Elvenbane

or a mate. We've hunted or ridden over every thumb-length of this estate, she did some magic tricks for me...she built a mountain and flew us both up to the top for a picnic.'

'I remember that. Afterwards she slept for two days,' Keman said absently. 'I didn't know elves had to sleep after doing magic.'

Mero wasn't paying attention. 'I thought that meant she loved me, so I started asking her to take me places she could only take one of the elven lords. And she did, she took me to a gladiator duel, and she took me to a Council meeting. I really thought she cared for me.' He hung his head. 'I should have known. It was all a lie, a ploy. She's just like all those women in the harem who try to eliminate each other to get positions as favorites. There isn't one of them that really cares for another person, just what that person can do for her.'

'What does she want?' Keman asked reasonably. Mero looked up, startled.

'I don't know,' he admitted. 'All that time with her, and I don't know.'

'It must be something important for her to be taking so much time with you,' Keman pointed out. 'And using a glamorie to get you, too...'

'Oh, that's not a big thing.' Mero dismissed the idea with a wave of his hand. 'I half think Valyn used a glamorie on me to get me to handfast to Shana. Elves do that sort of thing all the time.'

'I don't know about that,' Keman said reluctantly. 'I wouldn't say that. There are lots of other things she could have done to you, you know, including ignoring you. If she wanted to control you, she could have substituted her collar for the one you're wearing. She's spent a lot of time and effort on this one spell, and it has to be because she wants something important from you, don't you think?'

'That is the purpose of a glamorie,' Mero replied thoughtfully, looking past Keman to the darkening window. 'But maybe you're right. I know I had a kind of fight with Shana over it. She kept saying Triana was trying to get something from me, and I didn't believe her.'

'Are you going to be able to keep your mind free now that you know?' Keman asked, dreading the answer. 'If she wants something from you, she isn't going to give up now.'

'I think I can,' Mero said, after a long moment of thought. 'I really think I can. And if I can, then I can find out what it is she wants.'

'Is that such a good idea?' Keman asked doubtfully.

'I think I'm going to have to,' Mere said, with a grimace. He stood up. 'Thanks, Keman. Thanks for not telling me to go lose myself.'

'That's all right,' the dragon replied, surprised at the feeling of warmth Mero's words kindled in him. 'You needed somebody to listen, I think.'

'You're the right person for that, Keman,' Mero said over his shoulder as he headed for the door. 'We have a lot in common. Thanks.'

He was gone before Keman could say 'you're welcome,' but the pleasure those few words gave him stayed with the young dragon for a long time.

Chapter 22

'TRY IT AGAIN,' Triana urged, and Mero frowned, though she knew it was not at her. His frown was for the smooth quartz river-pebble on the cool surface of the white marble table in front of him.

Nothing much was happening to it, which was the problem. Mero was having trouble mastering the illusion- spell.

Triana reminded herself not to look bored, and concentrated on keeping her expression interested and eager. 'I...' she began.

Mero interrupted her. 'Just a moment! I think I've got it here...'

The river pebble began to glow, a soft, pale gold that was barely discernible from the sunlight streaming in through the windows behind him. The glow brightened for a moment, then vanished altogether.

But the pebble continued to shine...the reflected sheen of light off the lustrous surface of polished gold.

To all appearances, the plain quartz pebble had been replaced by an identical roundel of solid gold.

'Excellent!' Triana applauded. 'That's it exactly! You've done it, you've built a perfect illusion!' Shadow looked up and beamed at her with pride. 'Before long, you'll be a match for any of us.' Inwardly she was laughing; he had all but abandoned his wizard-powers and was concentrating entirely on those magics he inherited from his elven blood. His attempts to make himself wholly elven were nothing short of hilarious.

He was like the overseers and the others, she thought with contempt. Fools who spent all their time trying to become something they weren't...wasting their efforts in trying to find a 'trick' that would make their magic stronger. She'd seen them use everything from vegetarian diets to celibacy to taking up some of the old human religions. And all that time that they were wasting, they could have been using to discover what it was they did best and strengthen that. If Mero had any sense at all, he'd be learning how to combine his magics, not denying he had the wizard-powers altogether.

Not that it really mattered. What was important was that her hold over him had continued undiminished. There had been no damage done to the glamorie after that incident with Laras. If anything, her power over him was stronger than ever.

She continued to praise his puny effort, while he basked in the warmth of her approval, and banished, then reinstated the illusion. Perhaps she would turn the other three over to the elders. If she engineered this right, it would look as if they were discovered from outside. She could hide Mero, and let Cheynar's people take away the others...then he wouldn't have anyone to turn to but her.

She smiled over his shoulder, at the trees beyond the windows. That wasn't a bad plan at all; in fact, she ought to be able to accomplish it easily enough by having Cheynar's people descend while she and Mero were off riding or hunting.

And it was something she was going to have to do, to put his cousin and those others completely out of his reach. If she didn't get them out of here, Mero was never going to sever his ties completely with them. She felt it in her bones.

And then, once she had him isolated...she would throw him to the harem pack. He'd come out on top, but he'd have to use all of his abilities to do it. Including wizard-powers. That would keep him busy enough that he wouldn't have time to think about Valyn and the others.

She found herself looking very much forward to it, as she nodded and spoke empty words of praise.

It would be most amusing...

Shana grabbed Mero's arm as he passed, pulling him into the library before he could protest or pull away from her. She shut the door quickly, locked it, and turned, pressing her back up against it.

He stood where she had left him, a look of bored tolerance on his face. 'All right, Shana,' he said, with weary patience. 'What's all this nonsense about? What is it Triana is supposed to have done now?'

'It isn't what she's done, it's what she's going to do,' Shana replied angrily, tossing her hair out of her eyes. 'She's moving you into a suite of rooms of your own, isn't she? Right next to hers!

Shadow shrugged carelessly, and Shana wanted to strangle him. He folded his arms over his chest, and sighed theatrically before replying. 'I suppose there's no use in denying it if you already know. So what?'

The bored expression on his face made her angry, and caused her to blurt out the first thing that came into her head. 'So she's separating us from you, that's what! We hardly even see you anymore! She wants to keep you away from us so she can manipulate you...why, you haven't said more than two words to Valyn in weeks!' That wasn't what she'd intended to say. She had intended to sound a little more reasonable, but she couldn't stop herself.