The Necromancer's Grimoire (17 page)

Kemal knew what the necromancer was planning. He had learned it when she had been inside him. He did not know where to turn for help. His extensive education did not include a defense against the machinations of a magus. She felt the intensity of this burden.

She continued, “The sultan wishes Evren Farshad had never come to Istanbul, but now cannot rid himself of his magician.”

She turned to Corbett. “Your plans were to retrieve your book and leave to find your treasure. That is not going to be so simple.” She looked at him and saw that he had not expected the attempt to be easy.

“And you were hoping to hear news of Massey in the harbor,” she said to Montrose. “You knew he had spent winters here before.” He nodded.

“And you.” She said to DiMarco. “You expected to bargain for services.”

The old man spread his hands before him. “I will bargain with whoever can grant them.”

“We are all going to be disappointed,” she sighed. “The priestess will help keep him out of me for now, but he is very powerful. He will find another way in.” She touched Montrose's thigh. “I will not be able to keep him from you.”

“If we get his
grimoire
we will be able to protect ourselves. He will not be able to hurt us if we have it.” Corbett put a hand on Calvin's shoulder. “It will defend its owner.”

“Then it defends
him
now,” she pointed out.

“Our Order is the rightful owner. He is a usurper. When we are in the presence of the book it will want to return to us,” Corbett said.

Montrose arched an eyebrow.

Corbett and Calvin exchanged glances. “It knows it belongs to us,” Calvin insisted.

Montrose asked, “Then all we have to do is show it to you? It will become your ally and defeat its former master?” His voice was heavy with disbelief.

Corbett nodded once.

Nadira made a point, “I did not feel the book when I was connected to him.”

Corbett answered her. “No. It is not a book that everyone can read. There is a key,” he said. “Only the Master of the Key can command the book.”

She rubbed her eyes, “Why am I not surprised?”

“I should be the one, but after all these years we have lost the means. That is why I need you. I would use you as the Key. You have tasted the
Hermetica
. I have not. The
Grimoire
will not recognize me as one who can speak to it.” He glanced at DiMarco, “Until I take an elixir and go where you have gone, Nadira. Only then will I be able to use it.”

“He will not taste the
Hermetica
,” Calvin said firmly. “He would go mad.”

Corbett made a face of disgust and gave Calvin a sidelong look. “You do not know. I might be able to use it.”

“I will never forget that night in Firenze. You foamed at the mouth, Malcolm. You raved for hours then lay insensible for hours more. I say you will not taste the
Hermetica
.”

Nadira was aware she was listening to a rehash of a very old argument between the two Templars. “What do we do?” She slumped lower.

Montrose shook his head, agreeing with Corbett. “I say you taste the
Hermetica
and become your own Key. The sultan has returned the book to us. Eat it.” He waved a hand at DiMarco, “Or suck down all his poisons. We take our leave. Nadira is to go to Attica; she is to meet with the priestess there.”

“Not yet,” Corbett insisted. There was an uncomfortable silence. “For two hundred years we have been trying to collect the treasures stolen and dispersed by the king of France. With it I can complete the quest of the Order, to restore the treasure of the mind as well as the treasures of the earth that sustained us in our learning. We must do this to protect Christendom from destruction. Even now Derrick and Reginald make arrangements in Rome. Lionel will join us with money and supplies. He is to meet me on St. Isidore's day at the harbor.”

Montrose was not convinced. “What do you offer Nadira in exchange for her services? You promised to take her to Attica. She has been called to meet with the High Priestess of Elysium. She will not be able to complete her quest if yours kills her first.”

Corbett glanced briefly at Nadira to remind her of their secret agreement outside Rome. He could not answer the baron without betraying her reasons for helping the Templars. Corbett said as much as he could, “There is much danger, but the reward will be worth the risk. You will one day reap that reward yourself, Baron.”

Montrose stood. “I am no longer certain this is the best route, and I did not come here for a reward. I came to protect Nadira on her journey to the priestess.”

“Peace, Baron.” Calvin put a hand out to stop him from advancing toward Corbett. Montrose turned like he would pace the room, but it was too crowded. The other men moved out of his way, but his long legs could not complete even one stride. Both men turned to Nadira.

Corbett said, “Nadira. You have felt the necromancer. You can see the importance of this book to us. I cannot allow the necromancer to continue to control its power. I will get it from him. But think of this as well. Once you have read this book, you will bring that power with you to the priestess and you will possess the ability to protect those you love from any future danger that threatens. This is what you desire, is it not? Our mission is yours as well. Tell me you see that.”

Montrose interrupted, “There would not be any danger if she abandoned this pursuit.”

She answered, “The danger is real, and there is enough of it for everyone. I cannot go back, my lord. I cannot go back to doing figures and writing letters. I agreed to accompany the white knights to learn more about the
Hermetica
and this
Grimoire
. I cannot go back. Is that what you are suggesting?”

She saw his mind work, and felt sympathy for his struggle. “I asked you to abandon your search for Massey. Is that something you will give up because I wish it?” She had hoped that he might. “And each must face different dangers,” she added. “But none of us do so alone.”

He turned to her and his face was hard. “You are saying that if I agree with the Temple Knights, you will help me find Massey?”

She felt her face blanch. He saw it too. He narrowed his eyes and insisted. “Is that what you are saying?”

“My lord…” It was not what she was saying.

“Nadira. You deny me the one simple word that would release me, and yet you risk your life for this man and his quest.” He glanced at Corbett.

She felt squeezed. He was right.

Corbett spoke gently to her, “Once you have the
Grimoire
all things become possible.” The unspoken words were in his gray eyes. He pressed her to remember what he had told her.
This book will heal his hurts.
He looked at DiMarco
and his
, then he turned to indicate William.
Even his.

