Viper's Kiss - Lisa Smedman [87]
Karrell was out there somewhere, he told himself, in the hut, with Naneth. She'd do something to rescue him.
Unless she was still staring at rainbows.
A muffled voice came from outside Arvin's prison. "Where is the girl?"
"Naneth!" Arvin exclaimed. "You got my warning. Let me out of here, and I'll tell you what's going on." His voice sounded only slightly muffled, despite the fact that he was exhaling liquid. The cloying taste of raw egg lingered on his tongue.
The egg shook violently. Arvin, dizzy, tried not to throw up.
"Where's the girl?" Naneth repeated.
Arvin tried to manifest the power that would let him listen in on Naneth's thoughts, but though silver sparkles erupted from his third eye, briefly illuminating the liquid that surrounded him, the link could not be forged. Whatever magic had protected Naneth from being charmed was also preventing Arvin from reading her mind.
Arvin groaned. He'd have to rely on his wits alone to convince Naneth to let him out of this prison. He thought frantically, trying to come up with a story that would sound plausible. Should he drop Sibyl's name and claim to be working for one of the factions allied with her? Claim to be one of Talos's worshipers? Neither was likely to work. He had only the vaguest of ideas of what Sibyl was up to; he'd probably say something that would give him away.
Suddenly, he realized there was one story that would make sense-and that would throw Naneth off track, way off track.
"You're too late," he told Naneth. "Chondath has claimed Glisena."
"You're one of Lord Wianar's men'?" Naneth asked.
Arvin smiled. She'd taken his hook. Now to set it.
"I'm Wianar's eyes and ears within the Sespech court. Three days ago, Baron Foesmasher captured a satyr who had come to Ormpetarr to fetch you; the satyr told him his daughter was in the Chondalwood. It wasn't in Chondath's best interests that Glisena be found, so I sent you the warning. Just in case you didn't heed it, I made my way here. I was surprised to find the girl had not been moved. I was ordered to take advantage of that oversight."
"Where is Glisena now?" Naneth asked. "In Arrabar?"
"All you need to know is that Wianar has her."
For several moments, Naneth was silent. Then she replied-in a strained voice that instantly told Arvin how desperate she was, and how willing to bargain. "Tell your master that keeping the girl would be a terrible mistake. One that could prove fatal for him."
"What do you mean?" Arvin asked.
There was a long pause. When Naneth at last spoke, her voice sounded reluctant. "The child in Glisena's womb is… dangerous," she began.
"Go on," Arvin prompted. He held his breath, praying that Naneth would expound upon what she'd done to the baron's daughter-that she'd reveal the nature of the thing she'd put in Glisena's womb. "What is it?"
"A demon."
"A demon?" Arvin gasped, horrified. "How-"
"Magic," Naneth said smugly. "A unique form of binding no other sorcerer can perform."
"But why?" Arvin asked, still struggling with his horror at what Naneth had done. He felt queasy, as though he were going to be sick.
A gloating smile crept into Naneth's voice. "Lady Dediana is anxious to see the birth of her first grandchild," she said. "What a surprise it will be when she sees the new heir. The shock alone will kill her-and if it doesn't, the 'child' will. Now do you understand why it's in Chondath's best interests not to keep the girl? Wianar has much more to gain by letting us place someone more „. agreeable on Hlondeth's throne. Someone who would turn her back on Sespech, and instead form an alliance with Chondath."
Arvin's eyebrows rose. At last he understood what Sibyl had planned. The thing inside Glisena was part of an elaborate assassination attempt against Lady Dediana. Sibyl, once again, was making a bid for the throne-and this time, she was going to claim it herself, instead of merely installing a puppet.