Imryne, of House Melrae: Another Mother

[aithne]

(The Lady Of Pain Dramatis Personae)


Imryne, of House Melrae
Book Two: The Lady Of Pain

Chapter Five: Another Mother


(Imryne, in House Maerret)

Arabani Drada shifted uncomfortably on the cushion she was seated on, her personal guard behind her. Imryne was sitting with her back to the door, the subordinate position, with Jevan directly behind her like a solid shadow. She had brought extra guards, just to make it look good, and Jevan was just back from running a raid with Zyn. The warriors of Vandree and Arabani that had been bringing the people of Vrinn down into Fanaedar had perished.

The trap was set, and Drada was sitting in the middle of it. If Imryne did not miss her guess, the Arabani representative was very unhappy indeed.

"Unusual meeting house," Drada said. "I did not know that you were allies to the Maerret."

Imryne smiled. She and Drada occasionally saw each other socially, and that was what this meeting supposedly was, just another friendly engagement. The house had been chosen to make Drada nervous, and the quiet way Imryne was sitting was designed to be nerve-wracking for the other female. "I wouldn't necessarily call it alliance. More like they do what we tell them to do, and leave them alone if they do it. I called you here to talk about some...irregularities in the taking of slaves."

Drada stiffened. "Such as?"

"I had a chance to look at a map of the surface," she said. "The human town Vrinn, where Thalra was killed, is quite close to the opening into the below. Yet Arabani only raided it when it was forced to by Vandree. And then I happened to glance over the accounts of what we've received lately. Very little, and very poor." She was watching Drada very closely, and saw her eyes widen a little bit, her mouth clamp down. She glanced away from Imryne.

And with that glance, everything fell abruptly into place with an almost-audible snap, the whole of Arabani's actions abruptly making sense. "You aren't losing people on these raids, are you?" she said. "You're sending them away."

Drada took a breath, and Imryne saw confirmation in every line of her body, though she barely moved. The guard behind her betrayed far more, looking anxious. "It's an interesting accusation. And what are you going to do with that information?"

"That depends on you," Imryne said, her voice low and gentle and deadly. When she heard herself speak, it was as if Triel stood behind her. She had the same voice when she was stalking triumph. "Your House has been acting as if it worships a goddess we don't speak of in public any more. And from the sound of it, there was a scuffle with bringing the Vrinn townspeople down to the below. A lot of Vandree guards died, and the people escaped." She smiled again, and Drada's body swayed back, just a touch. "I believe Greyanna would be very interested in hearing the conclusions I've drawn. Don't you?"

"She would," Drada said, and there was a bladed feeling in the room, as if the air itself was a weapon. "What do you want? If it's your intention to attack us, then do it already."

"Take the rest of your people and be gone, and don't come back," Imryne said, her voice flat. "We could probably take you, if we wanted, but if your people are in the midst of leaving, we're prepared to offer help with that. We could make sure that Greyanna thinks all of you are dead."

Canny look from Drada. "Why would you do that? Unless you worship the same goddess?"

"Battle wastes lives of warriors we're going to need. Aiding you in leaving, as long as we're sure you're not coming back, means that we take your house with no blood spilled," she said. "We will not repeat Freth's mistake."

Drada let out a soft breath, an unmistakable surrender to circumstance. "When do you want to do this?" she asked.

Imryne said, "As soon as we can. It would take you a few hours to prepare, yes?"

"It will, but we can do it. How do you want to do this?"

"We'll come with a detachment of warriors, and the people who will be doing the transportation. There will need to be a token struggle at the gates, but have all of your people gathered in the center of the house. We will come inside and transport you to a place of your choosing, as long as it's sufficiently far away." She smiled again, no less gently. "I assume you'll want to try to talk that son of House Maerret into going with you."

That startled Drada. "I will. You know a lot. I understand why Greyanna is worried."

Imryne raised an eyebrow. "Her position in the city is the most secure of us all. She's worrying over what will probably turn out to be very little."

"I think you are underestimating how long she has been pondering your rise," Drada said, a touch sourly. "But we will be gone and dead to her and you will be House 9. Thank you for the opportunity to survive for the right goddess." Her eyes were hooded. "At least some of us."

Imryne was startled at the confession, though she tried not to show it. "Or the wrong. It depends on who you ask."

"It does." Drada straightened, and put her hands on her knees. "Four hours, we will be ready." She rose without further comment and strode from the room, taking her guard with her.

Imryne rose as well, and they were on their way home. "Believe her?" Jevan asked once they reached the house.

"I don't know if I do, but if she's going to pull something, it'll be when we're in the house, likely," she said.

"We have to make it look good anyway. So we take them all, and destroy them if its a trap. My only worry is that she alerts another house, on suspicion of us being Ellistraee, and we are met with greater resistance than we expect."

Imryne nodded, thinking of the possibilities. "Might well happen. The other option is that they will leave and rig the inside of the house to explode."

"Which we should do anyway. It will make having so few bodies believable."

"Yes, that was what I was thinking," she said. "I think we take about half of the guards, and leave the other half at the house as a guard against someone coming and attacking while we're gone. And see if Tar thinks she can do this transport by herself. I don't want to take Mother into an enemy house if I can help it."

Jevan said, "Let's go ask and see what happens. It's chancy, but I like these options better."

"I do, too." Imryne shook her head. "I just wish Drada would have taken me up on my offer of alliance a cycle ago. This could have been avoided."

He gave her a small, wry smile. "Lloth's legacy. You can't trust anyone at all, so no one does. They have lost so many people now, they don't have a choice. Besides, in their position then, would you have?"

"No, I wouldn't have." She rubbed her forehead. It had been a long ilit, and it was going to get longer. She had not needed to resort to the potion yet, but she could feel herself standing on the edge, trying not to go over. "Still, there are days that I hate this. I think Drada and I are more alike than different."

"I know," he said, and took her hand. "She will survive and if we do topple Lloth here, she can come back."

"If they want to. I suspect they've been busy setting themselves up elsewhere for the last few cycles."

"Smart," he said. "Second home to transfer to. Might be wise to investigate moving some of your siblings, too."

"That's what I was thinking. Find a safe place for some of them to go live." Imryne glanced out the window they were passing, looking out over her beloved city. "Because this city is nothing like safe."

"No, it's not," he said, and they were at the door to the set.

With the power of the staff behind her, Tar thought she could do the transport. Imryne, though she knew Triel could do it alone and her mother was more than willing, did not want to expose Triel to the danger involved. The last thing she wanted right now was to become matron mother.

Oddly enough, everything went according to plan. House Melrae arrived at the gates of house Arabani, defeated a token force of orcs, and Jevan led them into the inner house, where the entirety of House Arabani was gathered, waiting to go.