She nodded once, understanding.

And your own.

She winced.

“I will take that,” Montrose said, staring hard at her, “as a promise. I will see the Templar's mission through and in return you will give me my enemy.” Nadira could see in his eyes the unpleasant fact that there was something inside him stronger than his love for her. The muscles in his jaw bunched as he ground his teeth, as they always did when he thought of Massey, and his eyes glittered with a viciousness that frightened her.

Corbett saw it too. He extended his hand to Montrose. “Peace, Baron. We help each other. We will triumph, each over our own enemies.”

Montrose took it. “Peace, Knight of Christ. I have no doubt we will.”

DiMarco agreed. “Then leave the girl to rest. We have much to talk about and I would not do it in this house. There are ears in the very walls.”

The men filed out through the doors. William made as if to stay behind, but Alisdair put a hand on his back and prodded him. Montrose stood on the threshold, the last to go. He turned to her.

“I have your promise.” He put his hand over the place on his ribs where she knew he kept the long braid of her hair inside his shirt. “You will find Massey for me.”

Nadira did not meet his eyes. She did not trust her voice, so she gave him a slight nod. She was grateful he could not read her mind.

“Greetings to you, Nadira
Sultana
.”

Nadira nodded absently, looking at the young woman who stood before her. She was close to her own age and height. More than that she could not discern through the veils. She was obviously no servant, for her clothing was very fine, and the eyes that stared out at her from behind the brown silk were lined with kohl and a faint
aroma of gardenias accompanied her graceful movements.

“Greetings…” she returned.

“Forgive me, I was so eager to see you I have forgotten my manners. I am Thedra. Angelo has asked me to show you the house and make sure you are comfortable. He says you have come from the house of the sultan's fleet captain, the great Kemaleddin Reis, and will be staying here until you are granted an audience to see the Padishah.”

“Yes, that is true.”

“And you are cousin to the sultan and wife to a
frenki
lord?”

Nadira winced, causing Thedra to raise an eyebrow. “I see,” she said, suggesting she did not believe it.

“This is what you have been told?” Nadira glanced into the hall.

Thedra dropped the veil that covered her face. She was very beautiful. Her eyes were bright and her teeth straight and white when she smiled. Her hair was not as dark as those of the Turkish women and her Arabic was spoken with a Greek accent. “It is what the servants told me, though I hardly believe them. The Senore told me you are to have your own room. The
frenki
are roomed together in a different wing of the house.”

“That is the custom, however?”

“Yes, in the city it is, but not here. Usually. If he were your husband, you would be in his room, yet you are not. And…they call you
sultana
?” Thedra's brow furrowed. “This is curious to me and it may be terribly rude, but I cannot see a princess being given to a
frenki
as wife. I do not believe them. I decided to come and ask. Tell me if the servants should be beaten for their lies.”

“Please come in,” Nadira backed into her room and Thedra followed. “Do not have the servants beaten,” she answered.

“So it is true. How did he get you? I mean…were you a gift? How is such a marriage arranged? I saw them retrieve their belongings when the wagon came from the harbor. They are very strange-looking.” Thedra moved through the room. She touched the satchel on the table then Nadira's neatly folded clothing on the bed. “I am eager to hear a good story.”

“Well…”

“Oh, please. Do not be shy. It is so very dull here. When the Senore told me to go and see you I nearly flew through the halls. How exciting! And you have such companions! One with hair so yellow it is almost white, though he is not an old man and it hangs in a braid like a woman's to his waist. And an orange spotted one with a beard the same color and hair that flames all over his head. The Senore says you will be here for a long time. I am so happy to meet you. Would you like to go see the horses?”

Nadira opened her mouth to answer, but Thedra interrupted, “And the baths? We are close to the best of them.”

“Yes, let us go.” She was eager to leave her room. She had been a prisoner there for too long. She picked up a blue veil from her bed and wrapped her head. “Tell me about the horses.”

“We have the finest in the world. Wait until you see them, and in a month there will be the foals. Perhaps you will be here to see them born. Now, which of the
frenki
is your ‘husband'?” she used the Greek word for' lover', and Nadira smiled behind her veil. “I know it is not the friar. Is it the old gray knight? He stomps about like he is very important. Then there is a brown handsome one with eyes that are never still. He follows the gray knight like the old man is his father. Or could it be the ancient one? If so, it must be difficult to perform your nightly duties. Or is it the big yellow one? He does not look like a
sanjak-bey
would honor him with his daughter. Perhaps the red one with the spots all over his face and his orange beard tied in braids? I hope not. The northern
frenki
come in all colors like horses. Perhaps the tall dark one. Yes. I guess that he is the one. He walks as if his wife is a
sultana
.” Thedra wrapped her veil around her face and her eyes were mischievous.

“The message from the sultan says I am wife to one of the foreigners?”

Thedra nodded, using her free hand to urge Nadira to hurry. “But the Padishah has claimed you and put you under his protection. He would not do that if you were a man's
wife
. So are you or are you not?”

Nadira had not been given instructions on what to tell any who asked. “It appears I am a special case…” she suggested.

This caused Thedra to stop in her tracks; her silk swirled around her feet. “Now that sounds like an adventure I need to hear. I was told you had an audience with Kemaleddin Reis. Is he not the handsomest man you have seen here in Anatolia?” Her words slowed and her voice deepened, “That fine nose and dark eyes like a hawk…” Thedra's eyes unfocused as her words drifted away. After a moment she shook herself back to Nadira and continued. “When he visits here I hide in the balcony to look at him. They say you actually spoke to him directly. How is it that he had you in his house but not the
frenki
? How could you be separated from your husband, and then speak to a man alone in his own house?”