The Elvenbane Part 32

"Indeed, Lord Cheynar," Triana said smoothly to the image on her wall. Let others put their teleson screens in their desktops; she preferred to lounge when she spoke to someone. "I have seen some signs that the wizards you seek are on my property. Can you tell me again exactly what the reward is if I happen to find them?" She batted her eyelashes at him. "I'm afraid it's quite gone out of my head. The idea of wizards loose is terribly frightening, you know."

Cheynar sighed impatiently and explained the relatively simple reward structure all over again. Triana widened her eyes innocently, and feigned attentiveness. "I'll have my hunters look for them most diligently, my lord," she told him. "I really do think they must have slipped past you and gotten onto my estate. There are too many odd occurrences-missing livestock, that sort of thing-that make a great deal of sense if you a.s.sume someone is hiding here."

Before Cheynar could take the initiative and suggest that his his men come look for the renegades, she pleaded exhaustion, and cut the communication. men come look for the renegades, she pleaded exhaustion, and cut the communication.

Well, she thought, with a smile of satisfaction, that was certainly a good day's work. The seeds were now nicely planted. The crop should be ready to harvest at any time.

Now for Mero- She rose to her feet and sought him in his new quarters, the s.p.a.cious, private suite she had a.s.signed him next to hers. He was playing a game of draughts against one of the slaves when she came in, but jumped to his feet with a speed that was tremendously gratifying. The slave likewise sprang to his feet, and quickly took a place at the side of the table, ready to serve.

He was coming along nicely. "I didn't know you played draughts," she said, gliding across the room and taking the seat the slave had hastily vacated for her. "I used to be quite good at it, actually. I like strategy games-but then, the best kind of strategy game is the kind played with real people, like the one your friends are setting up."

"What?" Mero said, frowning with puzzlement as he resumed his place.

"Didn't they tell you about it?" she said innocently, and covered her lips with a slender hand, as if she had said too much. "Oh-never mind what I said. It probably didn't mean anything anyway."

"Probably not," Mero said, and picked up one of his game pieces, moving it carefully, as if he were concentrating on the game to the exclusion of all else. "They're always hatching half-fledged plans and discarding them."

But they always included you in that, didn't they, dear? Triana thought with sly satisfaction. They never left you out of a planning session. But now it's beginning to look as if they're conspiring without you They never left you out of a planning session. But now it's beginning to look as if they're conspiring without you - - and maybe even against you and maybe even against you.

She tightened her glamorie on him, wis.h.i.+ng more than ever that she had wizard-powers to control his thoughts. All she could do at the moment was manipulate him through the actions of others.

She moved her game piece, and studied the dark head across from her, bent over the draughts board. She rather thought she was doing a good job of manipulating all of them so far. The special treatment, special quarters, and frequent gifts were making it look as if she was singling him out-which of course she was. And that was indubitably giving rise to a certain amount of envy and jealousy. She had been encouraging him to think of himself as being somehow "better" than the others-and that should be reflected in his behavior to them. Certainly it seemed that way. She knew that several times he had come upon the three friends talking intently about something-and that they had broken off the conversation when he entered the room, turning the talk to something innocuous.

Any creature with an ounce of perception would be certain that he he was the topic of conversation the moment before. He was, of course, but probably not in the sense he thought. was the topic of conversation the moment before. He was, of course, but probably not in the sense he thought.

As for Shana-the attention she had been giving the boy, and the concubines she'd been sending him nightly were undoubtedly the cause of the black looks the girl had been sending his way. That That relations.h.i.+p was certainly dying, if not already dead. relations.h.i.+p was certainly dying, if not already dead.

Mero made his move, and sat back in his chair, the frown still creasing his brow. She chose another piece and moved it, taking one of his.

And now she'd hinted that there were plans he hadn't been informed of. By now his skin must be crawling.

He moved again and, with a tight smile of triumph, took her royal piece. "I'm afraid you've lost, my lady," he said smoothly. "What's your forfeit?"

She smiled back, having had this in mind the moment she sat down. "I think this will do," she told him, slipping off a beryl-set ring and handing it to him. "After all, it was only a game of draughts. If you want higher stakes, you'll have to play a different game."

He took the ring, and kissed the back of the hand that held it. "Perhaps I shall," he replied, the frown gone from his face. "And perhaps if I lose, I shall think myself the winner, hmm?"

