Shadow Sorceress

1 TWO sorceresses stood beside the scrying pool in the domed outbuilding that lay to the south of the main keep of Loiseau. The taller woman had fine white-blonde hair, hair that could have belonged to the young woman of nineteen that her appearance conveyed. Her thin and finely drawn face was without blemish, without lines, and her piercing blue eyes were clear. Only the fineness of Anna's features attested to her true age. Her figure was nearly as slender, and far more girlish than that of the smaller redhead who stood next to her. Anna eased into a straight-backed chair behind the small writing table, then looked at the redhead. "Secca...our good Lord Robero has requested that you visit him at Elheld, preferably within the next two weeks." "Doubtless he has yet another heir or lord for me to meet, Lady Anna." Secca's mouth offered a sardonic smile as she perched on the tiled edge of the scrying pool. Part of her smile was because Anna had never been able to say "Robero" without a twist to her lips. Then Secca had difficulty herself. When Secca had been growing up in Falcor under Anna's tutelege, Robero had been "Jimbob." Only when he'd become Lord of Defalk had he decided "Jimbob" was too undignified and changed his name to Robero. "After all these years, he would still have me consorted." "You aren'tthatold." Anna added, "He doesn't understand you, but he does care for you." "That may be, for he understands women not at all. He understands but strength and power, and that is why he respects you, lady." Anna sighed gently. "I wish it were otherwise. Certainly we tried." Secca nodded sympathetically. While Anna almost never used Lord Jecks' name, Anna often said "we" when referring to what the two had accomplished for Defalk in the less than half score of years when Anna had been regent and sole ruler of Defalk. The former regent spoke seldom of Lord Jecks, but Secca had seen the lamps of Anna's rooms still lit late into many nights over the ten years since his death. While Anna and Jecks had been friends and certainly lovers, consorting had been out of the question.ThatSecca had understood from the beginning, when Anna had effectively adopted her after the deaths of Secca's parents, for Jecks had been a powerful lord in his own right, and the grandsire of Lord Robero, during the time when Anna had been Sorceress-Regent for the underage Robero. "Despite his inclinations, Robero has learned much," Anna continued, "and I am thankful for Alyssa." "So am I," replied Secca. "You know I never would have consorted you to him." "Alyssa made it that much easier." The two sorceresses laughed. Then Anna cleared her throat. "You have something else I am to do?" asked Secca. "Kylar..." Anna said. Secca winced. "The one who suffocated his consort and claimed she died of consumption?" Anna nodded. "You wish me to go to Issl as well?" "I think you should go there first." The older sorceress smiled. "You will be paying my respects to Lord Fustar. He will be most happy to see your young and smiling face." The smile vanished. "The pool shows that Kylar does not understand what has happened in Defalk, and that he will abuse any woman he can. He now seeks yet another consort." Anna looked at Secca. "You understand how you must deal with Kylar, and with Lord Fustar? Nothing must haModesitt, L. E., Jr. is the author of 'Shadow Sorceress' with ISBN 9780765340139 and ISBN 0765340135.