by Sharon Green
That realization calmed me completely, so familiar was it. My husband had run the same sort of household, and now Lanir would soon be in the same condition as my husband. That idea seemed so beautifully right that I turned in the chair to look at Lanir, seeing again the way he sat and stared and drooled. When they found him they would put him down, making no effort to preserve an empty husk. The man who had been was no longer housed in that body, so what was the sense in keeping it alive?
I went to the tea service then to discover that it had been refilled with fresh tea, so I helped myself and spent some time simply sitting and sipping. I had to wait until the household had settled down for the night before I could leave, so there was no rush to go and start and do. What I would eventually do was walk away into the night, even though I had no idea where I was or where I would go. Lanir had claimed not to know where my groupmates were, but I still had to find them....
The part of me that never seemed to touch the power quailed at the idea of such an impossible task, but it wasn't really all that impossible. Someone had to know what had been done with the others of my group, so the first thing I had to do was find that someone. It occurred to me that I could ask Eltrina Razas, who might not be very interested in answering my questions. I would then have to make her interested, and there would be no losing her the way I'd lost Lanir—at least not until she answered my questions.
Thinking about Eltrina Razas became planning a way to reach her, which brought me to the subject of a coach or carriage. I'd have to hire one, of course, even if Lanir had his own stables and coach house. Women just didn't go driving all by themselves in that city, and doing it anyway would simply get me noticed. But I had no money ...
After putting my cup down, I rose and walked over to Lanir where he still sat on the carpeting. The stain on his trousers—added to the terrible smell that seemed to be all around him—suggested he'd lost control of his bodily functions, but his wallet still lay securely around his waist and untouched by any effluvia. I bent carefully and unbuckled then carried it back to my chair. Since the former Seated High had brought me to a place I never wanted to be, he could just pay to have me driven away again. His wallet contained a really fat purse, which in turn contained quite a bit of gold and silver. Discovering that sent me on a search of the room, to see if I might find any sort of handbag. The wardrobe was empty of everything, including the dress I'd worn earlier in the day, which I found rather confusing. If I'd been meant to live in that room, why would there be nothing of clothing for me? The possibility I eventually came up with made me sneer in Lanir's direction. He could well have meant to keep me in a nightdress—or naked—to be certain that running away was impossible, possibly as women before me had done, That said quite a lot about him as a man, making him some-one who held women with restraints rather than with kindness or enticements. Was there anyone—other than his cronies in the government—who would mourn his passing? I thought it unlikely as I turned away from my search with nothing to show for the effort. There was no handbag and nothing to use in place of one, which meant that I would have to tie the purse to my underskirts after taking out a few silver dins. Showing gold would bring trouble of its own if the wrong people saw it, and I'd certainly have trouble enough without adding to it. Anxiety to leave that place had begun to grow inside me, but I forced myself to have one final cup of tea before making the attempt. It had been at least two hours since Lanir had brought me back to that room, and by now all the servants should have retired. I'd find out soon enough if they hadn't, but that final cup of tea would lessen the chance of an unpleasant encounter.
When the time finally- came to leave, I took one last glance around the bedchamber and then walked to the door. Lanir hadn't looked it, I'd noticed at the very beginning, but I'd still taken a small ring of keys from his wallet as well as the gold and silver. If the servants were all in bed, the house ought to be completely locked up. I had no intention of creeping heart-stoppingly all the way to the door, only to find it locked with something other than a slide bolt. And I did end up virtually creeping through the dark halls.
my heart pounding heavily in my ears. I felt certain that no one in that house would have been able to stop me, but the idea of running into someone still caused my heart to pound and my mouth to go dry. Most of me wanted to run to get out of there, and only the knowledge that I'd certainly have a long distance to go before I found a coach or carriage kept me from wasting my physical strength.
The creeping did prove itself useful, though. I'd decided against using the front door unless I absolutely had to, so I was in the midst of searching for a side door when I came across two servants. They sat in a small room drinking tea, looking completely bored as they waited for something. The bell arrangements on the far wall suggested what they were waiting for: a summons from the lord of the house, I tiptoed past the partially open door and then hurried my search, not knowing whether they were simply on duty for the entire night—or awaiting a definite summons. If Lanir was expected to ring for them, how long would it be before they went to investigate his continued silence ...?
It was a lucky thing that I found the door I sought just around the next curve of that dimly lit back hall. If I hadn't I would have certainly retraced my steps to the front door, taking the chance that there would be a servant on duty near it. I'd heard that people with really big houses had servants assigned to front-door duty at night as well as during the day, just in case an emergency of some sort arose. I now needed more than ever to be out of that house, and the thought of being stopped brought me close to losing control.
The small side door had both a slide bolt and a key lock, making me glad that I'd taken Lanir's keys. It took much too long to get the door open—almost a full minute—but I still forced myself to take the time to relock it once I stood outside. If Lanir was discovered before I left the grounds, the search for me might be confined to the house if all doors were found to be still locked.