Though Imryne had known Arabani was weak, she was unprepared for just how few people they had left. There were less than fifty people here, and over half of those were staff. Drada specified a place to open a door to, a spot on the surface several thousand miles away, where they would enter the dark once more.

Matron Mother Kiaran herded her children into a tight circle, looking distrustfully at Imryne and her cohort. All of her daughters present took strongly after her physically, with stubborn chins and short-fingered hands and an abrupt grace in movement. Three of the daughters, all of them in Lloth regalia, clustered together in the center of the knot of family, whispering fiercely to one another.

Imryne saw the tallest of them raise her head. She met Imryne's eyes with a narrowed look, and then immediately turned away. She ignored the look and brought out the staff, so Tar could start the process of opening the transport.

Like Ilfryn, using the staff took a lot out of Tar, and after the transport winked out of existence and she said, "They're through," her eyes rolled up and she fainted. Jevan carried her out, and Ilfryn led the house mages in a round of destructive magic that set the whole house afire and made sure that it kept burning.

They did what they could to give the impression that many more people had died than actually had, and once the house was burning merrily, everything down to the stone consumed by the flame, Imryne called the guards home.

She sent a message to Greyanna, telling her that Arabani had been exposed as Ellistraee worshipers and destroyed to the last, and received a well done in return. Then Imryne and her spouses went to bed, the potion this time only barely keeping an episode away. But Imryne did sleep, though waking up without a small, sleepy baby between her and Tar caused another storm of tears.

Tar was alternately either inconsolably sunk into grief or very irritable for the next few ilit, seeming to alternate between the two randomly. Ilfryn, so vulnerable to the moods of his spouses, was about as depressed as Tar, though he made an almost superhuman effort to bring himself out of it enough to console Tar and Imryne as the two would let him.

Life inside and outside House Melrae, however, did not stop because Imryne and her family had lost someone small and precious. They had to take over the slave trade, re-round up the people from Vrinn, and set up the slave market for the hapless humans when they were brought into Fanaedar. Zyn and Jevan also traveled to the surface, making arrangements with the elves up there to help House Melrae hunt the orcs that infested the hills.

Vandree absorbed House Drezz'Lynur, and named the former matron mother of that House, Imrae's daughter Larynda, as its representative. Larynda was a female with Imrae's cool demeanor and a sly humor all her own. Imryne met her at the next council meeting, where Greyanna ranted about Arabani and the loss of some of the slaves from Vrinn. That particular rant ended with Greyanna leveling, "And do not fail us as House Arabani did, House Melrae!"

Imryne merely responded that she had no intention of failing as Arabani had. No, we will find new and interesting ways to fail, she thought to herself with dark humor. The new houses to the council, T'sarran and Tlabbar, were both requested to provide Greyanna with spouses, and T'sarran sent in one of Ilfryn's younger brothers the next ilit. Her husband from Arabani had been spiked on the spires outside of House Xalyth, while still alive.

Ilfryn's sister, Jhulae, was now representative for T'sarran; she was plain but very intelligent, and Imryne knew and liked her well. Jezzara from Tlabbar, a young daughter of Amalica, was very pretty but almost entirely silent, and avoided Imryne and her allies as much as she could, playing into the perception that Tlabbar and Melrae were at odds.

Imryne shared what information she could with the Despana about Xalyth's involvement in Briza's death, though she had no proof. Despana Aunrae, during the council meeting, looked alternately angry and numb, talking quietly with Greyanna, looking as though she were being forced somehow to hold this conversation. Greyanna, for her part, looked pleased.

When a set of Melrae servants and guard went to retrieve Tar's altered dresses from Ilmra, they reported back that the shop across the street was closed, the male who had been watching gone without a trace. Tar wanted badly to bring Ilmra into Melrae, but without Chakos to fix what had been done to her, she was a danger. She might not realize that Ellistraee was a bad word.

The day after that meeting, Imryne went to see Sorn.

Her brother was brought to the reception room, and stood uncertainly in the doorway until Imryne motioned him in. Physically, he looked better, but there was something strange in the way his gaze darted furtively around the room. There was a darkness around his eyes, and overall he looked like someone on the edge of a breakdown, like Imryne had seen herself in a mirror just before an episode.

Was the weakness in Imryne inherited? "Are you all right, Sorn?" she asked, concerned.

Sorn dropped his gaze, staring at the floor. "Tired, is all," he mumbled.

Her frown deepened. "Looks like more than tired, little brother."

"That keeper of Imbros's noticed me, I think." Imbros was the name that Ryld was known by in House Xalyth; Imryne had learned that much recently. "And now he is watching me."

"All the time?" Imryne asked, alarmed.

Sorn shook his head. "No, just some of time I see him standing in places. Glimpses in mirrors, dreams."

"That has to be unnerving," she said, and got up to guide her brother to a seat across from her. He sat down, and Imryne discovered that his shoulder was shaking under her hand, just the slightest tremor.

"Very, so it's making me tired and jumpy all the time. He will get bored soon, I think."

But will it be soon enough? she wondered quietly. "I hope so, and I hope you're able to sleep soon. Whatever that keeper is, it sounds like it's dangerous. Wonder what Greyanna has on it to make it work for her?"

"I don't know but it spends a great deal of time avoiding her when it can. But it does have a meetings with her it can't avoid." He shook his head, swallowing. "I also know that she never takes those meetings alone. No less than five personal guard are in that room with them."

"She's afraid of it," Imryne observed. "And it seems to be afraid of her. Or find her unpleasant to be around."

Her brother slumped a little. "Yes, it's kind of a standoff."

"Strange. You said it wears robes, if she's got something physical on it it's probably hidden by that."

"It never takes them off," he said. "I assume it's because of its looks."

"Probably. Too bad, really. Anything Greyanna is afraid of might make a good ally," Imryne said. Then she grimaced. "For certain values of the word ally."

"I am not sure I can talk to it," he said. "If I did, I would have to be able to offer it something."

"Without knowing what it wants or what hold Greyanna has over it, you can't really. Maybe keep your eyes open, and see," Imryne said. She took a breath. "Though to be honest, I'm reluctant to send you into contract with whatever it is."

Sorn rubbed his temples with one elegant-fingered hand. His eyes were so like Triel's when they were closed, the curve of his long white lashes against his cheek the only real way he resembled their mother. Sorn was so obviously a product of Triel's ninth husband that it was easy sometimes to forget that they shared a mother. "I am reluctant to do that, myself, but anything that might get me out of here faster would be good."

"True enough," she said. "I'm worried about you, Sorn. I know I can't do much of anything for the moment, but I still worry."

