The Shadow Matrix (28 page)

you told me.

I know, and it troubles me. I have tried to tell her several times that wild telepaths are

dangerous, but she only says that everything will be taken care of by the Guardian.

Who that might be, I can't imagine.

Another figure came into the corridor and approached them. Mikhail had to restrain

himself from shivering. He looked at Emelda, and saw the feral expression that seemed

a permanent one. Her eyes were greenish in the light of the foyer, but they had a

burning intensity that was disturbing. Except for their brief exchange of thoughts on

the day of his arrival, he had never been able to sense her

mind, not even the slightest thought. She seemed a blank point in the room. She

glanced at Liriel, at Mikhail, then back to the tall technician. "This is the Disrupter I

warned you of,
vai domna.
We must be careful, or the Guardian will be displeased,"

she whispered to Priscilla. Then she looked startled at the men who had accompanied

Liriel. "These should not be present! They must depart immediately!" Her hiss was like

steam on a griddle.

"My sister is weary from her journey," Mikhail announced ignoring Emelda. "I will

show her to her chambers. Duncan, will you show Tomas and the others where the old

maids' room is, and help get things settled."

Tomas gave a little sigh. "I don't suppose there are any old maids in the room, nor

young ones either," he muttered quietly, and his companions guffawed. Priscilla looked

bewildered, and the expression on Emelda's face turned murderous.

Mikhail could not bear the tension a moment longer. He wanted to grind his teeth or

shout, anything to relieve the rage that was boiling in his belly. He turned, grabbed

Liriel's baggage from where it sat on the floor, and started up the stairs. After a

moment, he heard his sister's footfalls behind him.
Mik, she is like a witch from some

old tale.

Who
—
Priscilla or Emelda? They both seem like crones to me, even though they are

not much different in age than we are. I should have warned you, but, frankly,

everything here is so strange that I didn't know where to begin. Priscilla won't even

pick her clothing without consulting Emelda. She seems completely in her power. And

the children . . . !

Who is she? There is something about her .
. .
I can't put my finger on it.

Emelda? Well, she claims kinship with the Aldarans, though she refuses to be specific.

She could be some
nedestra
child, I suppose. But I can't read her at all, which is very

disturbing.

Hmm. Aldaran. Now, what does that remind me of? My brains feel like cotton.

She seems to have that effect on me as well.

What? Do you mean . . . ?

I think she is influencing me, but I can't seem to do anything about it.

I see. That makes sense
—
you do not seem yourself, quite. Does Regis have any idea of

the situation?

Frankly, no. I have only Managed to communicate with him a couple of times, and he

seemed preoccupied. I have not wanted to bother him with my own troubles. He gave

me a task, and I intend to complete it! And he has enough on his 'plate, right now, what

with Father being difficult, and the Comyn Council being at sixes and sevens. I. . .

wasn't sure but what I was imagining things. It is so strange here, Liri!

Mik, you are an idiot. That woman reeks of
laran,
if
laran
had a scent, and she clearly

has enthralled Priscilla to a great degree. You should have asked for help much

sooner. And you should never have been sent out here on your own. I cannot think

what Uncle Regis is doing!

Mikhail hesitated. He would not criticize Regis Hastur, even to his sister, no matter

how he felt. Nothing could make him disloyal to his uncle. And, since his mother had

behaved so badly to her brother at the Council meeting, he was even more determined

to be a faithful vassal. But Regis had put him in an untenable situation—asked to do a

job he could not complete to anyone's satisfaction, let alone his own.
It is my

understanding that Priscilla was willing to let me become Regent for as long as it took

to find which of her sons might be suitable to take the throne, but nothing more.

And Regis agreed to that? Mik, that doesn't make any sense at all!

I know. It has been driving me crazy, when I can think at all. He backed me into a

corner, at the Council meeting, and he would not explain why. I almost feel that he sent

me here to get me out of the way, for some reason I do not understand. I have always

trusted Regis, more than I trust anyone alive, until this. And I wanted to do a good job

here, to prove that I was useful.

Useful? What for? I mean, Mik, you are a fine fellow. You don't need to prove

anything!

Thank you, sister. But would you think so if we were not family?

What is this nonsense? You are as capable and intelligent a man as I have ever known.

It must be trying to keep my head above water here. I don't feel very capable, let alone

intelligent! And the plain truth is I want to find a suitable Elhalyn to take the throne,

so I can be free of the Regency! I don't want to end up having to take the Elhalyn

throne and answer to Danilo Hastur for the rest of my life.

I see. I had not thought of it in that light, of course. So, tell me about Priscilla's sons.

There are three
—
Alain, Vincent, and Emun. I was doubtful of Alain before I came

here, because I had met him several years ago, and he seemed a little unsteady to me. I

was right. Alain is impossible, ruined, though not, I think, by his
laran,
but by some

other thing I have not discovered. But I had hopes of Vincent.

And now you don't. And Emun?

He is a frightened child, and I don't know if that can be remedied. I don't want to tell

you too much, because I need to know what you think.

She chuckled at this. I
can see that Marguerida has had a good influence on you.

What do you mean by that?

