Fyne Sisters - The Star Witch Part 3

"Say yes," he said softly, "and when this war is over I will give you anything you want. Freedom, treasures, luxuries beyond your imagination."

"I want my sisters and the cabin your soldiers burned to the ground."

"You shall have it all. I have the power to make it happen, Isadora. All you have to do is lie with one man, for the duration of his visit. Who knows? You might even enjoy yourself." The emperor moved in closer and lowered his voice, even though there was no one about to hear his words. "You can save us all, Isadora Fyne. To be honest, I care little for my own life. I am trapped in this d.a.m.ned palace and will always be trapped here. But I will not give up my rightful place without a fight, and I will not allow the rebels to harm my wife and child. Liane deserves more happiness than I have had a chance to give her, and my son deserves to have a long life. I want to see Liane happy, and I want to watch my son grow to a man. Nothing else matters."

Did he really care for his family so much? In truth, the emperor did not seem to be a man who cared about anything or anyone but himself.

Love weakened even him.

"I can't do as you ask," Isadora whispered.

He laid one strong hand on her shoulder, and a thumb stroked against her throat. "I have tried to be gently persuasive. I have tried to do this nicely. d.a.m.n it all, I am sick of those who defy me at every turn. I am emperor, and no one, least of all a witch who lives by my grace, answers my requests with no. Here's your position, Isadora Fyne. You're to offer yourself body and soul to Lucan Hern. Give him whatever he wants of you, and no matter how depraved and immoral his desires might be, you're to make him believe you enjoy them. Fake your delight in his touch, even if he does not please you well. Make him need you in the way that a man can come to need the woman who takes his fancy." The stroke of that thumb became so hard it was painful, and when Isadora tried to back away, Sebestyen pulled her back and grasped her throat. "I want to know every word Hern utters about the Circle of Bacwyr and their plans. How many warriors are they, have they regained their full strength, how many are leaning toward joining Arik. If he's planning to betray me, I need to know it before he leaves the palace."

"You want me to sleep with Hern and spy on him," Isadora said, her voice raspy.

"Yes," Sebestyen said almost happily. "And if you don't, I'll personally kill you. Liane likes you, and she'll be sorely disappointed, but a man can only abide so much, even for his wife's sake." He leaned so close she could feel his breath on her neck. "Don't play the shy innocent with me, witch. I know you killed Father Nelyk."

Isadora's heart skipped a beat. "I did no such-"

"I don't know how you did it, but I know. I won't punish you for that murder, though I certainly could do so. In a way, I understand. You're not a midwife, you're a warrior, just as Liane was once a warrior. You are not a pa.s.sive woman satisfied to sit back and take what comes to you. There is a soldier within you, Isadora Fyne. Hern is the enemy, and if the first weapon you use against him is your body, then use it well." He dropped his hand and backed away. "He expects you in his bed within three days. I will give you two." He held up two long, slender fingers. "Don't disappoint me, Isadora. Those who disappoint me have a habit of disappearing."

The door closed behind him, and Isadora dropped onto the bed, her knees going weak once again. She pulled her knees to her chest and huddled as she hid beneath the covers. Two days. Two days! d.a.m.n Lucan Hern. He had come into the palace and with one request ruined all her plans.

"w.i.l.l.ym." She whispered her husband's name. "Tell me what to do. Help me." Of course, Will didn't answer. He had not answered her call for a very long time. He was well and truly gone, and she was on her own. If she had never needed him, she wouldn't feel betrayed and hurt now. He was not here to help her. No one was here to help.

Would the rebels truly kill Liane and her babies if they stormed the palace? Would they murder the sweet, innocent, and annoying Mahri? Kane would not commit such atrocities, at least she didn't believe he would, but there were other rebels, and not all of them would be so n.o.ble as the man who was surely Sophie's husband by now.

It was Isadora's calling to protect the innocent around her, but she couldn't believe the only way to do that was by becoming Lucan Hern's strumpet.

She'd suspected that Liane was right and the visitor from Tryfyn had a s.e.xual interest in her, but she'd never imagined that he'd be bold enough to order her to his bed, particularly when he believed her to be a royal relation. Liane's suppositions about Isadora's own desires were wrong. Well, not entirely wrong, but rather incomplete. There was an animal magnetism about the man that elicited a physical response that many women might mistake for desire or even for love. Isadora was not so frivolous.

Maybe Lucan Hern did awaken something inside her, but Isadora preferred for that part of herself to remain asleep, as it had since w.i.l.l.ym had died. She was stronger than the baser longings of her body, and if she did one day decide to take a man into her bed again, it would be after she had left this palace and regained some semblance of control over her own life.