He opened his eyes, and the look in them stopped Imryne's breath. "I worry about me too. I know it's just a matter of time before I slip and say something wrong, or that thing enters my mind and rips out what it wants."

"Is there anything we can do to help? Well, other than find some way to get you out?" she asked.

"Nothing that I can think of," he said. "Some sort of mental protection, but it would have to be a potion that was permanent. An item would get pulled off of me quickly."

"I'll see what we can do. They let me bring in healing things for you, this might be possible."

Sorn nodded. "Anything else sister?"

"I was just wondering if any of Greyanna's family seem to be particularly unhappy with her right now. Daughters, sisters, brothers?"

He didn't even have to think about it. "Talabrina, I haven't seen in a week or more. Which is unusual."

Talabrina was the daughter that Greyanna didn't get along with, Imryne recalled. "Odd, did she leave the house?"

"No she is in her rooms, with her lovers," he said. "They are consoling her. She gave birth about four skeins back to a girl, who died just last thread, is the rumor. Nothing has been officially said."

Imryne went cold. And now I know whose baby was taken in Maya's place. "Ah, so it's not that she's unhappy with Greyanna, she's just had a tragedy happen."

"So it seems. It could be that she is unhappy with Greyanna, she usually is," he said.

Imryne shook her head. "Does she ever go out at all?"

"Not much," he said, thoughtfully. "You can find her out for the large Lloth services in the main temple for the common people services. When she recovers."

She reached out and captured his hands, turning them over so she could see the pulse in his wrists. "I think that was all," she said quietly. "Hang in there, little brother."

"I will. Let me know if I can help somehow," he said, and pulled her into a hug. She closed her eyes, feeling how he shook, just slightly, with the tremors that came with the strain he was under. She held him close and then released him, then left him behind there, in House Xalyth.

Every time she came from talking to Sorn, she would go silently to the bathing-room, step into the hot water, and soak for a long time by herself. Jevan always let her alone during these times, when she sat with her hair unbound and floating in the steaming water, crying quiet tears. Sorn was braver, and stronger, than she had ever given him credit for. His task was one she would not have been able to do. She would have killed herself after the first thread.

Eventually, she hauled herself out of the water, and went to go pray. As she sat with her fear and grief and rage, her own shoulders shaking, she strove for the peace that she thought that priestesses should possesses, but that she did not in any great amount.

Time ground on. House Melrae let it be known that a baby daughter of theirs had died, but they did not say who the child had been, or who her mother was. Imryne tried to keep Tar from climbing the walls, or worse, from single-handedly assaulting House Xalyth in a doomed attempt to get her daughter back.

Faeryl and Lesrak both started having nightmares, starting at shadows and climbing into bed with their parents at inopportune moments, usually just as Imryne was convincing Tar that sex might help her feel better. Challay had gone silent, more so than usual, and Imryne felt stretched thin, scraped like hide. She depended on the support of her family more than she had ever realized.

For four threads, Imryne attended the common Lloth services along with some of the rest of her family, keeping up appearances. On the fourth thread, she saw Xalyth Talabrina. Talabrina was easy to pick out, wearing the Xalyth symbol prominently at her throat, leaning on the arm of an indifferent guard. She looked little like her mother, but there were similarities, especially in how she moved her hands.

She looked drawn and tired, and her shoulders bowed. Fortunately, she was only lightly guarded, and Imryne managed to get close to her with no trouble. Imryne made her way over to her, trying to drift as if her path were sheer coincidence. She raised her head as she neared, tilting her head as if she were trying to remember who Talabrina was. "Xalyth Talabrina, yes?"

Talabrina firmed her jaw, raising her chin slightly. "Yes. House Melrae? Imryne, I would guess by your infamous bodyguard," she said, glancing at Jevan who was, as always, at Imryne's shoulder.

"Yes, I am," Imryne said. "My brother mentioned you'd suffered a loss recently, I wanted to tell you how sorry I am."

Almost, Imryne thought that Talabrina was taken aback. But she recovered and straightened, taking her hand off of her guard's arm and waving him back a few feet. "Thank you," she said. "There was rumor that you lost someone in your house too, about that age."

Imryne's flash of grief was all too real, and closed her throat briefly. "Yes, we did, the daughter of someone close to me."

"I am sorry for your loss, too. Was there something else, Imryne?" Talabrina asked.

She shook her head. "No, simply that. It's enough to tear the soul apart, when the smallest ones die."

"It is, more than enough to want to tear out others hearts for their role in her death," Talabrina said, her tone blade-edged. "But that is probably saying too much in public."

Imryne smiled briefly. She was inclined to like this daughter of House Xalyth despite herself. "It likely is. But I very much know how you feel."

Talabrina gave her an evaluating look. "Call on me sometime Imryne, we can chat." She turned and gestured to her guards, leading them away, levitating up and over the lip of the depression that the Temple of Lloth was situated in.

Imryne headed back to House Melrae. She did not want to seem too eager, so she waited until the next time she would usually go to see Sorn, the day before the council meeting, to try to find Talabrina.

Her meeting with Sorn was brief and upsetting; her brother was looking worse again and was jumping at every shadow, claiming that the cloaked one was stalking him. Afterwards, she was walking towards the front gates of Xalyth, dawdling a bit, when Talabrina rounded a corner and stopped. Imryne nodded to her. "Talabrina."

"Ah, Imryne," Talabrina said. "Good to see you. Did you come by for a chat with your brother?"

"I did, I come to see him regularly. My mother worries."

The other female smiled briefly. "I would too, with my mother for a wife. Did you have time for that chat or are you busy?"

"I have time, I’m not expected back for a bit. Shall we?" Imryne asked.

Talabrina nodded and led Imryne and Jevan to her rooms, snapping sharply at the several males who were lounging decoratively in the main room. They cleared out, leaving Talabrina alone with Imryne and Jevan. It was a tacit acknowledgement that if Imryne wanted Talabrina dead, she would have no problems accomplishing that. "It's good to have someone to talk to who's had something similar happen to them," Imryne said. "The past skein has been...difficult."

"It has been for me, as well," Talabrina said. "Did that child die of natural causes?"

Imryne shook her head slowly. "No. She died by violence, which is part of what makes it so difficult."

"Mine, they told me, died of natural causes, but I don't believe them." Her voice was flat and angry.

"They didn't let you see the body?" Imryne asked.

"No, the childminder went to my mother with the body, saying she died. And then the childminder disappeared."

Imryne took a sharp breath; it was too reminiscent of when Ryld was taken. You are not long on imagination, except in finding new ways of torture, Greyanna, she thought. "Very strange. Maya was found along with the person who killed her, next to the body of the childminder we'd left her in the care of, in our rooms."

