Jagun (
deceased
)—chief of the Kereyit Tatars
Gallus Tadius (
deceased
)—great-grandfather of Lucius
Cinhil Ru (
deceased
)—legendary leader of the Cruithne
Donnchadh (
deceased
)—legendary magician of the Maghuin Dhonn
T
here are people in my country who have never travelled beyond the boundaries of Terre d’Ange. Indeed, there are many who have never left the province in which they were born; contented crofters tilling the land, tending orchards, or raising sheep, never venturing farther than the nearest market.
Betimes, I envy them.
Already, as a young man, I have gone farther than I could have imagined as a boy daydreaming in the Sanctuary of Elua where I was raised. It did not begin by choice—as all the world knows, I was abducted by Carthaginian slave-traders, sold into slavery in Menekhet, and from thence taken to the land of Drujan, ruled by a madman who consorted with a dark and ancient god.
It was a short time ago as historians reckon such things, but a long time ago in my life. I will never bear those memories lightly, but I have learned to bear them. Since that time, since I was rescued and restored, I have ventured as far south as Jebe-Barkal and lost Saba; and as far north as Vralia, an unlikely kingdom arising in the harsh glory of the cold north.
I have been wed and widowed.
I have become a father, almost.
And I have fallen in love, which is somewhat altogether different. It was not with my wife, Dorelei, although she was worthy of such devotion and in the end I did come to love her. Love of my wife is what drove me to Vralia, seeking justice on her behalf. I found it, too, although it was not entirely what I expected. Still, the man who killed her is dead, and his skull lies buried beneath her feet in Alba.