“Well, let’s have a look at you,” she said, circling around her as if taking her full measure. “Hmmm. A bath and some clean clothes and you might even be presentable.”
Suddenly, she reached out quickly and snipped off a lock of Gella’s hair. The girl brought her hand up to the spot, startled, but said nothing as Laera came around in front of her, holding the lock of dirty, oily dark hair in her hand. “It could do with a trimming,” she said, surreptitiously making a cut in her own palm as she spoke. “Let me see your hands.”
Obediently, Gella held them out for her inspection. Laera took her left hand in hers, as if to examine it. “Rough, coarse, and dirty,” she said. “But then, I suppose that’s only to be expected.”
With an abrupt motion, she seized Gella’s wrist and sliced her palm.
Gella cried out in alarm and tried to jerk away, but Laera moved with her, maintaining her grip. She dropped the little scissors and slapped the lock of hair onto Gella’s palm, then covered it with her own. No blood oath was necessary; that was only ritual. The actual spell had been prepared in advance, as Callador had done, too.
Gella’s eyes grew wide, and she stopped struggling. “You are a sorceress!” she said.
“What do you know of sorcery?” asked Laera.
“My mother was a witch,” the girl replied. “They killed her for it.”
Laera released her hand and pushed back Gella’s thick, dark hair, revealing a slightly pointed ear. “A half-elf!” she said with surprise.
“I never would have guessed. But now I can see it.”
“What do you want with me?” asked Gella.
“I need you to serve me,” Laera replied. “You shall be my personal body servant. I was the one who saved your life. It is now mine to command and do with as I please. Serve me well and faithfully, and you shall be well taken care of and rewarded. Play me false, and you shall suffer torments such as you cannot imagine, so that you will plead with me to take your life. Do you understand?”
Gella moistened her lips nervously “I do, Lady.”
“Very good,” said Laera. “Then understand this, also. No one knows that I possess knowledge of sorcery save you. Not even my husband suspects. You seem to know something of the mystic arts, so perhaps you realize you are now bound to me for as long as both of us shall live.”
She took Gella’s bloodsoaked lock of hair and placed it in a small gold locket like the one containing Derwyn’s, closed it, then slipped the chain around her neck. “You belong to me now. And by this token of your lock of hair, I can reach out for you, no matter where you go.
Remember that.”
“You want me to do something terrible,” said Gella.
“That is why you had me brought here. You have no need of a body servant. You require a criminal.”
“The only law you need to fear is mine,” said Laera. “And if you do precisely as I say, you will not
be caught, and I shall make it worth your while.”
“What is it you want me to do?”
“Learn, for starters. I will have you instructed in how to be a proper servant. And when the emperor arrives at Seaharrow for Summer Court, I shall have you assigned to serve the new empress.” She went over to her jewelry box and opened a hidden drawer in it, from which she removed a small glass vial stoppered with a cork. “A few drops of this special preparation in her wine each week will prevent her from conceiving a child.” Laera smiled. “It has no taste or odor and dissolves without leaving any residue behind. She will never know that she is drinking it.”
Gella’s eyes grew wide as Laera spoke, and she swallowed hard when she heard her final words.
“Your task shall be to administer the dose.”
The journey from Anuire to Seaharrow for Summer Court took about a week of travel at the sedate pace the emperor’s train maintained. They traveled with wagons bearing tents and supplies, a complement of infantry detached from the Army of Anuire, the mounted house guard, and all the lords and ladies of the Imperial Court. They averaged about twenty-five miles a day, with a rest period at midday, and they pitched camp at sundown.
For Michael, this type of travel was ennervating.
He much preferred the faster pace he was accustomed to setting with his troops, and he felt restless on the journey, but Faelina’s presence acted as a curb on his natural impatience. She had been looking forward to
this journey, for she had never been to Seaharrow, and she kept Michael occupied throughout the trip, describing the countryside around Seasedge and telling her of his adventures in Tuarhievel.
Aedan regarded the journey with mixed feelings.
It was a welcome relief to get away from the Imperial Cairn and have a change of climate and scenery. It was also pleasant to take a leisurely ride through the country without feeling concern about being attacked by enemy troops or fighting a battle at journey’s end. And it was a much desired respite from his duties in the capital. On the other hand, Boeruine did not hold pleasant memories for him. And he would once again be seeing Laera.
Things had come full circle, in a way, and somehow it seemed a bad omen.
He just couldn’t shake the feeling that making this trip had been a bad idea all around. Still, having forgiven Derwyn for the part he’d played in his father’s rebellion and elevated him to the dukedom, to say nothing of giving him his sister for a wife,
