“Get up! Get up! The two of you must get up!” the female voice begged again. There was the sound of a key turning in the lock and the door suddenly burst open to reveal the seamstress from the night before.
“What in the world?” Lucy exclaimed, staring wide-eyed at the woman. “Why are you breaking into our room?”
“She’s back and the whole stronghold must be ready!”
The seamstress—the only female employee of Lady Twa’linda—rushed over to stand by the side of their bed. The poor woman looked extremely agitated—her brow was furrowed and her hands were twisted together in a trembling knot.
“What are you talking about?” Lucy asked, quickly covering herself with the furry bedspread. Yes the woman had seen her naked the day before, but she felt incredibly vulnerable lying here with T’zaren’s head between her legs.
“There is danger in the stronghold! The worst danger in fifteen cycles!” the seamstress—whose name Lucy had never gotten—exclaimed.
This seemed to get T’zaren’s attention for he sat up at once, a protective growl rising in his throat.
“What danger?” he demanded. “Is my Lady at risk?”
“She will be if she cannot act like a properDom’mesque,” the seamstress said. “Andyoumust act the part of a proper manservant,” she added, pointing at T’zaren.
“What do you mean?” Lucy asked, frowning. “We’re already doing all those things.”
“Not likeshe’sgoing to want you to do them!” The seamstress continued wringing her hands. “Oh dear—I don’t wish either of you to die! It will upset Lady Twa’linda so much when she comes back.Ifshe comes back!”
“Die? What are you talking about?” T’zaren demanded.
“And what do you mean ‘if’ Lady Twa’linda comes back?” Lucy asked, frowning. “Where did she go?”
“Oh, she’s still here but she’s been usurped!” The seamstress shook her head in agitation. “Look, none of that matters now. What matters is to get the two of you dressed properly so that you may appear in the Throne Room as a proper Dom’mesque and manservant.”
“What makes you think we’renota proper Dom’mesque and manservant?” Lucy demanded.
“The way you act, of course! And the way you dress. Your ‘manservant’ has no collar on! And you speak to him almost as an equal,” the seamstress said. “I have sharp eyes and sharper ears—I know the two of you aren’t really what you present yourselves to be. Andshewill know too! Oh, youmustdo a better job of pretending or I fear she’ll put both of you to death!”
“Who is thissheyou keep talking about?” Lucy asked, completely bewildered. She couldn’t understand what the woman was going on and on about.
But T’zaren was suddenly alert. The sleepy lust on his face had been replaced by a grim protectiveness.
“She’s flipped, hasn’t she?” he growled, frowning at the seamstress. “Her Dark Face has come out and it’s dominant, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” The seamstress looked ready to cry. “I worked for Mistress Shin’dara—for the Dark Face—long ago, but it was the Light Face, Lady Twa’linda, who hired me permanently. I remember the bad old days too well—I knew I had to warn you!”
“Thank you but I’m afraid this isn’t wholly a surprise,” T’zaren growled. “It’s as I’ve always said—you can’t trust a Twainer.”
“So…she’s dangerous now? Now that she’s gone over to the, uh, Dark Side, I mean?” Lucy asked uncertainly.
“Dangerous and unpredictable,” T’zaren told her. “We must be on our guard.” He nodded at the seamstress. “Thank you for warning us.”
“It was the least I could do. I am Lady Twa’linda’s oldest servant—and the only female one,” the seamstress said. “She told me last night she felt ‘the change’ coming. She was trying to hold it back—to keep Mistress Shin’dara locked up tight—but she said if she couldn’t, I must see to you.” She looked at Lucy. “She reallylikesyou, you see—even though she doesn’t believe you’re a trueDom’mesque.”
“If Lady Twa’linda didn’t believe our act, it’s doubtful if Mistress Shin’dara will either,” T’zaren growled.
“But…but what about thedimriel?”Lucy asked. “Will we still be able to get some?”
T’zaren scowled.
“If I had to guess, I’d say our deal with Lady Twa’linda to get thedimrielis dead on the table. We’ll have to make a new deal with Mistress Shin’dara—ifshe’s willing to deal with us at all, that is.”
“Well how do we get her to deal with us?” Lucy asked.
Despite this new wrinkle in their mission, she was still determined to get the heart-stone the Monstrum Mother Ship needed to survive. She’d be damned if she’d run away with her tail between her legs just because their hostess had literally woken up on the wrong side of the bed!