She had two days to find a way around the emperor's edict.

LACK OF SLEEP made Isadora cranky, as she administered the empress's medicines and examined the pregnant woman. Twins always came early. Often nothing could be done to save them, if they came into the world too soon, but if Liane could keep those babies inside her for another two weeks, perhaps a month, then all would be well.

All would be well until Liane's husband discovered that she was carrying twins, not one large and difficult child, and that she and Isadora had known all along that there were two sons, not one. The line of ascension could not be muddied.

"What's wrong?" Liane asked as Isadora helped her to sit up, her back resting against a mountain of pillows.

"I did not sleep well," Isadora said sharply.

Liane just smiled. "You were dreaming of Lucan Hern, I imagine. I told you, Isadora, you want-"

"I was not dreaming of Captain Hern," Isadora insisted. "Your husband paid me a visit last night."

Liane's smile disappeared, and her pretty face paled. "He didn't," she whispered.

"You misunderstand," Isadora said sharply. "Your husband expects me to... to give myself to Hern, as if I were one of the Level Three concubines to be given away on request."

"Oh." Color returned swiftly to Liane's face. "Is that all?"

"Is that all?" Isadora leaned in close. "No," she whispered, "that's not all. The emperor said he knows I killed Father Nelyk."

Since Liane was not at all surprised to hear the news, Isadora realized how the emperor had come by his information. "At first I thought he'd be upset if he knew you and I had a hand in Nelyk's death," the empress said, "but it became clear to me that he was not at all disturbed so I told him-"

"I didn't kill Father Nelyk."

Liane's eyes widened in obvious anger and horror. "What do you mean? Nelyk attacked Ryona, and there were others, too. He threw a pregnant girl into Level Thirteen and left her there to deliver her child, his child, in filth. He was-is, apparently-a lecherous, depraved, power-hungry-"

"Calm down before you hurt the babies and yourself," Isadora ordered. "Nelyk won't be harming anyone else, I promise you. He might be dead, but I didn't kill him."

Liane lay against her pillows and pouted. She was becoming quite the expert at sulking. "What did you do?"

Isadora remembered the night too well. She'd been forced to choose in an instant. Death or life? Dark or light? She still wasn't certain she'd made the right choice. "I cast a spell that made him decide. I asked him, 'Where does a man like you belong? What would the G.o.d you claim to serve consider proper punishment for the crimes you have committed?' Nelyk rose from his bed and donned a crimson gown, and together we walked down the stairs to Level Thirteen. At his order the guards on duty opened the hatch in the floor, and he jumped down." By that time, of course, the priest had been bordering on insane. "I cast a spell to make the prison guards forget what they had seen, and I walked away."

Liane seemed appeased. "A quick death would have been easier. It might've taken Nelyk weeks to die down there."

"He chose," Isadora said in a lowered voice.

"In any case," Liane dismissed Father Nelyk with a wave of her hand, "I told Sebestyen that if we ever needed an a.s.sa.s.sin no one would suspect, you'd be perfect. If he asked you to sleep with Hern, then he must have that possibility in the back of his mind. Too bad. It would be a waste of a perfectly good man."

"Hern asked for me," Isadora said. "In fact, he demanded me."

"That's very romantic," Liane said sweetly.

"It is not!"

"Fine. It's not romantic at all. It's erotic. It's thrilling. It's flattering, Isadora. Do you not see that? A man like Lucan Hern can have any woman he desires. He can have his pick of the women on Level Three, and even those who are not concubines would surely be happy to oblige him in all ways."

"He needs to choose anew," Isadora said sharply. "I don't want him or any other man."

Liane reached out and took Isadora's hand. Maybe, just maybe, she wouldn't feel the deep, telling tremble.

"I have said all along that you need a lover to help you get over your husband's death. Will is gone, but you live. You live, Isadora. You don't love Hern the way you loved your husband. I understand that, truly I do. But s.e.x isn't always about love. Let Hern adore you for a while. Let him pleasure you and find pleasure in you. If you must close your eyes and pretend-"

"Not that," Isadora said quickly. "I can't... I can't pretend."

"Then look Lucan squarely in the eye while he makes love to you. Understand fully that life goes on, and that there's much enjoyment to be had."

Liane actually believed her convoluted reasoning. Maybe she'd had to believe, in order to survive so long in this place. "Your husband says he will kill me if I don't lie with Lucan Hern."