She laughed softly. "My word, Mero, you're becoming quite the courtier! I had no idea you could be so gallant!"

He released her hand reluctantly. "I've never been moved to play the gallant before, my lady," he replied, "but you can be a.s.sured that I will wear this, not as a token of triumph, but as a token of regard."

Just as I'd hoped, you silly child, she thought with elation, as he tried the ring on each of his fingers. One of her best spells was in that beryl. Once he put that ring on, he was never going to believe a bad word about her again. And once she took him to her bed, he'd be hers entirely. If she told him to fling himself off a cliff, he would. And I think that should be the stakes in the next game or two And I think that should be the stakes in the next game or two . .

"Hmm," Mero said, when it wouldn't fit on any of his fingers. "I'll have to size it to fit me." When she started to reach for it, he waved her hand away and dropped it in his tunic pocket. "Don't worry your lovely head about it, my lady. After all you've taught me, resizing a ring will be child's play. I'll take care of it later-and don't worry, it will never leave my finger."

She sat back as he began rearranging the draughtsmen for a new game. Oh, I shan't worry, dear Shadow Oh, I shan't worry, dear Shadow , she thought, keeping her eyes down on the board, lest the gleam of satisfaction in them give her away. That was the , she thought, keeping her eyes down on the board, lest the gleam of satisfaction in them give her away. That was the last last thing that she was going to worry about. thing that she was going to worry about.

Shadow opened the window of his room and made sure there was no one in the gardens below. A quick mental check showed that there were no watchers, human or magical, lurking about either.

He cleared the table and carefully pried the p.r.o.ngs from around the beryl without touching it with his flesh. When the stone popped out of its setting, he picked it up in a bit of silk, took it to the window, and flung it away from himself as hard as he could.

The tiny beryl quickly sailed out of sight. The bit of silk fluttered to the ground.

He nodded with satisfaction, and went back to the table.

A cloak brooch supplied another, unused beryl of the proper size and shape. He pried the gem out of its setting and placed it in the ring, using magic to soften the p.r.o.ngs long enough to mold them securely about the stone. Then he smoothed out the place in the cloak brooch where it had been, inscribing a leaf-shape in the softened metal, making certain that he left no traces of his tampering.

There. He put the brooch down beside the ring, and eyed them both critically. That should do That should do . .

The past few days had been agony; it had especially hurt him to say those awful things to Shana. She was a good girl, and she deserved better than that-but he'd had no choice, not if he was going to convince Triana that her glamorie was still in place.

The knock on the head he had taken during the fight had evidently dispelled it. The first thing he had noticed was that Triana's little affectations no longer were endearing, they were annoying. Then he had realized that for the first time in several weeks, he was able to think for himself. That was when he remembered that they had all come here only as a stopgap measure, a temporary hiding place, and that they had originally originally planned to get back to Shana's Citadel, enlist the wizards in their cause, and work towards freeing the slaves and saving the halfbloods still in hiding. planned to get back to Shana's Citadel, enlist the wizards in their cause, and work towards freeing the slaves and saving the halfbloods still in hiding.

None of that had happened. Instead, he had drifted into a sybaritic dream with Triana at the center, ignoring his friends, his causes, everything he had thought was important. Shana had seemed both childish and an arrogant, overbearing fool. Now, while he still found her arrogant, he realized that she was not being childish when it came to Triana. She was suspicious of the elven lady, and had every reason to be.

He'd been casual about his relations.h.i.+p to Keman-but after he'd had a chance to think about it, and to observe Triana with clear eyes, he'd been angry. She'd been using him. At least he could say this much for Shana, she never used him. And Triana had been toying with him. He didn't know what her game was yet, but he was certain she had one.

That was when he decided to find out just what, exactly, she was up to-and the best way to do so was to fool her into thinking he was still enthralled and spellbound.

Even though, to do that, he had to keep up the act with his friends.

That had hurt, more than he wanted to admit. It had hurt especially when he'd had to insult Shana to her face.

He hadn't realized until then how much he liked her, and seeing her crumple under his insults had made him feel as if he were the lowest thing in the world.

