Lord of the Shadows

by Jennifer Fallon

  Jacinta stared at her mother in shock. “So what happened to the Senetian forces that were planning to search Oakridge?”

  “They've had no more luck getting near the place than we have. And the harvest is coming up soon. We'll lose a fortune if that fruit is allowed to rot on the trees.”

  The implications of her mother's news made Jacinta's head reel. She rose to her feet and crossed to the chair where her shawl was hanging.

  “I have to go.”

  “Go? Go where?”

  “I have to see somebody,” she explained, throwing the shawl over her shoulders. “Perhaps I can drive out to Lord Parqette's estate later to see you and father.”

  “Jacin ta! Don't you dare just walk out on me!”

  “I'm sorry, Mother, but this is very important.” She hurried back to the settee by the window, kissed her mother's cheek hastily and then fled the room before Lady Sofia could object.

  When she reached the lobby, Jacinta strode through it without acknowledging any of the greetings directed her way. There were several carriages for hire waiting outside. She climbed into the nearest one and gave the driver orders to take her to the palace of the Lord of the Suns.

  ad he known in advance how beautiful the Lord of the Suns’ residence was on the shores of Lake Ruska, Dirk might have found himself wanting to attain the post simply to lay claim to the estate. Set apart from the city, the palace had been constructed of alternating blocks of dark granite and creamy ignimbrite, its elegant design untouched by time, earthquakes or the Age of Shadows. The carefully tended gardens reached all the way down to the lake, where long-necked swans glided across the surface and the raucous calls of the ducks roosting in the rushes at the water's edge echoed over the water.

  Dirk had taken to disappearing from the palace whenever the pressure began to reach boiling point; taking a walk along the shore gave him time to sort out his thoughts. It was peaceful by the lake and he'd just about convinced the servants not to reveal his whereabouts whenever he fled the chaos around him for a few moments of blessed peace.

  “Lord Dirk! Lord Dirk!”

  Almost all the servants, he thought as Eryk hailed him.

  He turned to see what the boy wanted and realized with despair that Jacinta D'Orlon was with him. He suddenly became very conscious of the fact he had been caught skipping stones like a ten-year-old boy. Cursing under his breath, he tossed away the pebbles he had been skimming over the surface of the lake, brushed his hands clean on his trousers and strode across the lawn to meet them.

  “See! I told you I knew where he was,” Eryk declared happily as Dirk reached them.

  Jacinta smiled at the boy. “Yes, you did, Eryk, although by the look of him, I'm not sure your master wanted to be found.”

  “He doesn't mind seeing you, my lady,” Eryk told her. “It's just everyone else he's hiding from.”

  Jacinta looked at him curiously. Dirk wanted to cringe with embarrassment.

  “Go find something to do, Eryk,” he ordered.

  “Like what, Lord Dirk?”

  “Like fetching Lady Jacinta something cool to drink, perhaps?”

  “That would be lovely, Eryk,” Jacinta agreed.

  The boy nodded eagerly and ran back toward the house. Jacinta watched him leave and then turned back to Dirk with an apologetic smile. “I'm sorry, my lord. I truly didn't mean to disturb you.”

  “It's all right,” he shrugged. “He's right, actually. I was hiding from everyone.”

  “Are we not enjoying being the Lord of the Suns?” she asked with a slightly raised brow.

  “Actually, we're not,” he admitted, a little surprised to find himself confiding in her.

  “I have noticed you seem rather reluctant to assume the robes of your office.”

  He glanced down at his shirt and trousers with a wan smile. “I just can't bring myself to walk around in a long yellow dress.”

  Jacinta laughed. “I'm sure the rest of your order would be quite offended to hear you refer to their traditional robes in such a manner.”

  “You're probably right. Still, there's no way I can get out of wearing them for ceremonial occasions. But I'm damned if I'm going to wear them any other time.”

  “Well, I for one applaud your stance, Lord Provin. I think you're right. You'd look ridiculous in a long yellow dress. Shall we walk?”

