Mistress of the Night - Don Bassingthwaite [45]
"While it still stands," said Bolan. He sounded relieved- and particularly zealous after having avoided her wrath.
"Of course," replied Variance.
She flicked her fingers and Bolan continued up the passage.
Feena stepped into the receiving room and closed the door.
"She's sleeping," she said.
"Good." Mifano sat at the room's table, in the same seat he had occupied the day before. The silver-haired priest was dressed to go out-Feena could smell the scent he wore from across the room.
Velsinore, in contrast, still wore the ceremonial robe she had donned for moonrise. She stood on the far side of the table, arms clasped behind her back.
"What happened, Feena?" she asked.
"I don't know," Feena said. She stepped up to the table and settled her hands on the back of a chair. "Julith says she left Mother Dhauna reading at her desk and went to her own room. She responded to Dhauna's screams just the same as the rest of us. She doesn't know what happened. I don't know what happened."
But she could guess. Dhauna had nodded off over her books-and another dream had come upon her.
Moonmaiden, she prayed silently, what danger could be so dire that you would risk killing a faithful priestess with warnings?
Out loud, she said, "I think she'll be all right in the morning."
Mifano frowned and glanced at Velsinore. Her lips twitched as if in some shared communication. Mifano looked back at Feena.
"We're not that optimistic," he said.
Feena's eyes narrowed. "What?"
"Mother Dhauna is going mad, Feena. We all know that. After tonight, I don't think we can deny it any longer."
"She's not mad," Feena replied.
"Then what do you call it?" Velsinore asked. "Tonight, a seizure. Yesterday she hit you in the courtyard." "She didn't mean it."
"But she did hit you. Half the temple saw it," said Velsinore, her face drawing tight. "She's been acting erratically for the last month. Julith has been trying to hide it, but she can't hide everything. Dhauna spends all her time now in her chambers or in the archives. When we do see her, she stares at us like we're up to something. She's paranoid, Feena."
"Maybe she has something to be paranoid about," Feena snapped. "Julith told me you-both of you-were pushing her to step aside."
"She should have stepped aside," growled Mifano. "To me or to Velsinore. Instead…"
He left his words hanging. Feena sucked in her breath.
"Instead she appointed a rough, back-country werewolf as her successor," she finished for him.
"If that isn't a sign of her madness, I don't know what is," Velsinore spat.
Feena ground her teeth.
"Dhauna isn't mad," she repeated.
"Explain her actions then!"
She had promised Dhauna not to tell anyone about the dreams. Feena hung her head.
Velsinore pursed her lips and muttered, "I thought so."
Mifano cleared his throat and said, "Feena, you should know that we've sent to the House of the Moon in Waterdeep for advice. If the high priestess there agrees with us, we'll seek out two others-and Dhauna Myritar will be forced to step aside." He met her eyes. "When she is, her recent decisions will also be questioned."
"And I'll be forced aside as well," said Feena.
"You keep saying you don't want this," Velsinore said. "The night of the full moon, when you first arrived, you couldn't wait to leave again."
There was a hint of cunning in Velsinore's voice. Feena glanced at her sharply, but it was Mifano who completed her suggestion.
"You want to get back to your village, don't you?" he said. "Your loyalty to Mother Dhauna does you credit, but you have to see that she's not herself anymore. You're suffering just like us." He leaned forward. "If you speak out, it will be easier to bring her down gracefully and for you to return home with dignity."
"You want me to betray her?" Feena snarled through clenched teeth.
Mifano waved his hands, palms down.
"No," he said. "We'd never