But it looked as though things were about to come to a head. Taking Triana's hint, he had set up the chessboard instead of draughts for their second game-and she had lost. Deliberately, he was sure-he'd made a couple of very clumsy moves that could have given her the game, which she had totally ignored. She had dimpled, fluttered her eyelashes, and told him to name the forfeit. He had, naming what he figured she was expecting. After all, she'd been keeping him at arm's length for weeks now; deliberately heating his blood, then putting him off. And now he knew why. She had been weaving a glamorie around him, and a physical consummation would complete it. She wanted to be sure that the hook had set before she brought in the fish.

"You," he'd said slyly.

She had simpered and acted shy; he insisted. The long-awaited rendezvous would take place after dinner, in his rooms.

But that was hours from now-and he had a feeling, from the way she had hurried out, heading for her her rooms, she had something she wanted to do. rooms, she had something she wanted to do.

Like calling someone on the teleson and telling them she had the "wild girl" everyone has been looking for.

He had every intention of finding out just what she was up to.

One advantage of being a servant, he thought wryly, was that no one ever paid any attention to what you did. The last time he'd been here, Valyn had been given rooms just like these. Shadow had stayed in the suite most of the time, unwilling to take the chance of having his illusory disguise dispelled. And since Shadow hadn't seen the elven manor yet that wasn't riddled with secret pa.s.sageways, when he got bored with waiting, he'd gone looking for the doors into the ones here.

He'd found them, easily enough. And as usual, the pa.s.sages had opened onto just about every room in the building. Now, if the ones in the guest rooms all worked alike-He examined the fireplace, and found the same little carved k.n.o.bs he'd located in the other room. He twisted each of them in turn- A panel beside the fireplace swung open without a sound. He slipped inside and closed the door after him.

He waited for a moment to allow his eyes to adjust to the darkness. It wasn't totally dark here; there were peepholes that let in light on both sides of the pa.s.sageway. There was a thick, wet smell of mildew, and dust cus.h.i.+oned the floor like a heavy snowfall. Obviously, they didn't use these very often. He wondered if Triana even knew they existed. He suppressed a sneeze and moved cautiously towards his goal, doing his best to disturb the dust as little as possible, holding his handkerchief to his mouth and nose to give him something to filter the dust.

Triana wasn't the type to want to go to an office every time she needed to talk to someone. Her teleson was probably in her room.

It was a good thing that his goal wasn't too far away-as careful as he had been, he was still kicking up dust. The air was full of it, and not all of it was being filtered out by the handkerchief.

This would be his bedroom-his dressing room-Triana's bathroom-He heard voices once he reached the area of Triana's rooms. Triana's-and one other. It sounded like simple conversation, not the voice of someone giving orders to a subordinate. It could be Triana talking to Valyn, but he didn't think it was. The voice sounded too deep to be Valyn's.

He hurried his steps a little-and in a few moments more he was able to make out words. He recognized Cheynar's voice immediately, and knew that his suspicions were being borne out. Triana did did keep her teleson screen in her own rooms-and she keep her teleson screen in her own rooms-and she was was in contact with the elders. in contact with the elders.

"-enough of dancing around the bushes, my lady," Cheynar was growling, as Shadow stifled another sneeze and stopped where he was. "Let's get to the point, shall we? Do you have news of these renegades, or not?"

Shadow froze, hardly daring to breathe. So Triana had had been talking to Cheynar about them being here! Shana was right; she had intended to betray them all along. been talking to Cheynar about them being here! Shana was right; she had intended to betray them all along.

"Well, my lord," Triana said slowly, "there is certainly someone living in my woods-if not your renegades, then certainly some other wild humans. I confess, they are too clever for me or my men, and I would appreciate your help in flus.h.i.+ng them out."

Shadow touched carefully at her thoughts, and heard her thinking,: I'll put together a hunting party, and lose them, then double back and meet Cheynar's people. I probably ought to put Mero to sleep though, and hide him somewhere until they've gone. He'd probably try to rush to the rescue, or something equally heroic and stupid. And he hasn't even begun to outlive his usefulness to me I'll put together a hunting party, and lose them, then double back and meet Cheynar's people. I probably ought to put Mero to sleep though, and hide him somewhere until they've gone. He'd probably try to rush to the rescue, or something equally heroic and stupid. And he hasn't even begun to outlive his usefulness to me .: .: "That's easily done," Cheynar replied. "I can be there in two days. Is that soon enough?"

