StarCrossed. Part 35

With a deep breath, I looked over the Round Court, at the great bloom of color displayed, the rich fabrics, the fancy dance steps, the food, and the fire and . . . and it felt too easy, too natural. I could stay here, make a life with these people, and be happy.

Or I could go home.

"Gerse," I said, closing my eyes. Like that, I was there again - the hard cobbled streets, the stench of sewage in the gutters, the long rainy winters and hot sticky summers. Lyll and Wierolf and the Sarists had their grand n.o.b plans, but meanwhile Werne's Greenmen still menaced the common citizens of Gerse, and that would only get worse when the war started in earnest. That dark city had saved my life and made me welcome when the Celystra spat me out, and I'd run from it. My city deserved more from me. Tegen deserved more.

"I left a friend behind. I have to go back."

Meri nodded, a brightness in her eyes. "Well," she said. "Just don't forget you have friends here too."

I looked up then, and saw Lady Lyll and Wierolf crossing toward us. Meri hauled me to standing, and for a moment I looked at my hands in hers - one with the silver bracelet to seal my friends.h.i.+p with Meri and the house of Nemair, the other with the battered fingers of a thief who's made one too many mistakes. Somehow, by Tiboran's inscrutable design, they seemed to fit together.

I grinned at Meri. "Never."

LEXICON.

Astilan of Hanival: Prince of the realm. King Bardolph's nephew; cousin to Prince Wierolf.

Acolyte Guard: The Celystra's honor guard; once ceremonial, now King Bardolph's de facto secret police. Called "Greenmen," in slang for their entirely green uniforms.

Bardolph of Hanival: King of Llyvraneth.

Berdal: Guard and groom at Bryn Shaer.

Breijarda Velde: The Wide Pa.s.s through the Carskadon Mountains, connecting the provinces of Briddja Nul and Kellespau.

Breijardarl: Literally "broad valley," a settlement just beyond the Breijarda Velde. Formerly the center for the wors.h.i.+p of Sar in Llyvraneth and home to a university for the study of magic (as well as medicine, astronomy, and other sciences). Its temple and university were closed by Bardolph early in his reign.

Briddja Nul: One of the three provinces that make up the nation of Llyvraneth. Briddja Nul occupies much of the northwest, and is home to the port city of Yeris Volbann.

Bryn Shaer: Literally "Bear's Keep," a castle fortress in the Carskadon Mountains, guarding the Breijarda Velde. Home to the Nemair.

Caerellis: Manor house north of Favom Court. Childhood home of Lyllace Nemair; now property of the Crown.

Carskadon Mountains: Literally "black mountains," mountain range bisecting the northern half of Llyvraneth, separating the provinces of Briddja Nul and Kellespau.

Celys: The great Mother G.o.ddess, G.o.ddess of life and the harvest. Her symbols are the ash tree and the full moon.

Celystra: Temple complex in Gerse devoted to Celys. Seat of Celyst wors.h.i.+p and power.

Cardom, Lady: n.o.blewoman staying at Bryn Shaer.

Cardom, Lord: n.o.bleman staying at Bryn Shaer. Son of Lady Cardom.

Chavel: Private secretary to the king.

Contrare, Celyn: Digger's alias.

Confessor: An investigator for the Inquisition, trained in the arts of torture.

Corlesanne: Nation to Llyvraneth's east. Traditionally tolerant of Sarism.

Cwalo, Eptin: Merchant from Yeris Volbann. Longtime friend of Lady Lyllace.

Daul, Lord Remy: Lunarist and Llyvrin n.o.bleman staying at Bryn Shaer. Son of Senim; foster brother and childhood friend of Lord Antoch.

Daul, Lord Senim: Llyvrin n.o.bleman and commander of Sarist forces during the war. Foster father of Lord Antoch. Deceased.

Decath, Durrel: Young n.o.bleman from Gerse. Cousin to Merista Nemair.

Decath, Lord Ragn: Durrel's father.

Digger: Thief from Gerse.

Favom Court: Farm and manor house north of Gerse. Country residence of the House of Decath.

Gairveyont: n.o.ble house on Llyvraneth's southeastern coast. Home to Lady Cardom's daughter.

Gelnir: One of the three provinces that make up the nation of Llyvraneth. A fertile region of farmland to the west and south, and home to Llyvraneth's capital city of Gerse.

Gerse: Capital city of Llyvraneth. Digger's home.

Greenmen: see Acolyte Guard.

Inquisition: Dedicated arm of the Celyst church charged with eradicating heresy. Led by a staff of inquisitors (specially ordained priests) under the command of the Lord High Inquisitor, Werne Nebraut. The Inquisition has wide-ranging powers and very little oversight.

Kalorjn: Battlefield in southeastern Kellespau; site of the Sarists' defeat in the war.

Kellespau: One of the three provinces that make up the nation of Llyvraneth. A hilly region covering the northeastern third of the island.

