“She exploits that link not to serve her master, but purely for herself, to feel superior to her peers.
“When several of us were sent to assist you at the abbey, like Hannis Arc she never knew that you had abilities of your own. The truth is, she sent me to work for you as punishment, to humiliate me by having me help you in what she and Hannis Arc often scoffed at as petty and unimportant work.”
Hearing that Alice judged his work to be petty was giving him a whole new perspective on the woman.
“It wasn’t until after you made your offer to me that I even knew of your actual abilities,” Erika said. “Since then I haven’t been back here to the citadel. Alice isn’t aware that I have taken your bond and I am no longer her chattel.
“For those reasons and others, I do not consider Alice trustworthy. I believe that, given the chance, she would sell you as cheaply as she sold us.”
He glanced over at Erika’s brooding look. “Would you like me to eliminate her?”
Erika really was an achingly beautiful woman. One of his weaknesses. No doubt one of the reasons Alice enjoyed having the power to dominate her.
Erika gave him a resolute, meaningful look. “Lord Dreier, things have changed completely since then. I am now bonded to you, not Hannis Arc, and therefore Alice has no power over me. I can now deal with Alice if you would like to have her in your service. I assure you, I can not only deal with her, I in fact would take great pleasure in it.
“But, because I don’t trust her, I don’t know that having me deal with her is in your best interest. I am telling you what I know about her so that you will be better able to make your own decision. I consider that part of my service to you.”
He arched an eyebrow as he nodded. “Indeed it is.”
“I don’t trust the woman one little bit, but you have ways of making even those kind choose to follow you,” Erika said. “I only want to warn you so that should you choose to use her services, you are aware of her nature and don’t turn your back on her.”
He nodded thoughtfully. “Of course.” He glanced her way again. “What about the others?”
“The others are like me. They, too, were traded cheaply to Hannis Arc. I trust them.
“But that’s me. They will not be at all inclined to trust you. They are still Mord-Sith, and at this moment they are still bonded to Hannis Arc. He is alive, so that bond is active. They would be only too glad to kill you if they even suspected that you are a threat to their master or his rule. Their job is to see that you or someone like you does not pilfer so much as a teacup from his citadel, much less attempt to pull off what you intend to do. When they hear that you want to rule his land, they will be more than trouble.”
He smiled over at her as he started across the room. The carpets muffled their boots on the way. “Not to worry.”
CHAPTER
38
Across the room, led by a pair of soldiers with short spears, five Mord-Sith in red leather filed into the room. Another pair of soldiers came in behind them. It was purely for show to set the stage. Just one of the Mord-Sith could easily have killed all four soldiers.
The soldiers took up positions at attention at the sides of the room while the five Mord-Sith stood stiffly at the head of the room, up three steps on the platform between the twin staircases. As he approached, Ludwig didn’t think that they looked all that pleased to be summoned by a mere abbot.
By now they surely would have already heard rumors of that abbot taking over the citadel. They might not be happy about being forced into servitude to Alice, but that didn’t mean they wanted anything to do with him, or intended to allow him to remain a threat to their master for long. Ludwig knew that it would be only a matter of moments before they decided to take matters into their own hands.
He thought it time they had their attitudes adjusted, and they were given a choice of how they would like things to go for them.
“I am Lord Dreier,” he said as soon as he came to a halt.
None of the five showed any reaction other than a glare. They were waiting to see what that meant. More than that, though, these were Mord-Sith, and they feared very little, death least of all. This would require a different set of choices.
The brunette, Alice, stood second from his right. She looked like a coiled viper waiting to strike.
Ludwig stepped directly to her. “You have something to say, Mistress Alice?”
She ran her tongue around the inside of her cheek a moment as she stared back, appraising him the way the Mord-Sith appraised people just before they struck out and killed them.
“Hannis Arc told us nothing of such a change,” she finally said. “I can’t imagine what delusions would make you believe that you can walk into his home when he is gone and proclaim yourself to be ‘Lord Dreier’ and the master of the house, and expect to be taken seriously.”