Lord of the Shadows (36 page)

ia and Reithan learned the reason Dirk Provin no longer feared assassination several days after they had seen him at the temple, from a woman named Bethany who ran one of Bollow's discreet brothels for the Brotherhood. The reason, she told them, was widely known among her associates. Dirk Provin had taken Caterina Farlo hostage and had left orders she would be tortured and killed if anything happened to him.

“So the Brotherhood called off our contract to save a basket maker's daughter?” Tia spat in disgust.

“Not just a basket maker's daughter,” Bethany told them. “Her mother is Gilda Farlo.”

“So?”

“Gilda Farlo's name before she married the basket maker was Gilda Lukanov.”

“She's related to Videon Lukanov in Kalarada?” Reithan asked in surprise.

“His sister,” Bethany said. “Dirk Provin picked his hostage well, Reithan. He picked the niece of the man who runs the Brotherhood in Dhevyn.”

“But this is Senet.”

Bethany smiled, revealing a row of unnaturally perfect teeth. “There are no borders in the Brotherhood, Reithan. You should know that.”

“Why haven't you just taken her back?” Tia asked. “I saw her the other day. She's not even guarded.”

“I can't say for certain,” Bethany shrugged. “He's an intriguing boy, this Dirk Provin of yours. He betrayed every person he'd met in the Brotherhood while he was with your people in Mil, yet he was able to get a list of the names to Boris Farlo in Tolace before a single one of them was arrested. He's involved in a fascinating game. I think the Brotherhood is willing to see it play out before they decide what to do about him one way or the other.”

“I'd rather the Brotherhood just did what we paid them to do,” Tia complained.

“Look at it from our point of view. For the first time in history we have a Lord of the Suns willing to deal with the Brotherhood,” Bethany pointed out. “Paige Halyn didn't even know we existed. Fulfilling a contract with your people in Mil—who even you must admit are now powerless and scattered—against the chance to have a Lord of the Suns we can negotiate with? What would you do in our place?”

“Honor the contract,” Tia replied without hesitating.

Bethany smiled. “You say that because from where you sit, it seems the honorable thing to do. But don't fool yourself, Tia. There is no honor here. This is business. I suppose I might be able to arrange for you to get your money back if the Brotherhood decides not to proceed with the assassination.”

“We should get our money back anyway,” she said. “You're playing your own game with Dirk Provin and it's got nothing to do with us. Why should we pay for something you're probably going to do anyway? As you said, this is the first Lord of the Suns who even knows the Brotherhood exists. What are you going to do if you can't get him to cooperate? Send him a thank-you note?”

Her words seemed to have little impact on the woman.

“I'll see what I can do about the money, Tia,” Bethany repeated. “I can't promise more than that.”

After they left the brothel, Tia and Reithan shoved their way back through the crowds toward the tent city. It had begun to rain lightly while they were inside, but the crowd had thinned only a little. Tia cursed and snapped at anybody foolish enough to get in her way, her anger at the Brotherhood's double-dealing finding an outlet in the bustling streets of the Senetian city. They had spent a fortune on that contract. Money that could have been spent helping the scattered refugees who fled the Baenlands.

Reithan seemed rather more philosophical about the news. Tia suspected it was because, like Misha, Reithan still harbored
a faint hope Dirk was actually doing something useful. Small chance of that. Still, her bow was hidden among the gear they had left at the dressmaker's tent, and on the day of the eclipse she knew exactly where Dirk would be—standing on the steps of the Bollow temple, a perfect target …

“Wouldn't go that way if I were you,” a man muttered impatiently as he pushed past Tia.

“Why not?”

“The damn guard's checking everyone going in or out the city gate.”

“Are they looking for anyone in particular?” Reithan asked, glancing at Tia.

“Didn't hang around to find out,” the man shrugged, shoving his way past them.

Tia turned to Reithan. “I wonder what's going on?”

“Do we want to risk the gate to find out?”

Tia glanced up at the overcast sky. It was raining lightly, but the sky was darker in the west as another storm rolled in. “It's going to start bucketing down soon.”

Reithan smiled briefly. “I'd rather get wet than arrested.”

“Me, too,” she agreed, “but I'd like to know what's going on. Maybe if we get a bit closer, we can find out.”

“Or we could go back to Bethany's,” he suggested.

Tia scowled at his hopeful expression. “See something at Bethany's that caught your fancy, did you?”