"He probably will," Liane replied without emotion. "I would stop him if I could, but my influence only goes so far." The empress leaned slightly forward and whispered, "I still need you, Isadora. My babies need you. Don't choose death over meaningless s.e.x just to spite Sebestyen and Hern. Turn this situation to your advantage. They think you are weak, but you're not. They think they are in control, but we have a strength they will never understand. They believe they can scare you with their threats and demands, but you are stronger than they will ever know. Take control of the predicament and make it your own. That's what I'd do in your position."

"How?" Isadora whispered. "How do I take control when none of the choices made are my own?"

"Do not be afraid," Liane said with the confidence of a woman who had learned to deny her own fears. "When the time comes, walk into Hern's bedchamber with your head held high. Look him in the eye, smile, order him to do as you please. Don't ever let him see that you're afraid or uncertain."

"That's not who I am."

"Perhaps not," Liane said lightly. "Perhaps the witch Isadora Fyne is too n.o.ble and virtuous to behave in such a way." The smile that crossed her face was positively wicked. "My cousin Isadora, on the other hand, is an entirely different type of woman."

EMPEROR SEBESTYEN PROVIDED sentinels to spar with Lucan in the courtyard, as he had requested. He beat them all, in swordplay and in spear work, wounding a few in an insignificant fashion but being very careful to kill no one. He did not call on his gifts as he sparred with one inadequate partner after another; he did not prepare mentally as he would if he were going into battle. Such an advantage was unnecessary.

The sentinels were no match for him, so the exercises were all but wasted.

Lucan thought of Isadora while he fought with the inadequate opponents. The woman had invaded his dreams last night, unexpectedly and quite strongly. In his dreams she wore the ring he sought... and nothing else. As he had suspected, her body was angular and fetching, perfectly proportioned and welcoming. In the dreams she had laughed. How odd that he remembered so clearly something as insignificant as a woman's laughter, almost as clearly as he remembered the swell of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and the curve of her hip.

He called an end to the exercise and walked to a basin of water that had been provided for bathing in this courtyard. Splashing the water over his face, he dismissed all thoughts of the empress's cousin beyond the necessary. How childish to carry the memories of a dream with him through the day!

There was nothing childish about what he would accomplish here. He would take Isadora into his bed, they would share power as only a man and woman intimately joined can, and she would give him the ring he had come here to collect. And then he would leave this place.

Honor dictated that if he got what he had come here for, with the emperor's help, he should provide that which the emperor himself sought: Circle warriors. Sebestyen was the rightful heir, the only legitimate son of the previous emperor, so siding with him seemed the right decision in any case. It didn't matter that the emperor was an obnoxious tyrant.

Inside the palace, Lucan chose to run up the stairs from the ground-floor Level Ten to Level Four, rather than taking the lift that could very easily carry him to his destination. Even though the emperor had explained the machines on Level Eleven, which powered the lift and the lights that were set into the walls, as well as fans that ran during warmer times of the year, Lucan didn't trust the contraption. It wasn't natural.

Besides, running up the stairs was good exercise. He certainly wasn't getting a sufficient workout sparring with the inadequately trained sentinels.

His warriors could take this palace in a matter of hours, if not sooner. Luckily for Emperor Sebestyen, Lucan wasn't interested in gaining control of the palace. He just wanted the Star of Bacwyr and the position of Prince of Swords, so he could bring peace to his own country.

Inside the quarters that had been a.s.signed to him, Lucan stripped off his clothes and tossed them aside. Franco would be along soon to pick up the soiled clothing and see that the palace laundresses cleaned them well; someone had already readied his bath. The tub was situated in the small sitting room attached to the bedchamber, and the water steamed enticingly. He grabbed the soap and stepped inside, sitting in the warm water and leaning back against the tub, splashing a few drops of water onto the floor.

It was a large tub, a luxury he had not expected to find here. Of course, Sebestyen was anxious to impress, so Lucan felt certain he saw only the best of the palace and its luxuries. The food and wine, his a.s.signed rooms, the abundant candles and artificial lighting, the constant attention of ministers and servants alike-he felt as if he were being ardently wooed by a wealthy suitor. If his reason for being here were not so momentous, he might take a moment to enjoy what the emperor offered. He had no time for luxuries, and never had.

Dipping down to wet his hair, Lucan closed his eyes and remained submerged for a long moment. While he was underwater, the knowledge came to him in a flash. He was not alone.

He sat up quickly and drew a long knife from the sheath that was strapped to his calf. And found himself face-to-face with the woman he had dreamed about last night. In his reality, she was fully dressed. Pity.

ISADORA STOOD OVER the tub. She did not even flinch when Captain Hern drew his blade in a threatening manner. "You bathe with a knife?" she asked, her voice calm.

The hand that grasped the knife's thin handle dipped into the water once again. The motion was smoothly made, so that there was barely a ripple on the water's surface.

