Lady Rinari's message reached Lorei Lascari in Greece: the head of the Spy Guild could not miss the trial, and Lorei had been expecting the light-bender to contact her sooner or later. Despite her aspirations, the contents of the letter perplexed Lorei. Rinari, in her eccentric fashion, invited Lorei to a luxurious public gathering, the likes of which Lorei herself had been organizing in Budapest since the dawn of her exile. This time it was the Spy Mistress who ran the show, and Lorei was a guest. The gravity-switchers were going to support her. They were, after all, bound to her unlikely ally – that strange Glasscracker. But it was the bizarre Albanian whose assistance she craved. Rinari had brought her back to Romania, allowed her to travel freely and turned a blind eye to her actions in Greece. A woman, who knew a thousand secrets, Rinari was dangerous.
It took her two hours to choose the right outfit. Lorei's curvy figure had its advantages, but unlike her slender sisters, she could never hide the natural roundness of her body. In the end, she picked a blue dress with a flowy silhouette and long sleeves. It was probably the only item in Lorei's wardrobe that didn't expose most of her cleavage. She took a deep breath, reminding herself of her goals: "I must regain my former status. One day Ariadna will understand. Everything I am doing now will serve her later. My connections will become her connections. My power will transform into her power. Leudora cannot defeat the Glasscracker, but I can join him. I can use him to ascend."
She entered Arta Rinari's countryside mansion with an expression of beaming joy. Had the guests dared to scan her thoughts, they would have found emptiness, for Lorei knew how to appear pleasant and radiate gratitude without feeling any of it. Her angelic smile completed the look. People dissipated, clinging to their corners, exchanging confused glances and whispering to each other. Lorei could not suppress a triumphant smirk: it had been a long time since she last enjoyed such undivided attention.
"Lady Rinari." She tilted her head, allowing her voluminous figure to sway. Even the modest blue dress with its flared sleeves felt tight and uncomfortable. "I was intrigued to receive your invitation." She grew pretentiously sad, lowering her gaze. "And I am most upset that the circumstances that bring us together are so... unfortunate."
"Our opinions about your daughter coincide, Lady Lascari." Arta seized Lorei's elbow, leading her away from the crowd. Sending mischievous glances to her guests, she pulled Lorei closer, so that her thick straight hair fell on Lorei's shoulder. "A fascinating woman," Lorei thought, "I wonder what her game is." Rares Calimachi had always told her that the shrewd light-bender could see through the curtains of words. He could as well be right.
"Ah, you see, Lorei... Can I call you by your first name?"
"Of course." Lorei forced her lips into a placid smile to match Arta's sweet voice.
"We can help each other." She opened a glass door and pushed Lorei forward. A spacious loggia with intricate columns and carved railings reminded Lorei of a Venetian and Ottoman cultural mixture. And so did the hostess's pompous dress with long gloves. Rinari knew how to impress. So did Lorei.
"I do not approve of your daughter's imprisonment." Arta leaned over the railing. "It is hard to believe that a girl with no skill and no prior training could kill two light-benders." No one in his sane mind could believe that, but Lorei found it most curious that the head of the Spy Guild would admit it.
"I cannot ignore the knife my people have discovered beside the bodies..." Arta brushed her long black fringe away from her dark eyes. "It is too suspicious, don't you think?"
"I couldn't agree more, Lady Rinari." Lorei nodded gravely.
"Arta," she corrected with a smile. Lorei obliged.
"Arta."
"Everything depends on interpretation. Interpretations open dangerous possibilities." Arta spoke with caution, conniving notes in her voice. "I believe we both want our version of events to prevail. Together we can not only do that, but also overcome our... previous misunderstandings."
Mutual hatreds, assassinations and betrayals could as well count for 'misunderstandings'. Lorei was never scrupulous, always willing to strike alliances others would frown upon.
"I would like nothing more than to assist you in this noble cause," Lorei said with fake modesty.
"I expect nothing less from the most reasonable member of your family." A mischievous gleam once again appeared in her dark eyes. "Councilor Varga is old... and I am not certain he will stay in power for long. He misses his native Hungary and wants to retire. Those time-masters are a peculiar lot."
Lorei could not argue against that.
"I am close to his family," she said.
"That is most convenient."
The thrill of excitement spread slowly through Lorei's veins, silencing her concerns. Was this eccentric Albanian truly someone to bring her to the heights of power? The women exchanged meaningful glances before returning to the guests.
"A politician with your pretty face could go a long way," Arta said, a wicked flame igniting her gaze, threatening to singe Lorei. She finally understood that it was not power, prosperity or attention that Arta Rinari sought. No accomplishment could fill the empty void inside her, and she was desperate to lose herself in the excitement of one moment, to feel the thrill. Such a woman could burn the world down only to let the fire caress her cheeks. Something about her was beautiful and broken. What had her sister Laurenția once seen in that Albanian? Her leg was the price.
"One more thing, Lorei." She tilted her head to the side, stopping abruptly. "I will represent your daughter's defence at the Trial."
Lorei gaped at her, suppressing her shock: why would Arta Rinari do that?!
"I could not have made a better choice," she whispered.
YOU ARE READING
Byzantine Purple
Fantasy"History is a survivor's tale. It knows no villains. Only failures." A decade ago, Leudora had her major enemies eliminated - the scientist known as the Dalmatian Serpent, and his followers, who sought her people's blood. A ruthless guardian of her...