"It seems our situations are similar," Talabrina said, and her eyes narrowed just a touch. "I blame my mother. And you?"

She shook her head mournfully. "I wish I had someone to blame. The person who killed Maya is--afflicted. She can't do anything but scream and moan, and until the day she killed Maya I would have sworn she was upsetting but harmless. It's almost as if she were taken over by someone."

The other female blinked, and her hands curled in the fabric of her skirt. "What was the point of killing your child, though?"

"I'm not sure. She was just a baby, and she's of a cadet line--a member of the household, but she would never have been an heir. I assume that someone wanted to upset or distract me. They succeeded," she said grimly. "There are a number of people who would have motivation, though. Your mother is high on that list, if only because I know she had access to the person who killed Maya."

"She has access to a great many." Talabrina's eyes were hooded. "My mother and I have had differences in the past, and we will continue to do so in the future. I think this was some form of punishment. The same for you?"

"If it was her, it almost certainly was punishment," Imryne said. "I took from her someone that she was evidently fond of at least, if not loved."

Talabrina looked a bit startled. "Who was that, if I may ask?"

"My sister Rauva. I believe Greyanna at least suspects her suicide was not what it appeared to be."

She took a breath of understanding, and pressed her lips together. "Ah, Rauva, she was a frequent guest here. A soul to match her skin color, from what I knew of her. Forgive me if that offends." She grimaced slightly. "My mother is the same."

Imryne shook her head. "No offense, don't worry. She and I never got along."

"Much like my mother and I," Talabrina said. "There will come a time when she and I will part ways, and one of us will likely die from it."

As much as I hope it would be her, I know better than to underestimate Xalyth Greyanna, she thought grimly. "Well, I hope that you're the victor there. Your mother has caused me much heartache, even if she is not responsible for Maya's death."

"I would not doubt she killed two children that night to teach us both a lesson."

Imryne smiled thinly. "Likely. Though I’m not sure I learned the lesson she wanted. What about you?"

Talabrina folded her hands. That motion abruptly reminded Imryne of Greyanna, though she could not have said precisely why. It was something about how she held herself, something brittle and fluttering around the edges, and Imryne wondered just how much of Greyanna's madness Talabrina had inherited. "Me either. Alone, I am not sure either one of could teach her a lesson, but together, there is a chance."

"I think that there is," she said. "You would work with me, then?"

Her reply was just a touch slow. "Depends on what you have in mind."

"Knowing what your mother is up to is always useful; I can sometimes counter what she does," she said. "And...I'm told your mother has a new pet. A being that never takes its robes off. Sorn told me about it, and I have a fair idea what it is."

"Ah, the illithid, yes." Talabrina took a breath. "In exchange for this information, my terms are rescue from this house and protection as a daughter of house Melrae for myself and my children. I do not need to be in line for succession, but I would hate to lose my status as a daughter of some noble house."

"I would need to check with my mother, but I believe I can talk her into that. And it's certainly something I'm in favor of." She did like Talabrina, she decided, in spite of--or perhaps partially because of--the ways she resembled her mother.

"Thank you," Talabrina said, and to Imryne's surprise the other female's shoulders sagged slightly, as if she had been unsure of her ability to secure rescue. "The fathers can be killed or left behind as we see fit. They are chosen by Greyanna, and even those I like will likely be spies."

Imryne nodded. "I think so. And as a daughter of House Melrae, we could certainly find some husbands to your liking."

There it was again, just a flash of brittleness that left Imryne wondering what lay behind those pretty eyes that hurt so badly. "I will find my own. Something I would like to do just once."

"Of course. That's how I've found mine," she said.

Talabrina gave her a small, slow smile. "Good. Well until I hear from you after your mother has been asked, I will see what I can get casually. And then more earnestly, when you know what you want me to do."

"That will work. I’d like to ensure I have my mother's cooperation before we get farther into specifics. Is there a good way to get you a message? Spells?"

"Those would be best, yes. Until I hear from you then, Imryne."

Imryne stood. "Until then." She bowed shallowly and Talabrina showed her and Jevan out. They left the hulking bulk of House Xalyth behind them, and returned to the Melrae compound. Imryne let Jevan go back to the set while she went to see her mother. Triel appeared to be balancing some accounts, but when Imryne came into her study she rolled up the scroll she was working on and capped the inkwell. "I have some...interesting news," Imryne said.

Triel gestured to the chair that Imryne usually occupied. She was a little less put together than usual, hair a bit untidy and her skin a little flushed, and Imryne guessed that she had been spending the morning with her husbands. It cheered her a bit to think of her mother, who had lately been looking as if she were carrying the world on her shoulders, being comforted by those she loved so well. "What news?" Triel asked.

"I have a contact within Xalyth who has reason to help us. But the price she asks for her help is unusual."

Triel looked pleased. "Xalyth. Such a spy is probably worth the price if she is a sure spy."

"Greyanna's daughter Talabrina, who to all reports has never gotten along with her mother," Imryne said. "She's sure Greyanna had her infant daughter killed the same night that Maya was taken. Her price is, when the time comes, escape from Xalyth for her and her children, and adoption into Melrae as a daughter."

Triel looked a bit surprised. "I assume as a low daughter?"

"Yes, she doesn't desire to be an heir. She just doesn't want to lose the status of being a daughter of a noble house." Imryne shifted, thinking about Talabrina and how brittle she had seemed. "Her husbands, she says, can be left behind or killed, since they were all chosen by Greyanna and all of them might be spies."

"Smart as well, I see." Her mother looked at Imryne, her hands folded. "Can you trust her? I know she is a Xalyth, but what does your instinct tell you?"

Imryne thought about it, about Talabrina. After a few moments, she said, "I like her, oddly enough. The only real resemblance between her and her mother is that they're both intelligent. I think I can trust her."

Triel nodded. "Then agree. We have done some dangerous things in the past, taken chances on people. This one is extremely dangerous. Try to give her only what she needs to do her job."

"I'll do my best," she said. "If she is what I think she is, she will be an asset to the house, once she gets over the surprises she'll find in here."

"True enough. That may end her life in here, if she can't convert or chooses not to. We may just have to kill her."

Triel put her hands down on the table, and the sapphire and emerald ring glittered next to her heavy house crest ring. "They send her a message and tell her we accept and put her to work as a spy. Good work, my daughter. How do you feel?"

"Better, now that Sorn is not our only contact within that house." She sighed heavily. "Otherwise a bit tired, a bit heartsick. Things have not been easy lately."

"No they haven't. But things seems strangely quieter. Something I don't like." Triel frowned. "Maybe it's Xalyth, but be careful out there, daughter. It's the unseen dagger that kills."