“Saw quite a few things there that caught my fancy, actually.”

She rolled her eyes impatiently. “Don't you men ever think of anything else?”

“Not if we can help it.”

“We're going to the gate, Reithan,” she announced firmly.

“Yes,
mistress
.”

Tia let out a snarl of frustration and began pushing her way forward again. The crowd was even denser as they neared the gate, the large number of soldiers checking everyone with a thoroughness that disturbed her. She recalled the look on Eryk's face as the Lord of the Suns' carriage trundled past the other
day. Had he said something to Dirk? Was that the reason they were checking everyone's identity?

Suddenly fearful, she turned to Reithan. “I think maybe we shouldn't try getting through the gate right now.”

“I think you're right. Back to Bethany's?”

The crowd carried them forward as they tried to decide the best course of action.

“I guess that's the safest place.”

“What do you suppose prompted them to start checking people?”

Tia was afraid she knew, but if she told Reithan, he would be furious she'd not mentioned it before now. And it wasn't as if she knew for certain that was the reason…

“I don't know. Let's just get out of here.”

The crowd behind them had grown so dense that there was no way they could go back the way they had come. Tia glanced around and noticed the throng seemed a little thinner on the street to the left, so she shoved her way across with Reithan close on her heels. When they reached the end of the side street, Tia stumbled as she suddenly stepped out into an open space and the reason the area was less crowded became apparent.

The wider street at the other end was lined with soldiers and less than ten feet away was a carriage with the Lion of Senet's crest on the door. Inside the carriage sat a young woman robed in red.

Reithan stumbled into Tia as he broke through. “Watch it!” Tia snapped as she regained her balance.

The young woman in the carriage turned her head at the sound of the commotion.

Marqel recognized Tia in the same instant that Tia recognized her.

“There she is!” Marqel screeched. “That's her! Quickly!”

Tia had no time to react. The soldiers were on her before she had time to cry out a warning to Reithan. She heard the sound of a blade unsheathing behind her as her legs were kicked out from beneath her and she was shoved facedown onto the wet cobbles. Her hands were jerked savagely behind her. A
knee pressed into her lower back. The sound of metal against metal filled her ears. The taste of the rain-slick street filled her mouth and nose. She heard shouts. Heard Reithan cry out. Tia tried to move her head, but she could see nothing but the booted feet of her captors and the little rivulets of water than ran between the cobbles.

And then the sound of fighting suddenly stopped and the pressure on her back was eased. She was hauled to her feet.

Tia looked around urgently for Reithan. She couldn't see him at first. Then she spied him, lying on his back on the ground near the street entrance. His sword lay discarded, a few inches from his open hand. His vest was open, his shirt covered by a slowly spreading bloodstain. The rain pattered down on him. His eyes were half open, staring blindly into the distance, but he didn't seem to notice the water dripping into them. The water trickling away from him toward the gutters was tinted red. One of the soldiers walked over to him and poked him with his boot. Reithan's eyes didn't blink. He didn't move.

“No!”
Tia sobbed in a strangled whisper.

The soldier turned to the High Priestess. “He's dead.”

“No!”
Tia cried, as if by denying the truth, then it couldn't be real. Reithan wasn't dead. He mustn't be dead. She would not
allow
him to be dead.

The High Priestess shrugged. “He doesn't really matter. She's the important one.”

Numb with shock and grief, Tia turned to look up at Marqel, sitting in the carriage with a smug, malicious smile on her face.

“Hello, Tia,” she said. “Fancy meeting you here.”

arqel waited until she was headed back to the Lord of the Suns' palace outside the city before she let her delight show. Alone in Antonov's luxurious carriage, she laughed until tears streamed down her face. The look on Tia Veran's face when she realized she was cornered was priceless.

I'm High Priestess now. Mistress of the Lion of Senet.

It was about time Dirk Provin remembered that. He might have arranged for her to get there, but that didn't mean he could treat her as if she no longer meant anything. As for that superior little bitch Jacinta D'Orlon, well, sooner or later, Marqel would find a way to cut her down to size, too.

Stupid prick! Did Dirk Provin really think he could say those things about me and get away with it?

Marqel couldn't wait to return to the palace. She couldn't wait to see the look on Dirk's face when she told him she'd found Tia Veran and had her arrested. Or that the fellow with her—Reithan somebody-or-other—was dead. Marqel didn't really know who the man was, but she was betting Dirk knew. And even if he didn't know him, Dirk was squeamish when it came to people dying.

