“You devised this plan!” said Laera, with sudden comprehension. “You gave Raesene the whole idea!”
“And why not?” said Callador. “Had Arwyn won the throne, I would have been the royal wizard to
44?
the emperor, with all the resources of the empire at my command. No more scouring for obscure supplies and ingredients for my spells, no more projects abandoned due to lack of funds; I could have pursued my art with no restrictions. But Arwyn lost, the fool, and I had to make new plans or face penury. I had grown accustomed to a reasonably comfortable life-style, enough that I developed a desire for more.
When the empire collapses and Raesene takes power, I shall become the preeminent wizard in the land. And you, as my prized pupil, shall stand to become Cerilia’s most important sorceress.”
“You fool!” said Laera. “You think I care about so lowly a distinction?
I had planned to ensure that the empress never bore a child! If Michael leaves no heir, my son would be the next in line to rule, and when Michael dies, I would become regent! I would have it all!”
Callador raised his eyebrows. “Indeed. And needless to say, you would take steps to ensure that your brother did not live long. But you forget, if your son were next in line and yet too young to rule, it is your husband, the duke, who would become the regent and…” His voice trailed off. “Ah, but of course. You have doubtless already made plans to become a widow at the proper time. I see that I have greatly underestimated you. Your plan is as sound and logical as it is diabolical. My compliments.”
“Only now you’ve ruined everything,” said Laera furiously. “If I do what Raesene wants and follow the plan you designed, I shall be left with nothing except whatever he chooses to bestow on me. And whatever that may be, it will be a poor substitute for what I would have had otherwise. I could have
appointed you the royal wizard when I assumed the regency. If that was what you wanted, why in the names of all the gods couldn’t you tell me?”
“Well, there was the question of trust,” said Callador. “It is something I do not bestow very easily.
Force of habit, I suppose. And I had not imagined you would plan something so bold and ambitious. I must admit, now that I have heard it, your plan has much to recommend it over mine. I wish I had thought of it myself. Unfortunately, it is too late now.”
“Perhaps not,” said Laera as Callador made a pass with his fingers and the arched door to his sanctum opened with a loud creak of its ancient iron hinges.
“Perhaps there is still a way…..
“How?” said Calladbr. “We cannot betray Raesene. As I hold power over you, he holds power over me. I had to give Raesene a token to seal my oath to him, just as I took one of you. There is now a bond between me and the Gorgon. If I fail him, there will be nowhere I can hide.”
“Then you must get that token back somehow,” said Laera.
Callador chuckled. “Easier said than done, my dear. You don’t think he would miss it?”
“What form does it take?” she asked.
“A lock of my hair, the same as yours, which he keeps in an amulet around his neck.”
“And if that amulet were empty? Would he be likely to open it and check?”
Callador raised his eyebrows. “I should think not,” he replied, “but how exactly do you propose I reclaim my lock of hair? Sneak into his bedchamber while he sleeps? I think not. Discovery would mean my life, and with the bond between us, he would feel my presence if I drew so near.”
“But he has no such bond with me,” said Laera.
“You would risk such a thing?- asked Callador with astonishment. “If he awoke while you tried to sneak into his bedchamber, he would tear you apart.”
“Not if I were welcome in his bedchamber,” she replied.
Callador’s eyes grew very wide. “You don’t mean… .
“How long since he has had a woman? Does he still have the desire?”
Callador stared at her, mouth agape, absolutely speechless. For several moments, he was too shocked to reply. Finally, he said, “I …
I don’t know. But …
you can’t seriously mean you would … give yourself to him?”
Laera’s mouth twisted into a grimace. “When you first brought me to him, I feared that was precisely what he wanted, and I thought that I would rather die. But with all my plans at stake, if there is no other way, I suppose I could overcome my revulsion for a short while.”
Callador sat down unsteadily. He gripped the arms of his chair, shaking his head. “Even if you could, you would be taking a great risk. There is no telling what Raesene might do. I have never known him to be with a woman. I. . . I cannot guess his appetites. Nor can I imagine. .
.” He glanced up at her. “He could hurt you. He might even kill you.”
“I know,” said Laera.
The thought of going to Raesene’s bed filled her with dread. And yet, at the same time, there was that
strange, inexplicable, perverse thrill engendered by the risk of it, by the thought that she would be the first woman he had known that way in