  Jacinta fell in beside Dirk and they began to walk along the shore. Within a few steps the trees obscured the palace and they were effectively alone.

  “It's quite beautiful here,” Jacinta remarked, looking around with interest.

  “It is, isn't it?” he agreed, and then he looked at her curiously. “But that's not why you're here.”

  “No, it's not. I came to thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “For helping the refugees in Oakridge.”

  “What makes you think I had anything to do with that?”

  “You had everything to do with it, my lord. Alenor was right about you, wasn't she? You are still on our side.”

  “I'm going to rather a lot of trouble to prove that I'm not, my lady.”

  “And you've succeeded admirably,” she assured him. “The Dhevynians who believe you shouldn't be hung, drawn and quartered are a very small minority.”

  “Well, there's a comfort.”

  She was silent for a moment, as if working up the courage to speak. He wondered if she was planning another test to prove where his loyalties lay.

  “I need to ask you another favor, my lord,” she said eventually.

  Apparently she was. “What sort of favor?”

  “Alexin Seranov has been arrested.”

  “What for?”

  “Adultery with the queen.”

  Dirk stopped and stared at her. “Please tell me this is your idea of a joke.”

  “I wish it were.”

  He closed his eyes for a moment. Poor Alenor. “What happened?”

  She shrugged. “I don't know the full story. All I know is he was caught with Alenor, and Kirshov is bringing him here to face the Lion of Senet.”

  “Then he's as good as dead, my lady.” Dirk's mind was reeling. Why this? Why now?

  “And so is Alenor unless you intervene.”

  “How can I help?” he asked, a little impatiently.

  “You're the Lord of the Suns, Dirk Provin. You are the only person on Ranadon who can pull rank on the Lion of Senet and get away with it. You control the High Priestess of the Shadowdancers. You're probably the single most powerful man in the world right now. If you can't save Alenor and Alexin, nobody can.”

  Dirk stared at her, wondering how much she knew. Or what she had guessed. Jacinta scared him a little. That such a sharp mind lurked behind such as disarming face was extremely disturbing. For a fleeting, inexplicable moment he was tempted to confide in her, to tell her everything. He resisted the temptation. He'd come this far alone. He would see it through to the bitter end.

  “Do you trust me?”

  “That's an odd question.”

  “But an important one. Do you trust me?”

  She thought about her answer for a moment and then nodded. “Yes, I think I do.”

  “Do you believe I would never do anything to hurt Alenor?”

  “She certainly believes it.”

  “But do you?”

  Once again, she considered her response carefully before she answered. “Yes.”

  “Then if I'm to save them, I'll need your help.”

  “What do you want me to do?”

  “I want you to denounce Alexin.”

  “What?”

  “When Kirsh and Alenor arrive in Bollow, I want you to stand up and declare you know for certain Alexin is in league with the Baenlanders and he seduced Alenor with the sole intention of turning her from the Goddess.”

  “That will brand him a heretic.”

  “I know.”

  Suddenly Jacinta smiled. “And if he's a heretic, it becomes a matter for the Church and
the Lord of the Suns can take a hand in his fate. You're smarter than you look, Dirk Provin.”

  She was very quick, this girl. He would never have gotten away with half the things he'd done lately if there was anybody else around him with even half her wit.

  “You'll have to be convincing,” he warned. “And Alenor will be furious with you until you can explain it to her.”

  “I can be convincing, but will my word be enough?”

  “Probably not,” he agreed. “But in that, we may have had a stroke of luck. I have it from a very reliable source that Tia Veran is currently in Bollow. Her presence would lend such a theory a great deal of credence if I can find her before Alenor and Kirsh get here.”

  “Will you find her?”

  “If I don't, it won't be from lack of trying. I've got every soldier and city guard in Bollow looking for her.”

  “And with Tia Veran in custody, what then? She won't acknowledge Alexin is a member of the rebel underground willingly.”