Kernja-velde: Literally "third pa.s.sage," the celebration of a young woman's reaching adulthood at age fourteen. The male equivalent is the traese-velde, or "fourth pa.s.sage," at age twenty-one.

Lieste: Queen of Llyvraneth. Second and much younger wife of Bardolph.

Llyvraneth: Island nation consisting of three provinces: Gelnir, Briddja Nul, and Kellespau.

Lunarism/lunarist: A discipline equivalent to astrology, by which the future may be divined according to the movements of the moons. Lunarist: a pract.i.tioner of this art.

Marau: G.o.d of the dead and consort to Celys. Twin brother to Sar. His symbol is the crow.

Mend-kaal: G.o.d of the hearth, the home, and of labor. Twin brother to Tiboran; son of Celys and Marau. His symbol is the hammer.

Morva: Cook at Favom Court. Nurse to Lady Lyllace and Merista Nemair.

Nameless One, The: G.o.ddess of justice and divine retribution. Daughter of Celys and Marau. Nicknamed "The Hound of Marau" because her moon follows Marau's closely in the heavens (the Nameless One's moon is speculated to be an asteroid captured by Marau's...o...b..t).

Nebraut, Werne: see Werne.

Nemair, Lady Lyllace: Llyvrin n.o.blewoman. Wife of Antoch.

Nemair, Lord Antoch: Llyvrin n.o.bleman. Husband of Lyllace. Former Sarist rebel.

Nemair, Merista: Young n.o.ble girl. Daughter of Lyllace and Antoch; cousin to Durrel Decath.

Reynart, Tnor: A Sarist mage.

Sar: G.o.ddess of magic and dreams. Twin sister to Marau. Her symbol is the seven-pointed star.

Sarist: Supporter of a rebellion against King Bardolph, favoring a more tolerant religious climate that would allow the wors.h.i.+p of other G.o.ds in general and Sar in particular. Some openly wors.h.i.+p Sar, while most simply support greater religious freedom in Llyvraneth. Not all Sarists are magical, but it is widely believed that everyone with magic must be a Sarist.

Sethe, Lougre: Former Sarist rebel. Deceased.

Sethe, Phandre: Young n.o.blewoman. Daughter of Lougre; friend to Merista.

Silver: An elemental metal with antibiotic properties, used for thousands of years to treat infection in wounds and on burns. In Llyvraneth, silver also has anti-magical properties.

Sposa, Lord: n.o.bleman staying at Bryn Shaer.

Stagne: A young wizard. Friend to Merista.

Talanca: Nation to Llyvraneth's south.

Taradyce, Lord Hron: Llyrvin n.o.bleman. Raffin's father; acquaintance of Digger from Gerse.

Taradyce, Raffin: Young n.o.bleman from Gerse. Son of Lord Taradyce.

Tegen: Thief in Gerse. Digger's partner.

Tiboran: G.o.d of wine and theater. Twin brother to Mend-kaal. His symbol is the mask, and he has been adopted as a patron by those who must lie for a living, most notably thieves.

Tigas or Tigas Wanderers: A nomadic minority ethnic group in Llyvraneth, believed to have migrated north from Talanca hundreds of years ago.

Tratua: Port city in southeast Kellespau.

Varenzia: Nation bordering Corlesanne.

Villatiere, Marlytt: Courtesan from Gerse.

Wellyth, Lord Petr: Elderly n.o.bleman staying at Bryn Shaer. Longtime friend of Lady Lyllace.

Werne, Lord High Inquisitor: Also called "Werne the Bloodletter."

Wierolf of Hanival: Prince of the realm. King Bardolph's nephew; cousin to Prince Astilan.

Yeris Volbann: Port city on Llyvraneth's northwest coast.

Yselle: Housekeeper at Bryn Shaer, native to Corlesanne.

Zet: G.o.ddess of war and the hunt. Her symbol is the arrow. Patron of the n.o.bility.

CONFESSIONS OF ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.

Under threat of torture, I am forced to reveal the names of the following individuals who provided aid, comfort, and material support at various times during the creation of this novel: Rebel agent Erin Murphy, for never letting a client be left in the cold.

Handler extraordinaire Cheryl Klein, for heroic editing under the most harrowing conditions.

Local and long-distance allies Laura Manivong, Barb Stuber, Sarah Clark, Katie Speck, Jo Whittemore, and Rose Green. And particularly the Cleaner, Diane Bailey.

Scott McKuen, for information regarding the nature and behavior of moons.

Bruce Bradley of the Linda Hall Library of Science, Engineering & Technology Rare Books Room, for information on Renaissance-era bookbinding, blank books, and handwritten journals.

And my husband, Chris Bunce, who thankfully cannot be made to testify against me.

READ ON FOR.

DIGGER'S NEXT ADVENTURES

IN.