That line of logic wasn't a very strong one, but I clung to the hope of it as I made my way along the footpath which led away from that side door. It was very dark out and rather chilly in the lacy gown I still wore, but a bit of moonlight was available to help me move carefully along the footpath. Happily no one had added gravel to make it look better— and be more treacherous and noisy, footing-wise—but I still couldn't move as fast as I wanted to. Falling and twisting an ankle—or worse—would have been the end of everything, so I simply had to go rather slowly. Leaving the vicinity of the house didn't bring me that much closer to a main road or street. The footpath paralleled a long drive ranging off into the darkness, a drive which seemed to go on forever. I trudged along the footpath, wishing I could walk the hard-packed earth of the drive instead, but that would have made me much too visible. Being in that gown was bad enough, considering the tiny sequins sewn all over both the skirt and bodice. If lamps were brought close the sequins would certainly gleam the way they were meant to do, making me completely visible. I needed to be able to hide behind a large tree, and trees were closer to the footpath than to the drive-Walking along like that gave me far too much time to think, as the thought uppermost in my mind was how far I would have to go before I would be able to find a coach or carriage. Many public stables had carriages for hire, but how many of them would be open at that time of night? And when I finally did reach the main road, which way should I go? Turning right when the proper direction was left could have me walking for the rest of the night without finding what I needed—
I stopped dead as my latest glance up from watching where I put my feet showed me something other than empty woods. A large, dark shadow stood about thirty feet ahead, motionless at the side of the drive. The outline of the shadow suggested that it was a coach, and once I'd noticed that I could also hear the faint jingle of horses in harness. I'd been wishing rather fervently for a coach, but not for a moment did I believe that some beneficial superbeing had heard my wish and granted it.
Fear
tried to wrap its hands around my throat and middle, but anger rose too swiftly to let that happen. I hadn't come through everything just to walk into the waiting hands of another enemy, not when my touch on the power was as firm and sure as ever. Lank hadn't had to face my flames, but whoever lay in wait to trap me certainly wouldn't be that fortunate. I hadn't even produced a small fire to light my way along the footpath, just to be certain that I had enough strength in case of something like this....
I was actually half a thought away from kindling a fire that would consume the coach almost instantly, when I noticed the human figure which had appeared beside the vehicle. The figure was engaged in pacing back and forth along the drive, and even more importantly it was female. Some woman waited there, and one who was certainly not tall enough to be either Eltrina Razas or my mother. A small woman, then, and one whose fingers moved nervously about each other....
Curiosity took me silently nearer, but I had to close half the distance between us before I finally recognized the woman. Shock touched me briefly along with confusion, but there was only one way to find out what was going on. I left the footpath and crossed to the drive, and when I reached it I called softly, "Naran!"
Naran Whist, Rion's ladylove, whirled around in what seemed to be fright. Her case of nerves was apparently twice or three times worse than mine, and when she saw me she raised her skins and actually ran to meet me.
"Oh, Tamrissa, I knew you would escape from there!" she sobbed, throwing her arms around me. "I did know it, but when hour after hour passed and you didn't appear... I was nearly convinced that I'd missed you, and that made me frantic."
"Well, now I'm here so everything's all right," I soothed her, returning her hug. It felt so strange, me soothing someone else's fright... "But how did you find me? Even I don't know where I am."
"I can't explain how I found you, at least not yet," she said, releasing her hold on me as she visibly regained control of herself. "Among other things, we simply don't have the time. I also know where Rion and Valiant are, but they can't escape without help. They're still under the influence of a horrible drug that affects both their talent and their bodies. You're the only one who has gotten free, so you're the one who has to help them."
"Are you saying someone made me designated hero when I wasn't looking?" I asked, a bit overwhelmed by the thought that two big, strong men needed my help. "Well,
I'd already decided to find the others... But what about Jovvi and Lorand? If you found the rest of us ..."
"I haven't been able to locate them yet," she replied with a headshake, her pretty face looking drawn in the faint moonlight. "I don't know why I haven't been able to because they're definitely still alive, but—Let's get into the coach, and I'll explain where Rion and Valiant are."
"Where did you get a coach?" I asked as I moved toward the vehicle with her. "And one that has a driver," I added as I saw the man on the box turn to glance at us. "Have you paid him enough to keep him quiet? When they begin to look for me, they may offer a reward for information."
"He'll be well paid, but he doesn't really need to be," Naran responded as she opened the coach door and gathered her skirts before beginning to climb in. "He's the driver of a very good friend of mine, and neither of them would give a noble the right time of day even for gold. Don't most of the people you know feel like that?"
' 'Before becoming a member of our group, the only people I'd ever heard talking about nobles were merchants like my father,'' I replied, ignoring the trouble my skirts tried to give as I followed her into the coach. "My father's associates always waxed really enthusiastic when it came to the nobility, but I don't know if that was because of all the gold they made dealing with them, or because they were afraid to say anything negative. Nobles will pay you if you tell them about people who say things against the nobility, you know."
"Yes, everyone knows that," Naran responded with a sigh, still settling herself just as I was doing. "But everyone also knows the ones who would go after that dirty silver, so nothing is ever said in front of them. Ah, we've begun to move. Next stop—Rion's mother's house."
