She parted the curtain and stepped through.
She stood there for several moments, holding her breath as her eyes grew accustomed to the darkness.
She could make out a huge shape lying sprawled on a bed big enough to sleep six humans side by side.
An involuntary whimper escaped her throat. It was still not too late.
She could still turn and run….
“Who goes there? Who dares … ?”
Lambent yellow eyes stared at her from the bed, like the gaze of some feral, predatory beast.
“Forgive me, my lord,” she said, lowering her head. She didn’t need to make her voice tremble. It did so of its own accord. “Please ‘ do not be angry with me ‘ I beseech you. I. . . I could not stay away.
… Never have I beheld such power … such force …
such terrible mastery. . . .” She moved closer. “I was unable to resist…. May the dark lord help me! I …
I was simply overwhelmed. I do not even know what I am doing. Surely, this is madness, but it is a madness that has caught me in its grip and there is nothing I can do.” She slipped her gown off her shoulders.
“I sensed your power and was helpless and humbled in the face of it. I am lost. My will is not my own. I scarcely know myself. You may smite me down for my boldness, but I do not care. I had to come to you.” She was breathing heavily, and she made her voice husky with desire. “Do with me what you will. You are too strong……
She crawled up onto the bed.
It was nearly dawn when she returned to Callador’s sanctum, barely able to move. It had taken all her strength to stagger back to the old wizard. When he saw her at the door, his eyes grew wide, and he hurried to help her inside.
“May the gods have mercy! I was sure I would never see you alive again!” he said, easing her into his chair.
“Were I not of the bloodline of the Roeles, you never would have,” she replied weakly. “It took all my strength to regenerate myself after that filthy beast was through with me. He nearly killed me. The pain was beyond anything I have ever known.”
“Here,” he said, pouring a liquid from a potion bottle into a goblet.
“Drink this. It will restore your strength.”
She drained it, spilling some of it onto her chin and chest. It felt warm going down and, within
moments, the warmth began to spread through her body, suffusing her with invigorating strength. She took a deep breath and leaned back, shutting her eyes as the restorative potion did its work.
“Centuries without a woman,” she said, her voice raw. “He was sure saving it up, curse him.”
“I still cannot believe you did it,” Callador said.
“But at least you have survived. You tried. You did your best.”
She looked up at him. “I did, indeed.”
She reached inside her gown and held up the locket.
Callador caught his breath. “You took it!”
“He fell into a stupor after he was spent. It was a simple matter to remove it.”
“But … you took the locket!” Callador repeated, with dismay. “You were only supposed to open it and retrieve the token! When he wakes, he will know that it is missing!”
“Then I suppose we had best be far away from here by then,” she said.
She let the locket fall back inside her gown.
“You have left me with no choice,” he said.
“That was my intention.”
“Give me the token.”
“I think not. After what I’ve just gone through to get it, I certainly deserve to keep it, don’t you think?”
Callador stared at her as the full import of her words sank in. “So, I see. It’s going to be like that, is it?”
“That’s right, it’s going to be like that. I have my token back, and now I hold yours, as well. And that makes me the master now. I know how to use it. You have taught me well, Callador.”
As I have said before,” the wizard replied, “I had greatly underestimated you, my lady.”
“Form the portal,” Laera said. “It is too dangerous for us to remain here long. Besides, it is almost dawn, and my dolt of a husband will need to be waking up soon so he can be prepared for the em peror’s arrival.”
“As you wish, my lady,” Callador replied. He began to form the misty portal.
“I will need some time to recover from this or deal,” said Laera, “and you shall need to find a place to stay. We will require supplies to replace those you must leave behind. I will make the funds available to you. Take only those scrolls and materials that are indispensable.
The rest we shall replace as best we can.”
As the portal opened in the center of the chamber, Callador quickly began to gather up those things he would be taking with him.
“It strikes me there is merit in both your plan and mine,” said Laera.
“The trick is in combining them.”
“Combining them?” said Callador. “I don’t understand.”
“You will,” she replied. “I will explain it in good time. I have suffered much to reach this stage. What remains to be done now is simple. It will merely take a little time and patience. But when all is said and done, I will sit upon the Iron Throne as regent of the Empire of Anuire. And as my first official act, I shall have Aedan