"I'll start digging a bit. Maybe I can find that unseen dagger before it hits us," Imryne said, and stood. She came around the desk to kiss her mother on the forehead. "Go back to your husbands, Mother. I'll take care of things."

Triel chuckled fondly and shooed Imryne off, and Imryne went back to the set. She was not destined for rest, however; the children were more troublesome than usual, a whole set of cousins camping out in the main room. Evidently, Faeryl had recruited the children of the household to try to cheer up Tar and the rest of the family. From the look on Tar's face, it wasn't working really well. Ilfryn was busy trying to keep a pair of overambitious children from overturning a table to use as a fort. Imryne had to retreat to Ilfryn's workshop to compose the messages she needed to send.

Her first message was to Talabrina, accepting her terms. Then she sent messages to Naerth Akordia, T'sarran Jhulae, and Tlabbar Jezzara, asking to meet with them in preparation for council the next day.

Late in the third period, they met in the ruins of House Tlintarn. For some reason, the abandoned noble houses were rarely colonized by squatters these days. It was as if they were universally considered to be bad luck. Imryne was standing, leaning on a doorframe that still had dried bloodstains on the lower third. Jevan, behind her, was doing his best to remain impassive, though Imryne could imagine that it was not easy for him to be here, in this house that he had destroyed after they had kidnapped him.

"My mother pointed out that things are too quiet, and she's right. I think the war with Abburth may be coming," Imryne said quietly.

Jezzara said, "And she is going to call for an end to house warfare until the war is over."

Next to her, Akordia said, "I think you are right. She will call for action tomorrow."

Imryne made a face. "I don't believe for a moment that the house warfare will end. It will go underground, but we will not be able to lower our guard for a moment."

Jhulae was sitting, knees pulled up slightly, her feet hidden in the folds of her long skirt. "It will go underground and we will whittle each other down to the point when the war is over, many houses will topple."

"If she calls for war and an end to house hostilities. House Tlabbar is going to have to vote with Xalyth without showing our positions," Jezzara pointed out. "War is usually done on all or nothing vote, so one house can block."

"That house historically doesn't survive long," Akordia said sourly.

"We may be able to block with three houses, but three against nine is not good odds. If we had more houses on the council, maybe," Imryne said. "We have no good options here. If we go to war, we end up fighting against people who ought to be our allies, and wasting lives."

Jhulae tilted her head, and Imryne tried not to show her wince. The gesture that could look wise on another female just made her look like a bat, twisting its head to hear better. "What's House Melrae going to do?" she asked.

"As much as I hate to say it, I think we're going to have to vote for war," she said, grimacing. "We don't occupy the position yet that we would need to block it."

"How do we limit our losses from the warriors we are going to have to contribute?" Jezzara asked.

Trust Jezzara always to go directly to the practical. Imryne said, "Because we have control of the slave trade, we can try to contribute more slaves than house guards. Melrae can certainly help you with that. Otherwise, I’m going to try to see if I can get our people somewhere other than the front lines."

"Then we all agree we will vote for the war and find a way to contribute nothing but slaves, rather than house guard," Akordia said. "The pressure is going to be on Melrae, not only from us but from the rest of the city for more slaves to fight this war. Shades of Arabani here."

Imryne nodded. "Yes, but I think we can handle it, at least for the moment. we're going to have to start ranging farther afield soon, but I'm hoping we can make use of our contacts on the surface for that."

"We do what we can in service to the goddess," Jezzara said, steepling her fingers in an Ellistraee sign. "Anything else, Melrae?"

"No. Just watch yourselves, and your houses. Things have been far too quiet, and I don't think it's just the approaching war. There's something else, but I don't know yet what it might be." Imryne shook her head. "Of course, I could also be being paranoid. It's been known to happen."

"We all are," Akordia said, then gestured to her guard. They all departed separately, Imryne the last to leave.

The council meeting was a few hours later, after Imryne had bathed and changed, bound up her hair elaborately, and put on her best hard face. The meeting started out with routine things, reports on the state of the city. Then Greyanna stood, pulling herself to the entirety of her considerable height. "I want to place a motion on the floor to start a full scale war with Abburth. Our losses to the spy network have been heavy and returned nearly nothing. I think a war will pare our losses and cause them considerable pain." She looked around the council, the lines of her face overshadowed by the high, stiff collar of her elaborately jeweled dress. "All in favor?"

Kilsek Elerra was the first to raise her hand and call, "Yea!" Then there was a cascade, with Claddeth, Noquar, Tlabbar, and Jenn'Yxir. Imryne gave in at that point, calling her agreement, and before the echo of her voice faded Despana and Mylyl had chimed in. Then Naerth and T'sarran raised their voices, and finally, after the echoes had faded and all eyes had turned to Vandree Larynda, she raised her voice in favor.

Greyanna scowled at Larynda, then said, "Good. House Melrae, we will need all you can get from the surface. Second motion. An end to house fighting until the war is over."

Vandree Larynda stood swiftly, all hard-edged grace. "Motion denied."

Greyanna's mouth fell open, and she looked stunned. Imryne said, into the silence, "You would have us fight on all fronts at once?"

"The fighting will continue no matter what we say at the council," Larynda said. "It will be assassinations in the streets, and we all know it. Keep it in the open and we can see what houses are fighting, and which are assassinations by Abburth." There was a dangerous light in the Vandree representative's eyes. "Besides, we are Lloth-bound. A weak house should be destroyed to make favor for the new, stronger house. If one of us is weakened by the war, then Lloth determines that and we should be able to cull the weak spot. Without that ability, we have to spend resources propping up a house that will fall as soon as the war is over."

"Then by all means, let us keep fighting one another," Imryne said, unwilling to back down so easily. Her voice was blade-edged. "If we spend our resources on killing each other, Abburth won't have to work nearly so hard to finish the job."

"Pound your fist if you like, Melrae, but when we uncover a house of Ellistraee are we waiting until the war is over to remove it?" Larynda's voice was slightly disdainful.

Imryne waited for a moment to see if anyone else was going to join the fray, but none spoke. Many of the council were nodding, but none seemed inclined to voice an opinion. Imryne said, "True enough," and subsided.

Greyanna sniffed. "Motion denied. House fighting can continue." Her whole body was held stiffly, nearly vibrating with anger. "Lastly, I have been dealing with some people that should help us in our cause." She raised a hand and the doors of the council house opened, and a dozen drow, both males and females, filed in to stand in a clump near the doors. "The faces they wear are a form of illusion, feel free to see if you can see through it."

She paused, waiting for spells to be cast. The council was muttering around the table, most of the representatives saying that they looked like drow to them. Then Greyanna said, "Release your image."