Only that in the past you did not care much for objectivity, brother.
She sniffed the air

as they came to the top of the stairs.
You did not really prepare me for this forsaken

place. No wonder the Elhalyn are so peculiar, living here.

You should have seen it before I had repairs done! It was a fine house, once, you know.

I can't think why Priscilla has let it go to rack and ruin, but she is convinced that she

is leaving here soon, though where she plans to go remains a mystery. There are a

great many plants that grow here that I've never seen anywhere else, and the breeze

from the sea of Dalereuth is very invigorating. At least, it was when I arrived here. I

had no idea how awful it was in winter

Mikhail, stop avoiding what is eating at you! You are the most maddening of men

sometimes.

Worse than Gabe?

Humph. In my experience, there is no one more maddening than our brother. But you

are really trying my patience!

Sorry, Liri. I was not doing it deliberately. This place has demoralized me
—
more than

I realized until this moment. When Regis asked me to be Regent before Midsummer. I

wasn't very pleased, but I did not imagine it would be this difficult a job. I had no idea

how the children had changed

in the four or so years since I last saw them, and I certainly did not expect Vincent to

turn out the way he has.

And how is that?

I don't quite know how to describe it, because I've never encountered anything like it

before. Priscilla has never said anything about Vincent's father, but I have been going

on the assumption that he was the same man as Alain's father. She will not name him

under any circumstances, just says that they are her sons.

What! No wonder she will not come to Thendara and has been keeping herself cooped

up here for these past twenty years. Why, she could have had a dozen lovers!

There aren't many opportunities for sexual license out' here, Liri.

True enough. Has she said why she won't leave?

Something to do with this Guardian she keeps talking about, or, rather, refusing to talk

about. I have asked and asked, but I just haven't gotten any good answers.

"Curiouser and curiouser."

This was one of Marguerida's favorite phrases, and the sound of it in Liriel's mind was

a little disquieting. He took a deep breath and dropped one of the bags, so he could

open the door to Liriel's room. "Exactly. This was the best I could do for you. I am at

the other end of the hall, and the children's rooms are between us, so you will likely be

awakened by_ nightmares."

"Now there's a pleasant prospect," she answered dryly.
Tell me what is bothering you

about Vincent.

Mikhail hesitated a moment. He had forgotten Liriel's habit of going directly to the

heart of things, her impatience and the clarity of her mind. Too, she seemed different

than he remembered her, more confident, even as he was less.
He seems to take delight

in projecting his nastiest emotions all over the place, and he particularly bullies his

younger brother Emun. I have caught him torturing small animals
—
he hung a cat

from the rafters, and it would have died but that Daryll discovered it first. There is just

something about him that is bone mean
—
something that wasn't present when I saw

him before.

Do you think he is the cause of the nightmares you spoke of?

Yes and no. He is the only child who sleeps soundly, but

he is completely untrained, so I don't know how he could manage it. The night I

contacted you, Emun had one where he was trying to get away from something

banshee-like that he said was trying to eat him. Then he told me that Vincent had told

him some tale of banshee ghosts being unstoppable
—
where do children get these

notions? But I cannot be sure if Vincent is merely feeding his brother and sisters'

imaginations, or is actively up to some mischief.

I see. You seem to be of two minds about this. I've never known you to be so confused,

Mik.

Damn right, Liri. I am at my wits end, or perhaps beyond that! I just don't know what

to make of the situation, which is why I asked for your help.
"This room faces away

from the sea, so you won't have a lot of wind to bother you, and the bedding is clean—

I made sure of that."

"That was very kind of you, brother. But after four days of racketing about in that

carriage, I should be perfectly content with a straw mattress and a skimpy blanket. I

have never been so glad to get out of a conveyance in my life— and the thought of the

return journey is very disheartening."
And if I read Priscilla Elhalyn rightly, she will

want me to depart on the morrow.
She paused, then turned toward the open door. "And

who is this," she asked in a quite different tone of voice.

Bright eyes beneath a tumble of dark curls shone in the flickering light of the torches

set along the hall. After a moment, an entire face emerged from its hiding place beside

the door, and Valenta stepped out, looking both curious and shy. In the flickering light

of the lampions, her high cheekbones and budlike mouth beneath a tiny and very

unElhalyn nose, seemed something quite remarkable.

"Hello, Valenta.. Sister, may I present Valenta Elhalyn. This is my sister, Liriel Lanart-

Hastur."

Liriel bent down, her tall, full body leaning until she was nearly at eye level with the

child. She extended her hand slowly, and Valenta reached her own to grasp it. Liriel

looked down at the small hand, with its six fingers, and nodded as if something had

finally made sense to her.

"You are named for the moon," Valenta said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes, I am."

"It is a very pretty name."

"Thank you."
What an attractive girl, Mikhail. And I think I may know who her father

was
—
no Ridenow, for certain. I think she may be half
chieri.

Chieri?
No one has seen one in years! I always thought they were gone, or only a

legend. But that makes sense, now that you say it. I hadn't even thought of that
—
my

brains must be turning to mush!

What of the other daughter? Is she like in form? Is she as beautiful?

No. She is red-haired
—
more typical in appearance than Valenta. A very beautiful girl.

If I had seen her when I was seventeen, I would have broken my heart over her. She