Part 38 (1/2)

I can see where I could be tempted into misusing a n.o.ble's power.”

”You are,” Odeon said. ”I'll take care of it at this evening's ceremony.”

19. Invitation

Monday, 16 March 2572

Sara Blackfeather read the invitation for the third time, still not sure if it was real or a poor joke. Inquisitors were most emphatically not known for their hospitality, and it seemed incredible that the notorious Cortin, of all of them, would invite a journalist into her home for a week. Especially a journalist who made no secret of her antipathy for Inquisitors in general and Sovereigns' Inquisitors in particular.

It would be a professional triumph, of course, which was what made it an almost irresistible temptation. On the other hand, it could as easily be a trick, to find out if her stated sympathy for the Brotherhood hid actual members.h.i.+p in the organization--though it would seem more logical, if that were the case, not to bother with such niceties, simply have her picked up for questioning. Though, she thought a bit smugly, they weren't likely to be quite so blatant with a reporter!

Fortunately, she didn't have to depend purely on her own judgement, which could be flawed by considerations like professional glory; in something that had this much potential for benefit or harm, she could ask her patron for help. He'd be busy, of course, at this time of day, but she was free to interrupt him--on this, he'd be upset if she didn't!

So, minutes later, she was on the way to his home, the invitation tucked carefully in her purse.

Lucius studied the invitation, both amused and disturbed. So Cortin wanted Blackfeather to visit for a week, did she? That could be either good or bad, and he couldn't decide which. On the whole, though, he couldn't argue against the visit, since Sara had no valid--no believable, for that matter--reason to turn down such a professionally valuable invitation. ”It should be safe enough,” he said at last.

”She wouldn't dream of hurting an invited guest unless you do something stupid, and you certainly know better than that. You can also find out for me just what the h.e.l.l is going on.”

Blackfeather nodded; he'd made no secret, from her, that he had to be extremely careful about using his ”psychic gifts” where Cortin was concerned. ”You don't think she knows I'm your mistress?”

”She must--I did acknowledge you as such.” Lucius smiled. ”By this time I'm sure she has guessed--or been told--my real ident.i.ty, but that can make no difference to her publicly.”

Blackfeather returned his smile. He claimed to be Shayan, and sometimes he used his gifts to a.s.sume some of the h.e.l.l-King's attributes, but she didn't believe he really was; he was too different from the Shayan she'd been told about while her parents were alive.

Her first meeting with him was still vivid in her mind, though she tried to remember only the part where he'd rescued her--something the real Shayan never would have done.

Shannon smiled to himself, reading her thoughts. Rescuing Sara had been little more than an impulse triggered by his respect for courage; a five-year-old who killed one of the men trying to rape her was hardly usual. She'd interested him enough to keep her alive against his men's wishes, taking her home until he could decide what to do with her.

She'd proven interesting to have around, and he'd almost immediately discovered that she also added a dimension to his McHenry ident.i.ty, so he'd quickly decided to adopt her--a procedure his McHenry ident.i.ty made both fast and simple.

But his then mistress hadn't wanted to be burdened with a child, and hadn't been worth the effort of reconditioning, so she'd left. He really should have replaced her; not doing so, and raising a child alone, had caused a minor scandal. Sara had claimed all his free time, though, and he'd been fascinated by the idea of making her his mistress. She'd agreed, a formality he insisted on from all his live-in partners--except Victor, who'd made himself the exception by his presumption--in spite of the fact that she couldn't possibly know what she was agreeing to. Some simple physical modifications had made her capable of accommodating him, and some judicious conditioning had insured she would enjoy, but never reveal, their ”touching games”.

Even then he'd refrained until her birthday, wanting the first time to be special for her.

It had been, with him changing shapes and techniques to amuse her.

She'd enjoyed all of them, not surprising since that was how he'd conditioned her--but he was surprised that she had decided she liked his ”cla.s.sical” shape and technique best, especially that early. And she'd kept that preference through the years. She'd become his mistress openly at 16, causing another minor scandal, but that had only amused her.

He came back to the present, reading her apprehension at the upcoming visit, and held out his arms.

Blackfeather clung to him. ”I know you said she wouldn't hurt a guest--but I have a horrible feeling I'll never see you again.”

”Don't be silly,” Shannon said. ”Of course you will--unless you decide Enforcement and Inquisitors are respectable after all, and stay with them. She can be quite persuasive.” And, an unwelcome thought said, there was more to it than persuasion. Cortin had dissolved the compulsions he'd imposed on Chang without even knowing it; what if the same happened to Blackfeather? An even more unwelcome thought said that would be for the best, and he concealed a scowl. Sara was the first human he'd cared about as anything more than a plaything; did he really want her spending eternity in his realm, even as his Queen?

”Not that persuasive, I don't think.” But Blackfeather's apprehension was still there, and she was reacting as she usually did before a dangerous a.s.signment, with growing desire. ”Could we, just in case?”

If she were that worried, Shannon thought, it wouldn't hurt to indulge her. Indulge both of them, rather, because the idea of letting the Enemy have her was becoming more attractive. Most humans were disgusting weak things, not fit to be more than toys for his minions, but Sara was different. She was strong, attractive--and she loved him.

Part of that was the conditioning he'd given her, of course, but even at first that hadn't been all of it; she'd taken to him without any prompting, unless you counted the rescue itself. And he hadn't felt Cortin using her power, even unconsciously, for some time, so perhaps it wouldn't be too much of a risk using his own. It would take so little to transport them to his realm, and Cortin should be either asleep or too preoccupied to notice anyway. Giving in to temptation, he kissed Blackfoot hard, pulling her blouse open to grasp her breast as he set himself for the transfer.