  “That won't matter provided I don't let Antonov question her directly. All I really need to do is have her arrested and then assure him that she has verified your story. He'll believe me. And after the eclipse … well, it won't matter so much then.”

  She stared at him suspiciously. “You just thought this up now, didn't you? You're making this up as you go along.”

  “That doesn't mean it won't work, my lady. I'll speak to Marqel. She'll back me up when I demand Alexin is handed over to me. With the Lord of the Suns and the Voice of the Goddess demanding justice, you implicating Alexin as a heretic and the greatest heretic of all's daughter confirming your accusation, Antonov won't be able to deny me.”

  “Do you trust the High Priestess to do such a thing?”

  “I don't trust her at all,” he told her. “But I have ways of making her toe the line.”

  She searched his face curiously for a moment. “What are you up to, Dirk Provin?” When he didn't answer, she smiled suddenly, and let the question go unanswered. Jacinta was obviously dying to press him on the subject, but she had the sense not to insist he elaborate. “Do you know when Kirsh and Alenor are due to arrive?”

  “The day after tomorrow, I believe,” Dirk told her.

  “I'll need to be here when they arrive. Kirsh won't wait on this.”

  “Perhaps you should think about moving up to the palace, then?” he suggested. “Alenor will need you close by and we have plenty of room.”

  Unaccountably, Jacinta burst out laughing.

  “My lady?”

  “I'm sorry,” she chuckled. “I'm not laughing at you or your kind offer. I was just thinking about … you see, my mother … Oh, it's just too hard to explain…”

  Dirk smiled. “You'll stay then? I can have someone sent into town to collect your things.”

  Forcing her laughter under control, Jacinta's smile faded. “I'd best go with them. And be careful who you send to aid me, my lord,” she cautioned. “There's a certain book in my possession that could get me into an awful lot of trouble if it were discovered among my things.”

  He smiled knowingly. “I'll send Caterina and Eryk with you. They could come across you burning effigies of the Goddess in the middle of the Bollow Temple and I'm sure they'd swear you were doing nothing wrong.”

  “Are you angry with them?”

  “Jealous, actually.”

  She eyed him skeptically. “You've nothing to be jealous of, my lord. I'd be delighted to engender even a fraction of the devotion Eryk and Caterina have for you in my servants.”

  “The people who'd like to see me dead outnumber my loyal followers rather dramatically, my lady.”

  “Which doesn't seem to bother you at all,” she remarked, studying him with those strange, color-shifting eyes. “Are you sure you know what you're doing?”

  He smiled. “No.”

  “Well, that's a relief. You'd be rather scary if you weren't even a little bit uncertain.” They walked on in silence for a way. “I can't thank you enough for helping Alenor and Alexin.”

  “I haven't done anything yet.” He was uncomfortable with her gratitude. Jacinta was placing a great deal of trust in him he wasn't sure he deserved. His plan sounded clever, but Antonov's fury on learning Alenor had taken a lover and fallen pregnant with a child that wasn't Kirsh's might be much stronger than his belief in church law. Despite his stated approval of Dirk's new role, Dirk had not challenged Antonov openly since becoming Lord of the Suns. He wasn't sure what would happen when he did.

  “But you will,” she said confidently. “And now, if you will excuse me, I'll leave you in peace to continue… hiding. Would you be offended if I wasn't in attendance for dinner this evening? I need to visit my parents.”

  “I'll see there's a carriage made available to you.”

  “You're being very generous.”

  “Actually, since you're the queen's envoy, I probably should have invited you to stay at the palace when you first arrived in Bollow.”

  She stared at him suspiciously. “You haven't been talking to my mother, have you?”

  “No. Why?”

  “Nothing,” she shrugged, and then smiled. “Just an idle thought. I'll see you later then?”

  “Undoubtedly.”

  She turned to leave but had only gone a few steps before she turned back to him with a slight frown. “There was one other thing I wanted to ask.”

  “Name it.”

  “Who are you planning to sacrifice at the ceremony?”

  Dirk had been dreading that question. And avoiding it. Not even Antonov had been able to get an answer out of him.

