Cloak of Shadows - Ed Greenwood [122]
Quite deliberately she reached behind her and set Mystra's sword on a table. Then she put her freed hand to her lips, and licked one finger while she looked steadily at him.
Their eyes met again… and slowly, very slowly, Amdramnar smiled. In spite of herself, Shar felt a stirring within her.
He nodded and turned away, murmuring something and making an intricate series of gestures and passes in the air with his fingertips. Then he turned back, extending one finger to touch her ear as gently as possible.
He's added a glamer to make you want him, Sylune told her, a moment before warmth flooded through her and the pain melted away.
"Ohhh, yes," she murmured, and melted against him, turning her cheek to rub against the arm that had healed her. His skin had a strange acrid, spicy scent, but she licked at his fingers avidly, purring deep in her throat.
When she looked hungrily up at him again, she saw laughter and triumph in his eyes. "I'll be back," he said "Soon."
"If you're quite finished sticking your tongue in his ear, Shar," Belkram roared, "I need you to hold the other end of this. Itharr's still bleeding!"
"I'll have spells that bring slumber," Amdramnar murmured, and was gone out the door.
Sharantyr leaned against it and trembled. I hope you can do something about that glamer, she told Sylune, or I'm going to be a breeding maiden for shapeshifters… and love it!
I already have, little kitten, Sylune's voice told her mockingly. You did most of the warm and caressing play all by yourself.
Sharantyr growled as she reached for her boot.
"Now what're you playing at?" Belkram snarled. "I'm sure yon Malaugrym'll like you just fine with your boots on!"
Through a wild web of disheveled hair, Sharantyr gave him her best glare-and overbalanced. She fell over helplessly, boot half off, to land hard on her behind. Belkram hooted with laughter as she rolled angrily onto her back to remove the boot.
"He cast a lust-glamer on me, if you must know," she hissed, shaking her boot at him. Then she lifted the sole and snatched the ring she needed, holding it up into his face. "Put this on Itharr. Then when he feels right, wear it yourself."
"This the one that regenerates?"
"Yes," Shar told him, stamping her boot back on, "and hurry! I want to be gone from here before ardent Amdramnar gets back!"
"He'll have put some sort of locking spell on the door, you know," Belkram said warningly.
"Then our secret weapon'll blast a hole through the wall!" Sharantyr hissed.
That won't be necessary. Sylune sounded amused. There's a secret door at the back of this room that opens into the castle library.
"The Malaugrym have a library? I'll bet Elminster would give his beard to sit down at leisure and read his way through it," Shar said aloud.
Belkram snorted. "Read it? He probably wrote most of it!" He watched Itharr's bleeding stop, and the gash on the burly Harper's forehead begin to fade. "Sylune's looked around for us?"
"Hush!" Shar told him severely. Touch and hold him, Sylune told her. So Sharantyr walked to Belkram, put her arms around him, and kissed him.
He stiffened with a grunt of pain as she embraced his injured shoulder, but as their lips met Sylune said through them, Well done. Now I can speak to you both at once. Be very careful. Beyond this door is one of the most powerful Shadowmasters, waiting for you to come through. He's too strong to fight but will leave you alone as tools to be used later, if you impress him. Act fearless and mysterious… and no clowning, Belkram. If you do this, you just might live. Leave the secret door open behind you-wedge it with that table leg over there-so Amdramnar can come to the rescue if you need rescuing.
"If he tries what he intends with me," Shar told her darkly, letting go of Belkram, "he'll need the rescuing."
"Come back, lass," Belkram said pleadingly, and puckered his lips. "I was getting used to it!"
"Later," Sharantyr told him briskly, taking up her