Mistress of the Night Read Online Free Page B
Author: Don Bassingthwaite, Dave Gross
circlet, you stupid girl!"
Silence fell over the bedchamber like a shroud. Julith's eyes went wide and Feena was certain that she saw her hands tremble. There must have been surprise on her own face as well. Dhauna stared for a momentthen seemed to crumble.
"Julith," she whispered, "I'm sorry." She gestured with withered fingers. "Pleasego on ahead to the courtyard. Feena will help me finish and walk with me to the Full Moon Blessing." She looked over her shoulder at Feena and asked, "Won't you?"
Feena nodded. "Of course."
Julith set the moon's road tiara on the dressing table and bent deeply to the high priestess, then fled the room. Dhauna sat back with a sigh. Feena stepped up to her cautiously. More had changed about the High Moonmistress than just her wasting body.
"Mother Dhauna," Feena asked, "are you all right?"
"No, Feena, I'm not," Dhauna replied, sitting up again. "There's not much time before the ceremony." She pointed to the dressing table. "If you could help me...."
Feena picked up the lighter circlet and settled it over the high priestess's hair. Dhauna looked at herself in the mirror that hung over the table.
"Good enough."
"Why did you call me here, Mother Dhauna?" asked Feena. "What's wrong?"
In the mirror, Dhauna's eyes shifted to look at her. "Selune has been sending me dreams, Feena." She looked at the mirror again. "Though it seems that the Moon-maiden measures her sendings by the strength of my faith rather than the strength of my body."
Feena knelt beside the wizened priestess's chair. "What are these dreams?"
"Warnings," Dhauna said as she wrapped her hand around Feena's. "Impending dangergreat dangerfrom within the faith, I think. Possibly even from within Moonshadow Hall." She smiled at Feena's look of alarm. "Or so I have come to believe. The wisdom of gods is a mystery to mortals. I'm still searching for the deeper meaning of the dreams."
"The books in your sitting room," said Feena.
Dhauna nodded and said, "Guidance from those who came before us. The books come from the archives. I have even more spread out there. I don't believe I've read so much in my entire life."
"What have you found?"
"Nothing yet. Scraps. Clues." She released Feena's hand and brushed fingers through Feena's hair. Feena could smell old parchment and fresh ink on them. "Julith helps
ne. I couldn't hide the dreams from her for long. But if ;he danger is within Moonshadow Hall, I need help from lomeone outside the hall. Someone I can trust. Someone vho isn't afraid of controversy."
Feena closed her eyes and said, "I should have come looner."
"It would have been better if you had," said Dhauna. Will you help me?" "Yes."
"Thank you." Dhauna's hand rested briefly on Feena's lead in a blessing gesturethen the high priestess ighed and struggled to sit upright. "Though I think the irst thing you could help me with is getting out of this hair!"
The High Moonmistress's ornate vestments were beau-iful and in times past Feena had known her to wear hem as easily and as casually as an old shawl. She found terself holding billows and bustles out of the way as )hauna eased herself out of the chair and reached for a wir of canes. Feena took one from her and offered the old triestess her arm instead. Dhauna accepted it gratefully. Pheir progress along the corridor outside her quarters md down the ramp to the temple's ground floor was still low, however. Just inside the door that led out to the loisters and the temple courtyard, Dhauna paused, her lead bowed for a moment in prayer, and Feena sensed the [ivine surge of the goddess's touch. Dhauna breathed a igh. Releasing Feena's arm and shifting her grip on her ane, she stood solidly on her own two feet.
"For ceremonies only," she told Feena with a smile. Such is the price of vanity."
She strode through the door a little awkwardly, but rith renewed strength. Feena followed in her wake.
Outside, the temple courtyard was filled with the lergy and novices of
Silence fell over the bedchamber like a shroud. Julith's eyes went wide and Feena was certain that she saw her hands tremble. There must have been surprise on her own face as well. Dhauna stared for a momentthen seemed to crumble.
"Julith," she whispered, "I'm sorry." She gestured with withered fingers. "Pleasego on ahead to the courtyard. Feena will help me finish and walk with me to the Full Moon Blessing." She looked over her shoulder at Feena and asked, "Won't you?"
Feena nodded. "Of course."
Julith set the moon's road tiara on the dressing table and bent deeply to the high priestess, then fled the room. Dhauna sat back with a sigh. Feena stepped up to her cautiously. More had changed about the High Moonmistress than just her wasting body.
"Mother Dhauna," Feena asked, "are you all right?"
"No, Feena, I'm not," Dhauna replied, sitting up again. "There's not much time before the ceremony." She pointed to the dressing table. "If you could help me...."
Feena picked up the lighter circlet and settled it over the high priestess's hair. Dhauna looked at herself in the mirror that hung over the table.
"Good enough."
"Why did you call me here, Mother Dhauna?" asked Feena. "What's wrong?"
In the mirror, Dhauna's eyes shifted to look at her. "Selune has been sending me dreams, Feena." She looked at the mirror again. "Though it seems that the Moon-maiden measures her sendings by the strength of my faith rather than the strength of my body."
Feena knelt beside the wizened priestess's chair. "What are these dreams?"
"Warnings," Dhauna said as she wrapped her hand around Feena's. "Impending dangergreat dangerfrom within the faith, I think. Possibly even from within Moonshadow Hall." She smiled at Feena's look of alarm. "Or so I have come to believe. The wisdom of gods is a mystery to mortals. I'm still searching for the deeper meaning of the dreams."
"The books in your sitting room," said Feena.
Dhauna nodded and said, "Guidance from those who came before us. The books come from the archives. I have even more spread out there. I don't believe I've read so much in my entire life."
"What have you found?"
"Nothing yet. Scraps. Clues." She released Feena's hand and brushed fingers through Feena's hair. Feena could smell old parchment and fresh ink on them. "Julith helps
ne. I couldn't hide the dreams from her for long. But if ;he danger is within Moonshadow Hall, I need help from lomeone outside the hall. Someone I can trust. Someone vho isn't afraid of controversy."
Feena closed her eyes and said, "I should have come looner."
"It would have been better if you had," said Dhauna. Will you help me?" "Yes."
"Thank you." Dhauna's hand rested briefly on Feena's lead in a blessing gesturethen the high priestess ighed and struggled to sit upright. "Though I think the irst thing you could help me with is getting out of this hair!"
The High Moonmistress's ornate vestments were beau-iful and in times past Feena had known her to wear hem as easily and as casually as an old shawl. She found terself holding billows and bustles out of the way as )hauna eased herself out of the chair and reached for a wir of canes. Feena took one from her and offered the old triestess her arm instead. Dhauna accepted it gratefully. Pheir progress along the corridor outside her quarters md down the ramp to the temple's ground floor was still low, however. Just inside the door that led out to the loisters and the temple courtyard, Dhauna paused, her lead bowed for a moment in prayer, and Feena sensed the [ivine surge of the goddess's touch. Dhauna breathed a igh. Releasing Feena's arm and shifting her grip on her ane, she stood solidly on her own two feet.
"For ceremonies only," she told Feena with a smile. Such is the price of vanity."
She strode through the door a little awkwardly, but rith renewed strength. Feena followed in her wake.
Outside, the temple courtyard was filled with the lergy and novices of
Readers choose
Kate Jacoby
Ophelia London
A. Meredith Walters
Paula Danziger
Lexi Blake
Kate Hewitt
Mercy Walker, Eva Sloan, Ella Stone
Tom Clancy, Steve Pieczenik
Desiree Holt