Standing where drow had been a moment before were a dozen illithids, tentacles writhing.

Chaos reigned briefly in the council house, as guards pulled swords and leaped between the illithids and the representatives. "Don't worry, these are tame," Greyanna said, her sharp voice cutting through the noise. She was smiling.

I think your definition of tame and mine are not the same thing at all, Imryne thought. Greyanna continued, "They will be employed in Abburth to read the minds of the enemy and find where our network has been compromised."

"And here?" Elerra asked. There was white showing all the way around her dark pupils.

"I assure you that that thought has crossed my mind but if one of these is turned I would rather them not have a lot of secrets on our city and our houses. As tempting as it is for me to use them for personal gain, I will not."

"Out of curiosity, Greyanna. How does one tame a creature that would as soon eat your brain as look at you?" Imryne's voice was lazy, and dangerous. "And how do you know they won't get away from you?"

Greyanna's eyes went hooded. "We have an agreement they will hold to. Illithid biology is a bit different. Where we can mate in groups of three or more, it only requires two of the opposite sex to create another. Illithids take three. Suffice it to say that the third sex is rare, and usually but one or two per generation are born. I have this conclave's only one, who will be released back to them as soon as the war is over. It is a dangerous bargain, I assure you, but one Xalyth deems worth the risk to our house." She smiled sharply. "And ours alone."

"And after the war is done? Do you think they will forget?" Imryne asked.

"No, they won't, but I am willing to chance it."

"Then on your house comes the consequences of working with such...creatures." Imryne sat back, letting her lip curl slightly.

"It does, and I agree with your disgust, but until the leak is found we are losing people more quickly than I like. They find them and they are done." She gave Imryne an amused look. "Any strike by them leaves you with a better chance for becoming House 1."

She disliked the tone of Greyanna's voice, but she desisted, subsiding. The council was dismissed by Greyanna, and Imryne was one of the first out the door. Once safely in Melrae, she relaxed, and let herself think of all of the consequences of Greyanna's insane plan.

The first one, of course, was that Urlryn was in terrible danger. She sent her a message, saying only, Fanaedar has sent illithids to Abburth. Urlryn would know what that meant; she would either have to withdraw or be caught, and take her network of spies with her.

"What did you think of Vandree's objections?" Jevan asked, after she had briefed Tar and Ilfryn on what had happened at the meeting. She was leaning on Ilfryn as they both sat on the chaise, his arms around her.

She closed her eyes briefly, feeling Ilfryn's familiar heartbeat and breathing in his scent. "Vandree has something planned. They would have backed anyone who opposed going to war, I think. Imrae is as crafty as they come. There has to be a reason, and whatever the reason is it can’t be good for us. It looks like Vandree is weak at the moment, but I'm not entirely sure that's the case. I think we may be incidental damage, though."

"Do we need to find a way in or put a spy in there?"

Imryne nodded. "That's what I was thinking. They've been buying a few slaves, we have a route in there. That's the only real open avenue at the moment, but I'll take some time to see what I can find out about them."

"What about House Oblodra?" Tar asked. "Ryld said they broke from Vandree."

"True, so they might be able to willingly help," Imryne said. "I'd want to confirm that, though, and find out what lies between them. Oblodra might even be potential allies."

"Sounds like a place to start," Jevan said. "And what about Balok?"

She started at the name. She had almost forgotten Balok, the leader of the band of twisted outcasts that haunted the tunnels below Fanaedar. He had never called for help. "We haven't heard from him in almost a cycle. It might be time to go visit. If nothing else, some among them might have originally been from the top three houses."

Jevan smiled. "I was thinking that we could use him to, say, intercept a few illithids on the way to Abburth?"

"Might work, at that. There are only a few possible routes," she said thoughtfully. "We know what their drow forms look like. Might not get them all, but some is better than none."

"Fewer is better," he said, nodding. "So, meeting with Oblodra?"

"I think so. I’ll consult with my mother about them first, see what she knows or suspects. And tonight, down to the caves to talk to Balok." She twisted around to plant a kiss on Ilfryn's jaw. "I'll be back."

Jevan escorted her to her mother's apartments. Triel was expecting her, and Imryne wasted no time in briefing her in what had gone on. "I cannot imagine how she imagines this will have a good ending, unless she plans to kill all of the illithids once she's done with them," she said, rubbing her temples.

"I would bet that she is planning just that," Triel said. "Killing them all somehow. "She would know the nest location. Illithids are very specific in where they can live and breed. Humidity seems to be a factor."

"So she's probably planning on just wiping them all out when she's done. Or getting someone to do it for her," she said. "Which strikes me as dangerous, planning to wipe out a bunch of mind-readers."

Triel pointed out, "She has to have a block on her mind and on those around her. She had Chakos for a while, and he could have done it."

"Likely. I don't know, though. I still have a very bad feeling that not all is going to go as she thinks." Imryne smiled fiercely. "Possibly because we're going to interfere, granted."

"It won't if you help it along in the right way. Might weaken her, and that is best for us. But she will have plan after plan. She has some out somewhere."

Probably. I don't know where yet," Imryne said. "For the moment, we have a situation. I've sent a message to Urlryn; with any luck, she'll get out all right. Jevan had a very good idea for possibly dealing with those Greyanna will be sending; we have some allies who live down near the crypts who may be willing to help."

"Kill them before they get there. Yes, that could work." Triel's voice was approving.

"We may not get all of them, but even some would help," she said. "The other thing I needed--I wanted to know what you might know about House Oblodra. I don't know anything about them, other than that they're headed by one of Imrae's daughters and they broke from Vandree a while back."

"Oblodra. Well." Triel looked thoughtful. "Pellanistra, is the mother's name. She is a bit odd but extremely intelligent. She has but one lover that I know of. Very powerful priestess, casts spells beyond my range. And that is why Imrae broke with her, or vice versa. Jealousy. Pellanistra could take her mother in a battle, with ease."

"Interesting. Any indications if they worship someone other than Lloth?" Imryne asked. "I know sometimes Lloth worshipers choose to take only one lover, but it's so rare that it really sounds more like Indran."

Triel nodded. "I wonder that myself. She acts more like Indran to me as well. Another rift that formed with her mother, maybe. I do know that Imrae was plotting to destroy the house long ago, she was very angry after the split. Her forces went out and surrounded the house. The battle started and then fog lifted from the ground. The battle stopped, and when the fog spread out, there was no one. No bodies, no blood, no weapons, just gone. Pellanistra refused to tell the council who attacked, saying she dealt with them and they wouldn't do it again."

Imryne took a sharp breath. "That's...a little frightening. Does she have any alliances with other houses?"