It was nice to feel as if she had the upper hand for a change. Despite her newfound wealth and position, things weren't going quite as she would have liked. Antonov welcomed her into his bed each night, but seemed to have little interest in conversing with her. He certainly didn't ask her advice on matters of state as often as she imagined he would. Or should. He sometimes asked what the Goddess thought of things, but he wasn't interested in Marqel's opinion. And Madalan rarely consulted her about the running of the Shadowdancers since resuming her role as the High Priestess's right hand, a circumstance that had pleased Marqel enormously, until she realized the old hag was deliberately keeping her in the dark.

She would have to do something about that eventually, too.

But neither Madalan nor Antonov was really a problem at the moment. One was keeping her free from the mundane tasks of administration; the other was keeping her in the manner to which she had very quickly become accustomed.

Her immediate problem was Dirk. His attitude toward her had grown increasingly impatient since he'd been appointed Lord of the Suns, a fact that had been driven home to her forcefully when she overheard him talking to Lady Jacinta. He had little time for Marqel and when he did deign to notice her, it was usually to demand she hand over more and more of the Shadowdancers' wealth to appease that senile idiot Claudio Varell. In fact, other than provide her with a carefully choreographed set of instructions for the eclipse ceremony, Dirk had barely even acknowledged her existence since she arrived in Bollow.

Well, he was about to learn the folly of treating her like she was insignificant. The Goddess was about to speak again, and Dirk Provin wouldn't know a thing about it until Marqel announced that at least one of the sacrifices to be burned at the eclipse would be the daughter of the heretic, Tia Veran.

Dirk would be livid. She knew that, but no longer cared. He might be the Lord of the Suns now, but the balance of power had shifted subtly in her direction. She had given Antonov the route through the delta; she had announced the eclipse—strictly speaking Dirk had announced it, but everyone thought it came from her—and she was about to sacrifice the heretic's daughter to the Goddess. Her position grew more secure every day, and after the eclipse, nothing could threaten her. Not even Dirk Provin.

Antonov wasn't at the palace when she arrived. Despite the rain, he'd gone hunting with Lord Parqette, Lord D'Orlon, Prince Baston of Damita and the Duke of Elcast, Dirk's brother, Rees, who had arrived yesterday and was also staying at the palace.

Dirk was in the Lord of the Suns’ study with Claudio Varell. Marqel entered the room without knocking and took
the empty chair opposite the desk without waiting for either of them to offer her a seat.

Dirk glanced up at her with a frown. “I thought you went into the city.”

“I did.”

He said nothing, simply waited for some sort of explanation for this unwelcome interruption.

“Ask me what I did in the city,” she suggested brightly.

“We're busy, Marqel. I don't have time for your games.”

“Well, if you don't want to know who I arrested …” she said, rising to her feet.

Claudio's eyes narrowed suspiciously. “You had somebody arrested?”

“Who?” Dirk asked.

“An old friend of yours, actually.”

“Who, Marqel?”

“Tia Veran.” Marqel watched Dirk closely, but as usual, he gave away nothing.
What does it take to surprise him?
What would she have to do to get a reaction from him?

“You've arrested Neris Veran's daughter?” Claudio gasped. “How did you even know she was in Bollow?”

“The Goddess told me,” she replied smugly, her eyes fixed on Dirk.

For a moment, she thought she saw a flicker of anger deep in those cold gray eyes. Then he turned to Claudio. “Would you mind excusing us for a short time, my lord? The High Priestess and I need to talk.”

Obviously annoyed he was to be excluded, Claudio rose to his feet and bowed stiffly.

“As you wish, my lord.”

As soon as the door closed behind Claudio, Marqel turned to Dirk with a smirk. “I don't think he likes you very much.”

“What did you do with her?”

“Tia? The City Guard is holding her in the garrison in town until I tell them what to do with her.”

“It's not up to you to decide her fate.”

“She's my prisoner and once I tell Antonov about her, she'll be
his
prisoner.”

“If you arrested her, Marqel, then she's the Church's prisoner,” Dirk corrected. “I'll take it from here.”

“You'll do nothing of the kind. She's my prisoner and I'll decide what to do with her.”

“I outrank you, Marqel, in case it slipped your notice. There's not a man, woman or child in the whole of Senet who wouldn't do my bidding before they did yours. And I include the Lion of Senet, his guard and the Bollow City Guard in that. Think about it.”