"Yes." When the weapon had been returned to its proper place, Captain Hern leaned back and relaxed. "I did not expect you so soon. Forgive me for being unprepared. Make yourself comfortable in the bed, and I'll be along shortly."

His arrogance was so absurd, Isadora found herself smiling. "I am not here to entertain you. I came to talk."

The disappointment was as evident as the arrogance. "I feel quite sure that you and I have nothing of interest to talk about."

"Then perhaps you should simply listen." She refused to be intimidated by Hern's state of undress or the fact that the portion of the body that was revealed above the water was extraordinary. Lucan Hern was large and hard, all sculpted muscle and masculine grace. There was nothing soft or ordinary about this man. Still, no man or woman should make her feel this way, atwitter and uncertain and nervous.

Wearing one of the emperor's sisters' castoffs, a rose colored gown with an absurdly full skirt, Isadora took Liane's advice-in her own way. She became someone else for a while.

She pulled a padded stool to the side of the tub and sat demurely. The ring Liane had given her last night still would not come off her finger. You'd think something that fit so tightly it was stuck would be uncomfortable, but that was not the case. She found herself fiddling with the ring, and Hern's eyes were drawn there. She ceased the fidgeting that revealed her nervousness and looked him in the eye.

Last night she had judged from a distance that those eyes were blue or green. Today, so close, she could see that they were both, as if the colors had melded into a stunning shade of dark aqua. She had always believed that you could tell a lot about a person by looking into their eyes. There was nothing magical about that, just common sense. Did the person look at you when they spoke or listened? Did their attention wander? Was there life in the eyes or darkness? Or worse... nothing at all? Hern's eyes were lively and bright, and never wavered. They were the eyes of a strong and confident man.

She could be no less confident. "The emperor has commanded that I give myself to you no later than tomorrow night. I don't understand why you would request me when Level Three is filled with women who are trained in the ways of s.e.xual relations and would be more than happy to oblige you."

His eyebrows lifted in obvious surprise. "You have come to ask to be released?"

"Yes."

"Where I come from, the women I invite to my bed are honored. They are pleased to be chosen. In fact, they often vie for my attentions and do their best to catch my eye."

Isadora leaned slightly forward. "In case you have not noticed," she said sharply, "you did not come from here."

He took a moment to digest that reply. "I repulse you."

Isadora sighed deeply. She could lie and say yes, but in truth she did not find the man at all repulsive. Besides, she suspected he would know if she lied. "No, but I am not a concubine who will be ordered to a man's bed because he commands it." She c.o.c.ked her head and studied his face. "If you expect any woman you desire to come not only willingly but anxiously to your bed, why did you give the emperor a deadline of three days?"

"The emperor was annoyingly protective of you when I first mentioned the possibility of our alliance. Even though I insisted that I want only you, he tried to persuade me to choose another." He leaned forward. "I always get what I want, Isadora."

Not this time. "Emperor Sebestyen is not at all protective, as you can see. In fact, he shortened the timeline so you would not have to wait so long. He has given me until tomorrow night to become your harlot."

"We need not wait until tomorrow, when you are here now."

Isadora closed her eyes in frustration. Why had she thought she could reason with this maddening man? "I will not be ordered into your bed, or any other."

His smile was brilliant. "You wish to be courted," he said with confidence, as if he had discovered all the secrets of the universe.

"No."

The smile faded quickly, and Isadora realized that it was possible no one had ever told this man no before.

"If you refuse to lie with me, then why are you here?"

"The emperor threatened to kill me if I didn't do as he, and you, commanded. I have come here to ask you to tell Sebestyen that you changed your mind, or else lie and tell him you bedded me and are satisfied."

Those blue green eyes darkened and hardened. "He threatened to kill you?""Yes.""That was never my intention, Isadora.""I'm glad to hear it. Will you do as I ask?"He looked her in the eye again without smiling, without the arrogance she had come to expect from him.

"I will give the matter some thought."

"I am placing my life in your hands," Isadora said. "If you tell the emperor that I came here and asked that you lie to him, he will kill me."

"We can't have that, now, can we?"

He seemed quite unconcerned about her or her reservations, so she threw another obstacle at him. "The

concubines on Level Three take medicines that render them unable to conceive. I have taken no such medication, and there is not enough time for anything I take now to be fully effective. Would you leave me here to give birth to your child? Do you scatter your b.a.s.t.a.r.ds wherever you go?"

"The Circle wizards have divined that my first son will be born when I am thirty-eight years of age. I am presently thirty-six, so you are in no danger of finding yourself carrying my child."

She scoffed.