Daughter of the Drow - Elaine Cunningham [140]
"Whatever you require, dear lady," he said, and bowed. "But first, to remove unnecessary distractions."
He turned to the barely controlled Gorlist and pointed to the human. "You've found him at last. See if you can manage to kill him while he sleeps." His tone was deliberately harsh, clearly intended to direct the fighter's anger away from the female.
lcYou needn't bother," Liriel said coldly, marveling at how steady her voice sounded. "He's already dead."
Nisstyre's gaze swept the pale, still form of his human nemesis, then he turned a speculative gaze upon Liriel. "The Spider's Kiss, eh? A strange ending to a moonlight tryst! I heard you have adventurous tastes, my dear, but this exceeds the tales. Still, I almost envy the poor sod," he concluded gallantly. "Some things may well be worth dying for."
Liriel did not care for the gleam in the merchant's eyes. She lifted her chin and reminded herself she was a daughter of House Baenre.
"In that case, I wish you a long and healthy life," she said in the haughty tone Baenre females had honed through centuries of undisputed rule. "If you came seeking revenge against the human, you are too late. He is dead. Thank me for saving you the trouble, and be on your way."
"Actually, I seek a certain magical trinket," Nisstyre said softly. "An amulet, shaped like a dagger?"
She answered with a derisive sniff and spread her arms wide, as if inviting inspection. "As you can see, I don't have it on me," she said mockingly.
"A pity. I always find that searching for information is most entertaining," the wizard replied. He held out one hand and made a show of adjusting his many rings. One of them, a thick gold band set with a sparkling black gem, was chillingly familiar. LirieFs eyes widened as she recognized her former tutor's ring. The wizard noted this and smiled. "I assure you, he has no need of it."
So Kharza was dead, Liriel acknowledged with mingled sorrow and fear. How brutal had Nisstyre's "search for information" been, and how much had Kharza told him about the amulet before escaping into death?
Enough, it would seem. Nisstyre flicked at the ring's large black stone, and the jewel swung back on a tiny hinge. He took a pinch of powder from the hidden compartment and cast it into the air. The eerie, faint blue light of a find-magic spell filled the clearing. Most of LirieFs things glowed: her chain mail, her elven boots, her piwafivi, many of her knives and throwing weapons. But the amulet-even hidden as it was in her travel bag-positively blazed with azure fire.
Nisstyre stooped and picked up LirieFs bag. He spilled the contents onto the ground. Gold coins and sparkling gems cascaded out, and the eyes of the drow thieves lit up with open greed. Nisstyre waved them back and snatched up the brightly lit amulet.
"You're wasting your time. You can do nothing with it!" Liriel said coldly.
"Perhaps not. But far to the south is a city ruled by drow wizards skilled beyond your reckoning or mine. When the amulet's magic is mine, I will be able to wean the People from their false dependency on Lloth. And at last," Nisstyre concluded triumphantly, "the drow will reclaim a place of power in the Night Above!"
This was too much for Liriel to absorb. "You worship Eilistraee?"
"Hardly," the wizard said dryly. "We follow Vhaeraun, the Masked Lord, drew god of stealth and thievery. Eilistraee's insipid wenches think only to dance in the moonlight and give aid to hapless passersby; we have a kingdom to build!"
Nisstyre turned to Gorlist. "Gather up everything that glows. I want to study every magical item she possesses."
A bubble of panic rose in Liriel's throat. "You're going to leave me without any magic?"
"Not at all," Nisstyre assured her. "There is a place among Vhaeraun's followers for any drow who forsakes the Night Below. In your case, a high place! I myself would be pleased to take you as a consort."
Liriel laughed in his face.
For a moment she thought the wizard would strike her. Then he bowed again, this time mockingly. "As