"None public," her mother said. "Nor does she normally court such things, I have tried over the years. You will have to write a note that piques her interest. Otherwise you will get a reply of, no thank you, House Oblodra."

"Too bad I can't just tell her the truth. I'm sure that might get her attention." Imryne clenched her hands, and consciously relaxed them. "But if she is still at odds with Imrae, there may be an opening there."

"I hope you have better luck than I. She is a very powerful ally and if Imrae knows of the alliance, she will back down. Even Greyanna will pause. She is worth the catch if you can make it," Triel said. "Good luck, my daughter."

"Thank you. I'm probably going to need it," Imryne said. She gave her mother a hug, and then was off once more, back to the set.

A few exchanged messages later, and a meeting was set with Balok in the gallery of the dead, during the third period. Jevan was going, of course, and Ilfryn volunteered. Tar, too, wouldn't be left behind. Between bouts of depression, she was showing a side that Imryne had never seen of her usually cheerful wife. She was aggressive, often flirting with the edge of a killing rage, wanting to hurt people, especially Xalyth people.

Imryne was seriously worried about her, but she thought that the only cure was going to be getting Maya back. That was going to require time, and luck. For the moment, they cloaked themselves and left Fanaedar, taking the twisting tunnels that lead down to the gallery of the dead.

On the ledge where the tunnel opened out on the gallery, they waited. It seemed like lifetimes ago when Imryne had been down here last, when she had discovered that Freth had lost so many people while taking Nurbonnis. They were alone when they arrived, but rustlings and scratching from the depths told them that they were not alone, and soon Balok floated up to the platform. If anything, the clothes he wore were even more ragged than they had been, and they showed more of him.

He unfolded himself with an effort, spreading gloved hands. His long hair was thin, and his mouth was twisted subtly, deformed in a way that suggested that there was something other than teeth and tongue behind his lips. The murmuring came from all around them, clicks and scrabbles and mutters. There were more of them than there had been before, almost twice what they had been if Imryne's estimate was right. "Greetings, Balok," she said.

greetings reetings reet

Balok clicked irritably, and the murmuring ceased. "Greetings, House Melrae."

"I wanted to meet with you, to ask you what news there is down here that we haven't heard in the city above, and to see if I could have you help us with a problem we have," she said, her tone formal.

His light-lidded eyes studied her. "Certainly, what problem are you having?"

"There is a group of illithids disguised as drow who will be leaving Fanaedar for Abburth sometime in the next few days, perhaps as early as late tonight. If some or all of them were to disappear, that would make everyone's lives a lot easier," she said. "I can describe their drow seemings to you. It is dangerous. In return, well...that really depends on what you need, down here. I see your numbers have increased." She gestured around, and uneasy scrabblings and mutterings answered her.

"We know the illithid encampment," Balok said. "Both the transformed, and the collective."

Imryne took a startled breath. "You even know where the collective is? Well. Would you be willing to go against the transformed?"

"Certainly, but the cost of life will be high, so my price is high as well," he said evenly. "Find us a cure."

It was impossible to conceal her startlement. "To change you back into what you were once?" Balok nodded. "Would you have a time limit?"

"I know it may take decades," he said slowly. "All I ask is that you try."

Imryne thought about it only briefly. "Then yes. We may need to borrow some of your people on occasion, or send someone down here."

"We have some that you can use, and one I would like to send with you when you leave tonight. She will be helpful, I believe."

Imryne frowned. "She? I thought that they limited their attempts to male warriors."

"They did in the past. This is new and so far the only one," he said.

"Then we will take her with us when we leave," Imryne said. "Do you need anything else? More weapons?"

"Weapons we have," Balok said. He mouth twitched, moving in a grotesque parody of a smile. "The real drow that are with both encampments, what do we do with them? Or are we destroying just the transformed camp?"

"Preferably there will be no survivors, either drow or illithid," Imryne said. "I would say you could merely take out the transformed camp, but with the nature of illithid, I’m afraid that they would come down hard on you afterwards."

The outcast nodded. "So all, the drow in the collective will fight hard, for they are many, but we will whittle their numbers as we can, and destroy the collective. And the food sources are to be killed as well, unless you need cages of orcs?"

"Cages of orcs may well be useful for us. If you can capture those, we can use them. Otherwise, kill them as well."

The crowd clinging to the walls and floating behind Balok muttered, Kill kill well them kill capture kill kill--

Balok made a quick series of clicks, and the muttering once again fell silent. The echoes persisted for a few moments more, distorted by the enormous space that the gallery occupied. "They will know about this soon, as the Xalyth caravans carrying the orcs to the illithids arrive nearly daily to both the collective and the transformed."

"So no matter what, Xalyth will know soon," Imryne said. "What must be done must be done, then. Xalyth's wrath can be handled."

"Their agreement does need to end, though," Balok said. "I do not know the full extent of the agreement but I did see the exchange. Greyanna and others came, including her first daughter Baltana. They exchanged Baltana for one of the illithid. I assume some sort of mutual pact that might keep both parties from a double cross. Then the Jenn moved many warriors into the collective, to guard Baltana. A point that Xalyth was mad about but agreed to. I assume there that Xalyth guarding their daughter would maybe lead to trouble if the Xalyth did betray, they would have many in the collective. And the Jenn may not care as much."

"Very interesting. The one that was taken in exchange is evidently a member of their third sex, who is necessary for breeding for them. And it was a wise move on their part, to insist on non-Xalyth guards, who won't be nearly as invested in protecting Baltana."

Balok nodded. "We will attack tonight, when most of them are at the transformed camp. We will try to leave no survivors but we will see, and I have never seen more than nine transformed at once in that camp."

Imryne grimaced. "Interesting. I saw twelve. so we will be missing at least three."

"The others probably roam the city," he said. Abruptly, he turned and gave a series of clicks. two outcasts floated up, carrying between them a--girl? They set her gently down on the ledge, next to Balok.

She was between five and seven cycles old, small and thin, dressed only in a stained male's shirt that fell to her knees. There were holes cut at the hips and under the arms, and from those holes black, hairy spider legs emerged, twitching slightly as she shuffled in pace.

Those legs were bad enough, but as the girl glanced up, Imryne saw a deformity that was even worse. Her eyes were solid black, and faceted like a spider's. She tried not to shudder. "This is Ulitree of House Noquar," Balok said. "She is the girl I spoke of."

This is not her fault, she reminded herself. "Ulitree, then. Will you come with us?"

Ulitree nodded silently. Balok said, "She is a bit shy, but she can help you as well. The eyes allow her to see the transformed."

"Ah. Very useful, indeed. How long has she been down here?" Imryne asked.

"A bit less than three threads," Balok said. "I fear for her safety both down here, and from us."