"Perfect, my lord," Triana told him, her voice bright with satisfaction. And thought: .-That's more than enough time to set everything up, including a campsite for Cheynar's men to find, so that it looks as if three of them been living there for some time. I wonder how Dyran is going to react to discovering his son is a renegade .-That's more than enough time to set everything up, including a campsite for Cheynar's men to find, so that it looks as if three of them been living there for some time. I wonder how Dyran is going to react to discovering his son is a renegade ?: ?: "Then I will see you in two days' time, my lady," Cheynar said.

"You certainly will, my lord," Triana told him. "You certainly will."

Outside, a full moon sailed peacefully and serenely over the treetops. Inside, in the suite shared by Shana and Keman, there was anything but peace.

"I'm not being stupid, and I'm not being overly sensitive," Shana said patiently, doing her level best not to fly into a temper in the face of Valyn's skepticism. "And I swear to you, I am absolutely not saying these things because I'm jealous of Triana. You You heard Keman! You heard what Mero told him! He is completely unbiased, and he certainly doesn't have any reason to feel threatened just because Triana has a pretty face." heard Keman! You heard what Mero told him! He is completely unbiased, and he certainly doesn't have any reason to feel threatened just because Triana has a pretty face."

"I would have said,'seductive nature,'" Keman put in, unhelpfully.

Shana stifled a groan. She had been trying to keep that particular aspect of their erstwhile hostess out of the conversation, knowing what it would do to her credibility.

Valyn reacted predictably. He put on that superior expression she hated so much, and said, in a tone that just oozed sweet reason, "But you do, Shana; you couldn't help it. It's a perfectly natural reaction. And after all, you're a guest in her her house; of course that puts you on an uneasy footing with her. You feel you have to compete with her, and yet you can't. I understand that. But it doesn't make Triana bad." house; of course that puts you on an uneasy footing with her. You feel you have to compete with her, and yet you can't. I understand that. But it doesn't make Triana bad."

Shana wanted to shake his shoulders and scream at him: I'm not some animal, to be set off just because I'm on another female's territory I'm not some animal, to be set off just because I'm on another female's territory ! But she kept her temper in check and repeated what he evidently had not heard. "Keman isn't a female, and he isn't in the least threatened by her and he-" ! But she kept her temper in check and repeated what he evidently had not heard. "Keman isn't a female, and he isn't in the least threatened by her and he-"

She was interrupted-by an odd sound that made her look over Valyn's shoulder, and the completely unexpected sight of a door appearing in the wall next to the fireplace and swinging open. She stopped dead in midsentence, her mouth hanging open as she stared. Valyn turned in his seat just in time to see Shadow emerge from the half-height door, beating dust from his clothing and coughing.

Her first thought was- How did he get back there How did he get back there? And her second was accompanied by a queasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. Did every room in this place have hidden doors in it? Was that the way all elven buildings were made? If so-she would never never feel comfortable in a building again! Not when someone could creep up on you unseen and pop out of the blank walls! feel comfortable in a building again! Not when someone could creep up on you unseen and pop out of the blank walls!

Valyn recovered first. "What were you doing in there?" he demanded, astonished. "And why did you-"

"I had to find something out," Shadow said, interrupting him. "Listen, I am really sorry-we're in trouble, I've been an idiot, and Shana's been right all along." His expression was a grim one, but he met all of their eyes without flinching. "Triana's been after me, and I fell right into her trap with a grin on my face and my arms wide open. She put a glamorie on me to make into her own little tame wizard-and she intends to throw the rest of you to Cheynar's people. I overheard her on the teleson this afternoon." He paused for a breath, and absently rubbed his temple, as if his head hurt. "I'm sorry. I apologize. Now, we have to have to get out of here; how are we going to do it?" get out of here; how are we going to do it?"

"Wait a moment-if you overheard her this after noon, why did you wait until now now to tell us?" Valyn asked, accusation in his voice and eyes. to tell us?" Valyn asked, accusation in his voice and eyes.

"I couldn't get away until now," Shadow replied unhappily. "I didn't want her to know I'd overheard her, so I had to keep on as if nothing had changed. Cheynar won't be here for another two days. I didn't think a couple of hours would matter one way or the other."