Suddenly, Marqel wasn't quite so sure of herself. Dirk seemed very confident he could take over, and she knew next to nothing about the law, except that as High Priestess she was effectively above it. Perhaps he was right. Perhaps by placing Tia Veran in the custody of the City Guard, Marqel had inadvertently lost control of her.

“I won't let you have her.”

“You don't have any choice in the matter.”

“What are you going to do?”

“That's no longer any of your concern.”

“What are you going to tell Antonov?”

“That is also none of your concern.”

Marqel began to get angry. This was supposed to give her an edge over Dirk. She had no intention of simply handing Tia over.

“I'll speak to Antonov. I'll tell him the Goddess told me Tia Veran was to remain my prisoner.”

“Try that and I'll have her killed before you can get anywhere near Antonov to tell him your news. Then you can have the pleasure of telling him how the Goddess wanted you to keep Tia as your prisoner, but she died. Only wait till I get back from the city before you say anything. I want to be there when you try to explain it.”

“You wouldn't kill Tia Veran.”

“Try me.”

Marqel stared at him, wishing there was some way to tell what he was thinking. It was useless and she wasn't sure enough of herself to call his bluff. But if she'd lost this round, she still had one other piece of news that might yet rattle him.

“Then I suppose you'll want the corpse as well.”

“What corpse?”

“The man who was with Tia Veran when we caught her. He resisted arrest. The City Guard had to kill him. His name was Reithan something.”

For the first time, Marqel saw a hint of genuine emotion in Dirk's eyes, but it was impossible to tell what it was. Shock, maybe? Or grief? Did Dirk know the dead man? If he was a Baenlander like the Veran girl then it was more than likely he did.

“Did you know him?”

“Never heard of him.”

Marqel looked at him curiously. It was the first time she could remember catching Dirk Provin in a lie.

“You don't look too happy about it,” she smirked. “I thought you'd be thrilled to learn our escaped prisoner has been recaptured. Antonov is certainly going to be pleased.”

She waited, expecting Dirk to order her to be quiet, but as usual, he did the last thing she expected. He shrugged. “I imagine he will be.”

“Don't you
care
I'm going to tell him about her?”

“Should I?”

“I thought she was a friend of yours.”

“She put an arrow in my back, Marqel.”

“I know, but …”

“Was that all you wanted to tell me?”

“What are you going to do?”

“As I said, that's none of your concern.”

“If Tia Veran escapes, I'll tell Antonov it was you who let her go,” she warned.

Dirk seemed genuinely amused. “Don't threaten me, Marqel. If I chose to let Tia Veran go, or set free every prisoner in the Bollow Garrison, for that matter, I'd do it in such a way I could
never
be blamed for it. I might even find a way to implicate you, just to remind you who's got the most power.”

“After the eclipse, I'll be the one with all the power,” she retorted. “Antonov will believe anything I tell him.” “I was under the impression he believes anything you tell
him now,” Dirk remarked. “Does this mean he still doubts you? How unfortunate.”

“You know what I mean!”

“Just stick to what you know best, Marqel,” Dirk suggested. “Leave the politics to those of us who understand it. Have you been practicing for the ceremony?”

“Of course I have,” she replied with a scowl. “Although it seems a bit melodramatic, if you ask me.”

“I didn't ask you.”

“I suppose you need momentous acts to mark momentous occasions.”

“What?”

“It's something Belagren said to Madalan once. That you need momentous acts to mark momentous occasions.”

“Belagren had a very good understanding of human nature,” Dirk agreed. “You could learn a lot from her. Oh, but that's right—she's dead, isn't she? You killed her.”

Marqel glared at him. “I don't see it interrupting
your
climb to the top.”

“You don't see anything past your own nose, Marqel. And now, if that was all you had to tell me, I'm busy.”

“You're not going to see her?”

“See who?”

“Tia
Veran
!”

Dirk turned his attention back to the document he'd been discussing with Claudio when she came in. “I'll see you later, Marqel.”

She glared at him, furious he seemed so unconcerned, so untouched; furious that she had so quickly lost the one chance she had to get something over him and nothing she did seemed to crack his facade.

“You won't be able to treat me like this for much longer, Dirk Provin.”

He glanced up at her with a faint smile. “Don't be too sure of that, Marqel,” he said, and then he went back to reading the document as if she were no longer in the room.