"From you?" Please let it not be what I think it is...

Balok grimaced, in an apparent attempt to frown. "Some of us are a little less drow and more beast. They will try to mate with her. It's been a long time to have only males down here. A female creates a problem for the more beast-like of the outcasts."

"I wondered if that was the case," she said. "We will take her, then, and protect her."

"Thank you, we will send you a message as to our progress. We need nothing more, just the promise that you will look for a cure for all of us."

She nodded. "We will. No matter how long it takes."

Balok turned from her then, and raised his voice. "Outcasts, we have battle!"

The cry that went up then was like nothing Imryne had ever heard, sending shivers down her spine. It was raised from what seemed like hundreds of throats, a wild skirling noise that seemed to last forever, that echoed from the gallery walls and amplified. There were no words discernable in it. Tar grabbed Imryne's hand, squeezing hard. "To the shadow well," Balok said then, his voice somehow louder than it ought to be.

Shadow shadow shadow well well well shadow--

Balok turned back to them. "You will hear from us soon." Then he folded himself in half and leapt, using his levitation to catch himself at the height of his jump, and began to descend into the gallery. Outcasts followed him, through the air and on the walls, and they were gone.

The silence they left behind was as oppressive as the scent of rot that always hung in the air down here. Imryne extended her hand to Ulitree. "Well, then. Back to the house."

Ulitree took her hand, falling in beside her. One of her slider legs brushed Imryne's knee, and the girl whimpered and pulled her extra limbs in towards herself. "The staff might be useful here to cause less notice," Jevan suggested.

"That's what I was thinking," she said. She concentrated, thinking about the staff that was strapped to her skin beneath her dress, and tried to come up with a believable illusion. She settled on her son Lesrak; he was only a little larger than Ulitree, and that way nobody who saw then would think there was anything out of the ordinary about her having a child with her.

They returned to House Melrae, and settled Ulitree into Jevan's old room, giving her extra blankets and calling for tea and food to be brought. From the way the girl ate, food was scarce down in the depths, and she settled into bed as if she hadn't had a minute of sleep for threads and threads.

They would have to give her a bath in the morning, but for now Ulitree was fed and warm and safe, and that was a vast improvement on her condition. Once they closed the door on her, leaving her fast asleep in bed, Tar said, "Creepy but I will work on the cure. Gives me something to do and it feels to me like direct Lloth work, something that Ellistraee can probably counteract. Ilfryn can help with the bits that Chakos did."

"If nothing else, she's probably scared out of her mind and might need someone she can trust," Imryne said.

Jevan sat down on the chaise, and beckoned Imryne over. She came to sit next to him, and Tar curled up on Jevan's other side, Ilfryn sat on Imryne's right, putting his elegant-fingered hand on her knee. "As usual, Xalyth lied," Jevan said. "Xalyth has a pact with the illithids. They provide intelligence and Xalyth is supplying food, and maybe more. And they traded people important to them to keep the peace."

"The peace that we're about to disturb." Imryne shook her head. "At this point, I'm more surprised when I hear truth from Xalyth than when I hear lies. I think she did tell the truth about the one they have, though. Ryld's keeper. Goddess, I wish it were possible to bring them down now."

"Not yet, but in time. I can make their life more difficult." Imryne gave Jean a pointed look. "I can kill a few guards here and there, make them stay inside, because any that stick their noses outside the gate die," he clarified. "If I can get to one of the family and kill them, so much the better. Abburth can be blamed for now. Dangerous but it can be done."

She made a dismayed noise. "I'm very tempted to say too dangerous. If anyone realizes who's behind it, we're all dead."

"Another option is for Sorn to sacrifice his life," he said. "Given time and you passing him other things rather than healing potions into his possession. He could smuggle into Greyanna's bedchamber and blow it and himself up."

Ilfryn tightened his hand on Imryne's knee. "I hate to say it, but you could do that even without his knowledge."

"It would have to be done carefully. If he knows what he's doing, he could give it away. And we need to find out who in Xalyth has Maya. I’d bet on the sister, but I’d prefer to know for sure." Imryne took a long breath. "We need to make sure that we won't be endangering either Ryld or Maya. It's terrible, but...it could be done. Sorn is going to shortly become a problem. He is breaking." She remembered what she had seen in him yesterday, how his hands had shook.

Ilfryn was looking thoughtful. "We can spike his healing potions with other potions and I can give you the trigger potion, when drunk will combine with the parts of the already ingested potions. It will take a few hours to mix but he will explode. Willingly or not."

"He did mention that he's starting to pass his potions on to the new ones, though. We'd need to make it something else. We would just need to make sure he's in Greyanna's presence when he does so," she said.

Tar had perked up, and she was now coiled against Jevan, looking more cheerful than she had since Maya had been taken. "And if he does then it's possible that we could have someone else go up.
Which might be better to shift the blame. Sorn would have no knowledge if he survived the blast."

"True. And if it were one of the new ones, they're a lot more likely to be in Greyanna's presence," Imryne said, mulling it over. "Especially if the trigger was a euphoric, or something to add to stamina, something to make the encounters with her easier."

Her wife grinned savagely. "Might not get her, and it might but either way it shakes Xalyth to the core that someone can get in."

Ilfryn said, "It will take three potions, two for the potion to be infused into the body and then the catalyst. It will take a few hours to mix depending on the person. When it goes up, though, it will do a lot of damage."

"As long as it can be disguised as something benign, the sort of thing I usually bring in. Two different kinds of healing potions, and then maybe a stamina enhancer."

He smiled. "Surely can." She could see his mind working, deciding what spells to infuse into the potions, and there was warmth burning in her chest. Despite the fact that they were discussing the possible murder of her brother, there was something cheering in the way they were working together now. "I will then start on the potions if that is what you think we should try."

"I think it's worth at least trying it," Imryne said.

"I will make the potions and we can decide if we need them," he said.

On her other side, Jevan said, "And Ulitree? Of House Noquar?"

"I'm going to have to talk to her," Imryne said. "Or Tar will. She may be able to tell us more about who did this to her, and when, and how she managed to come to be with the outcasts."

They talked for a little while longer, trying to come up with a reason for her to have been dumped, and which house had done it. They didn't get very far, and Imryne was exhausted from the day and from the illusion she had used to sneak Ulitree into the house. Using the staff was always draining. She was awake enough, however, to enjoy the lovemaking that happened after they tumbled into bed, all four of them hungry for reassurance, plans growing among them. Since Maya had been gone, her absence had placed a pall over their bed. But now, there was a chance. They had a plan, possibilities.

They would get Maya back, Imryne vowed. If she had to personally pull House Xalyth apart stone by stone, they would get their children back from Greyanna.