"Do you mean she actually managed to get him back?" I asked with surprise, then waved away the foolish question. "No, forget I said that. The real surprise would be if she hadn 't gotten him back. Poor Rion. He must be absolutely frantic."
"That's why we're going for him first," she said, heavy worry now clear in her voice. "If he thinks he has no way to escape her, he might well do something desperate. Valiant won't be allowed to do something desperate, not while that woman still wants to make use of him."
"That woman," I echoed, staring at Naran through the darkness. "You're not talking about Eltrina Razas, are you?"
"Who else?" Naran asked with a sound of scorn. "Rion told me all about her, including the fact that she usually stared at Valiant behind her hand, so to speak, whenever she came to the house. He's unlikely to be enjoying himself as her captive, but he shouldn't be actually suffering."
I had to agree with that, but the entire situation made me boiling mad. When women were so often taken advantage of by men, it was unconscionable to think that there were women stupid enough to try to match that evil. If things happen which you don't like, you make an effort to end the practice—not to get your own licks in. Hurting someone else because you've been hurt—that makes sense only if you go after whoever hurt you, not some possibly innocent substitute. ...
My thoughts were a bit on the jangled side as the coach moved through the night, but that was only to be expected. It was still rather hard to believe that Naran had actually been waiting for me to escape, and if I'd left that house sooner I would have been in the coach sooner. The only thing to wear in the way of shoes had been what I'd had on: the flimsy slippers which matched the lacy gown. My feet now ached from the walking I'd done over stones and twigs, the ache telling me just how grateful I ought to be that I hadn't had to keep walking.
But there were too many distractions attacking my emotions for gratitude to have much of a chance. Outraged indignation toward Rion's mother was the easiest to define, and I felt glad that I was the one who would get him out of her clutches. She was a vile beast, easily as bad as Lanir if not worse. Enslaving a relative stranger was somehow not quite as bad as doing the same to your own flesh and blood....
I raised a hand to my head as I tried to fight off the rest of what I felt, but it was simply no use. I'd agreed that Valiant's rescue could wait until Rion was free, but that had been an intellectual decision rather than an emotional one.
The inner me wept over Valiant's absence, cried for the safety of his arms about me, ached over what might be happening to him right now. The outer me wanted to race to the Razas woman's house and set a tightening circle of flame about her that would end up meeting in the middle of where she stood, but I couldn't deny that Rion needed me more.
So first I would free Rion, and then I would go to the man who meant more to me than I'd ever be able to admit....
SEVEN
Dinner had been a dismal affair and was long since over, but Rion continued to sit in the chair he'd been helped to in the sitting room. Mother had joined him for dinner, of course, but after she'd had him helped to the sitting room she'd gone off somewhere. It was the way things had been before he'd left for the testing, being abandoned to his own devices in complete .solitude. Mother was obviously trying to re-accustom him to the life, but Rion felt that she had another purpose in mind as well. She'd given him a decision to make, and with nothing else to distract him he would have to consider that decision.
Rion put his head back and closed his eyes, more desolate than he'd ever imagined it was possible to be. The terror he'd felt—distantly, because of the drug—over losing his talent had turned into a throbbing pang of emptiness which refused to be assuaged. He'd asked himself many times during the last hours if keeping his mind would be all that desirable with both talent and freedom gone, but he hadn't been able to come to a firm
decision. The idea of death didn't frighten him, but what if his damaged mind retained enough awareness to remember what he'd once been ...?
The ice forming around his insides couldn't be affected by the intake of hot tea, but Rion still opened his eyes and reached for his cup. Lifting it to his lips took something of an effort and most of his attention, and when he replaced the cup there was a servant standing not far from him.
"Would you like me to pour more tea for you, Lord Clarion?" the man, Ditras, asked. "It would be no trouble at all."
"Yes, thank you, Ditras," Rion responded, still taken by the surprise of an earlier discovery. All those servants he'd thought were laughing at him; since his return he'd been able to interpret their true feelings, which was, almost to a man or woman, pity. They'd known the truth of his situation long before he had, and had tried to offer unspoken sympathy and silent consolation. That he'd interpreted their actions as standoffish ridicule had been Mother's doing, of course, using passing comments to make him think the worst of those around him. She'd wanted to make sure that no one would find it possible to take her place with him....
"Here I am, my darling, back with you as quickly as possible," Mother all but sang as she sailed into the room. "Among other things, I've been busy arranging to have your clothing brought from Haven Wraithside, so you'll no longer need to wear those rags. I can't imagine what you did with the clothing you took with you to that filthy hovel. When I sent servants there to fetch it back, they were able to find nothing but those awful white shirts and gray trousers. I think the servants in that place must have stolen your lovely things when they realized that you would not be returning."
"No one stole those things, Mother," Rion said with a faint smile as Ditras faded back and away from him. "I burned all those ridiculous costumes, since not even the neediest of peasants would have been willing to wear any of them. You always told me they were the height of fashion and I believed you—until I learned what true fashion was.