"He's right," Shana said, surprising even herself, as all eyes turned towards her. "If he'd come running to one of us this afternoon, and Triana had been expecting him to be with her, she'd have known something was wrong. Valyn, you were out riding, I was in the library, and Keman was-"

"Spying among the slaves," Keman supplied. "Looking for information that would prove to Valyn that you were not being unduly sensitive, Shana." He smiled sheepishly. "I found any number of things, but it would seem they are no longer necessary."

"You see?" Shana said, turning back to Valyn. "If he'd come looking for us then, Triana would have missed him, and and we'd have wasted time trying to find each other." She raised one eyebrow at Shadow, who nodded soberly. we'd have wasted time trying to find each other." She raised one eyebrow at Shadow, who nodded soberly.

"Exactly. I've been stupid; it wouldn't help to compound my stupidity. But we have to get out of here now now -because in a little while Triana is going to discover I'm gone, and she's not going to be happy." -because in a little while Triana is going to discover I'm gone, and she's not going to be happy."

Shana decided that she was not going to ask what he'd done. She had the feeling that his pride was smarting from this whole affair, and that he probably set up some surprise for Triana designed to salve that bruised pride. Unfortunately, that kind of "surprise" generally made for a great deal of trouble.

She should know; she'd given in to that temptation to salve her own bruised pride more than once.

"Ancestors!" Valyn muttered. "I wish you'd given us a little warning, Mero-how are we going to get-"

"We don't need a thing." Shana interrupted him, a grin of vindicated triumph on her face. "Just stay right where you are. I haven't been sulking sulking in the library, like you all thought I was. I've been very busy, in fact-" in the library, like you all thought I was. I've been very busy, in fact-"

Her hand sought her globe of amber, and she closed her fingers around it tightly.

"Don't anybody move-" she warned.

Faster than a breath, she seized the power she needed from Triana, ripping it from her ruthlessly- She fed the power through the amber, multiplying it threefold, and twisted it into the paths of the spell as she whispered the words that set the spell of transportation- And she named the place.

"The Citadel-"

The last thing she saw was Valyn's mouth dropping open as the room filled with light as bright and sudden as a lightning-flash- Her stomach lurched sickeningly- -and they were gone.

Triana smoothed her pearl-white, silken dress over her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and flat stomach, and preened herself in the mirror. The fabric was just barely transparent, designed more to tease than to reveal. Mero had worn her ring at dinner, and she had seen to it that the meal was one loaded with purported aphrodisiacs. Between the spell, the dinner, and this dress, Mero should be ripe for the plucking.

She tapped on his door, then let herself in without waiting for his response, and flipped the lock shut as she closed the door behind her.

She didn't want to be disturbed by anyone, not tonight. Every indication was that Mero was not inexperienced; she was looking forward to putting him through his paces.

Mero wasn't waiting for her in the sitting room-which was probably not surprising. He was in the bedroom, of course, and given his romantic nature he had probably left the lights turned down low, and perhaps had perfumed the air with incense-she sniffed, and thought she detected the faint scent of flowers.

She slipped towards the bedroom, and eased the door open- "Shadow-" she whispered, then stopped, puzzled.

The bed was still made up, the room undisturbed, and both were empty.

What-Now entirely perplexed, she pushed the door completely open, and walked normally into the bedroom.

Nothing.

Not a sign of life.

He's hiding behind the door, and he's going to jump out and catch me- But he wasn't. He wasn't anywhere in the suite.

She turned, slowly, unable to believe that someone might make an a.s.signation with her and then not appear for it. And as she turned, she saw the small square of paper pinned to the pillow.

She reached for it, and opened it.

Amateur, it said, in neatly formed script.

Nothing more.

It took a moment for her to understand what he meant-but the moment the meaning dawned on her, she was so startled that her mind went blank- And by then, it was too late.

As she stood there, frozen with shock, someone someone reached out a magical "hand" and ripped her power from her, wrenching it away from her with a force that was physical as well as magical. reached out a magical "hand" and ripped her power from her, wrenching it away from her with a force that was physical as well as magical.

Ancestors- Her knees gave; she stumbled, then fell onto the bed. She tried to call for help, but could only gape like a stranded fish.

The only "sound" was the one of the spell that took her power, a jangle of discordances like the music of mad minstrels.