"There's a few people I'd like to see burn."

"Is that why you're searching the city so anxiously for Tia Veran?"

Tia Veran? The name set alarm bells ringing in Marqel's head. If Tia Veran was a candidate for an eclipse sacrifice, did that mean she was here in Bollow? Did Dirk know where she was? Is that why he was looking for her? Or was Jacinta simply taking a stab in the dark, thinking that Tia Veran would make an excellent sacrifice because of who she was, even though she wasn't actually anywhere near Bollow?

"My lord?"

Marqel held her breath, waiting for Dirk's answer.

"Sorry. I was just thinking... if I have to burn someone, our new High Priestess would do for a start."

Marqel gasped, furious to hear Dirk say such a thing about her. And to Jacinta D'Orlon, of all people."I'm surprised to hear you say that, my lord," Jacinta's disembodied voice remarked, echoing Marqel's feelings. She couldn't believe it either. Then she heard Jacinta add: "I gathered she was one of your staunchest supporters. She certainly seemed that way at the swearing-in ceremony."

"In public, perhaps," Dirk agreed. "But make no mistake about it, my lady, Marqel is dangerous, self-centered, untrustworthy and completely amoral. She'd destroy me in a heartbeat if she thought she could get away with it."

Marqel was too angry to take notice of the rest of their conversation. The idea Dirk could even contemplate burning her alive made her furious beyond reason. That he would voice his desire aloud to that superior, stuck-up little b.i.t.c.h, Jacinta D'Orlon, made it a thousand times worse.

Will I ever learn not to trust that double-dealing little p.r.i.c.k?

She leaned against the rough trunk of the nearest tree, digging her nails into the soft bark to stop herself from screaming out her fury and betraying her presence. For a moment, she had forgotten why she had come here. The prospect of Dirk Provin and Jacinta D'Orlon having an affair seemed laughable now. They were not involved. She should have known better than to listen to Eryk and believe they might be. Jacinta D'Orlon was just a spoiled, airheaded n.o.blewoman, inhibited and confined by her upbringing. Dirk, on the other hand, was all ambition and anger and nothing would be allowed to get in his way, particularly not a woman. He'd betrayed Tia Veran without so much as blinking. He'd killed his own father. He'd led the invasion into Mil against the people who thought he was their friend.

There was no room in Dirk Provin for anything other than an insatiable thirst for power.

Yet there was a level of intimacy in his conversation with Jacinta that was worrying. Dirk went to great pains to portray himself a certain way to everyone he met, and admitting the opposite to someone who should be little more than a stranger was not like him at all.

Did he know Jacinta? Had they been childhood friends? That would account for the familiarity of their conversation, the ease with which he spoke to her. It was possible, of course. The n.o.bility all moved in the same circles and both Dirk and Jacinta were the children of ruling houses. Maybe that's all there was to it. Perhaps Jacinta was someone he'd known all his life and Caterina's "women's intuition"

was just the mistaken belief that their childhood friendship was something more than it really was.

Whatever the case, Dirk had proved one thing beyond doubt with his careless words. He couldn't be trusted and he had to be dealt with, sooner rather than later.

Marqel knew she couldn't safely remove Dirk until after the eclipse. But she needed some leverage, some way of making him toe the line-her line-in the interim. What form that leverage should take was another matter entirely.

She could do nothing to Jacinta that would make a difference. Besides, the Queen of Dhevyn's envoy was too obvious a target and there were too many people who could-and would-vouch for her innocence, should she try to accuse Jacinta of anything. The only other sure way to get at Dirk that Marqel knew of was through Alenor, but she wasn't here yet and it was hard to say what would happen when she did arrive. Would Kirsh support his wife against Marqel out of spite for being rejected ?

It was impossible to say. Since the news arrived from Kalarada that Kirsh had caught Alenor in the arms of Alexin Seranov-a minor detail she had quite deliberately not shared with Dirk-the question over whose child she'd been carrying had loomed large in Antonov's mind. When he thought the baby was his grandchild, he would have strangled Marqel with his bare hands had he discovered it was she who had induced Alenor's abortion. In light of Alenor's affair, however, Antonov wouldn't be angry with her. He'd probably be grateful.

She sighed heavily. The problem was giving Marqel a headache. There must be some way. Some c.h.i.n.k in Dirk's armor that would allow her to protect herself against his machinations.And then it came to her.

Tia Veran.

If Tia was in the city, Dirk must be looking for her. Whether he wanted her for fair deeds or foul was not the issue. The fact is, he would want her and if Marqel found her first, then she would have the leverage she wanted, the safety net she so desperately needed.

Marqel waited a while longer until she was certain that Jacinta was gone and Dirk was no longer in the vicinity of the trees before she turned and hurried back toward the palace.

The day was still young, and with luck she could be in the city in less than an hour. That gave her quite a long time to look. Plenty of time to rally the City Guard and, more important, Antonov's own guard, in the search for Tia Veran.

Once she found her-and Marqel allowed for no other possibility-she would confront Dirk with her prize...

And then she could start to lay down a few terms of her own.

One way or another, she decided, Dirk would finally learn she was not a force to be trifled with. In Marqel's opinion, it was a lesson long overdue.

Chapter 54.

Tia and Reithan learned the reason Dirk Provin no longer feared a.s.sa.s.sination 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 a.s.sociates. 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 diem. "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 a.s.sa.s.sination."

"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 d.a.m.n 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 ident.i.ty?

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 s.p.a.ce 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.

"h.e.l.lo, Tia," she said. "Fancy meeting you here."

Chapter 55.

Marqel 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 b.i.t.c.h Jacinta D'Orlon, well, sooner or later, Marqel would find a way to cut her down to size, too.

Stupid p.r.i.c.k! 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 G.o.ddess 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 circ.u.mstance that had pleased Marqel enormously, until she realized the old hag was deliberately keeping her in the dark.