  “I haven't decided yet,” he told her honestly.

  “Did you have anybody particular in mind?”

  “There are a few people I'd like to see burn,” he admitted, wondering what it was about Jacinta D'Orlon that made him so garrulous.

  “Is that why you're searching the city so anxiously for Tia Veran?”

  Dirk shook his head, amused by the idea. Jacinta had no idea of his past history with Tia. She wouldn't appreciate the irony. But if Eryk was right, if he really had spied Tia in the crowd near the temple the other day, and Dirk was able to find her before the eclipse …

  First I killed the man you loved like a father in cold blood right in front of you, then I betrayed you to the High Priestess, and now I'm going to burn you alive, Tia …

  Come to think of it, Tia probably wouldn't appreciate the irony, either.

  “My lord?”

  Dirk dragged his attention back to Jacinta's question. “Sorry. I was just thinking … if I have to burn someone, our new High Priestess would do for a start.”

  “I'm surprised to hear you say that, my lord,” Jacinta remarked. “I gathered she was one of your staunchest supporters. She certainly seemed that way at the swearing-in ceremony.”

  “In public, perhaps,” he agreed. “But make no mistake about it, my lady, Marqel is dangerous, self-centered, untrustworthy and completely amoral. She'd destroy me in a heartbeat if she thought she could get away with it.”

  “Then why do you deal with her?”

  “Because at this point, I have no choice.”

  “You choose odd allies, Dirk Provin.”

  “So do you,” he pointed out, still uncertain why she had supported him. Or what she hoped to gain from it.

  As if she knew he wanted to ask her why she'd gone to such pains to see him confirmed as Lord of the Suns, she laughed airily and changed the subject.

  “You know, I always thought Barin Welacin would make a rather attractive sacrifice. Perhaps you could arrange for him to be the main feature of the eclipse ceremony.”

  “That's a very tempting suggestion, my lady.”

  “Well, if you are in need of any further ideas, I'd be more than happy to provide the names of a few potential suitors I wouldn't mind seeing turned to ashes.”

  “Including Lord Birkoff?” he asked.

  “Especially Lord Birkoff,” Jacinta replied with f
eeling. Then she curtsied politely. “My lord.”

  “My lady.”

  Jacinta picked up her skirts and turned back toward the house, leaving him alone by the lake. Dirk watched her leave with the strange feeling that of all the people he was dealing with in this dangerous enterprise, Jacinta D'Orlon might prove the most perilous of all.

  ryk hurried back to the house, delighted he'd been able to find Lord Dirk so Lady Jacinta could see him. He really liked Jacinta, and, as Caterina had pointed out, she was just perfect for Lord Dirk. The two of them had secretly agreed to facilitate their meeting at every opportunity. Caterina was like that. She treated Eryk like a fellow conspirator, never as if he was stupid or dull. And Eryk was her willing accomplice. He knew why Caterina wanted to stay with Lord Dirk. Going home to her overbearing mother and her four bossy sisters sounded like no fun at all. This was her only chance at a better life. Caterina speculated if the Lady Jacinta married Lord Dirk, then maybe she'd be allowed to stay at the palace as a servant, once Lord Dirk no longer felt the need to keep her hostage.

  That seemed like an eminently reasonable plan to Eryk. He didn't have many friends and was anxious to retain the few he did have. Lady Jacinta was very nice and very pretty and she was the right age and everything, and—according to Caterina—Lord Dirk was smitten with her. Eryk wasn't actually sure what smitten meant, but it sounded good, so he happily went along with Caterina's scheme.

  Of course, there were a few hurdles to overcome. Getting Lady Jacinta and Lord Dirk alone was only the first thing. Simply getting them to refer to each other by name might prove insurmountable, Caterina worried. All this noble-born nonsense about courtesy was severely limiting. All those polite “my lords” and “my ladys” were quite a hindrance to getting to know somebody. And Dirk being the Lord of the Suns probably didn't help, either. Suppose he had to take a vow of chastity?