"You said 'get me an army' and I delivered," Yvonnel said with an easy shrug, smiling almost imperceptibly as she watched Siniira pace. The pair of them were alone in the Matron's study, though the others would be joining them any minute and Yvonnel would be excusing herself. Better not to give the Patron too much to stick his revolting nose into, as far as the church agent was concerned. "The Houses would never commit their full forces. But combined with the dread fangs and the inquisitors, we have enough to push even demons back into their holes."
Siniira drummed her fingers on the table with a map of Niar'hannenlyn spread across it. "It means I will be obliged to remain in Menzoberranzan to watch the other houses like a hawk. I do not want you walking into that place without me!"
Yvonnel rolled her eyes with a harsh sigh. "Again? We're having this fight again? Goddess below, Siniira, I'm Revered Daughter of the Yath'Abban. I waltz into and right out of worse danger than this on a daily basis."
The Matron Mother slammed her fist into the surface of the table. "This is different!" Siniira knew she was being unreasonable and that there wasn't really any difference at all. But she had brought this battle to Yvonnel's attention, she had already risked the other cleric in weeks upon weeks of espionage and cost her innumerable favors. "It's my battle!"
"Are you jealous or overprotective? You have to pick one and stick with it, Siniira," Yvonnel said, allowing her amusement to play across her features. Part of it was artificial-honestly, it was strangely gratifying that she had Matron Mother Siniira Duskryn in this kind of state. For the most part, her not-quite-rival was content to simply accept the dangers that went along with a position of power. But sometimes, sometimes, she lost her head.
And every time it made Yvonnel smile to herself, content in the knowledge that it was a reaction Siniira had never, ever displayed for her Patron. Petty? Absolutely. But even the scion of a dead house was still a female drow.
Siniira glared at her. "I didn't start having Baenre's assassins killed so you could get yourself murdered in a newer, more interesting way."
"You do care," Yvonnel cooed in a way she knew would infuriate Siniira more. No one else could get under the cool and collected Matron's skin like this, not even her eldest daughter.
"You're an impossible bitch and I hope a balor eats you," the Matron snarled, knowing she had just surrendered her dignity as well as any chance of actually persuading Yvonnel out of it. So she dropped back into her chair to fume, glare never wavering from her not-quite-rival's face.
Beneath the anger, the Revered Daughter could read fear and genuine concern. For a moment, she dropped the act and it really was just the two of them. "Who else do you trust to bring your girls home safely, Siniira? I promise I will be the very soul of caution," Yvonnel soothed. She cut herself off before she could say anything else as the door opened and the Patron came storming in. The casual sort of closeness of the moment was shattered so very easily. It wasn't the first time the priestess had considered having the male flayed.
"Your daughter's pet is out of control," Zekatar growled, massaging his throat where Galen's forearm had been.
"Have you heard of knocking, Patron? It's all the rage," Yvonnel said icily, treating him to a particularly vicious glare that promised a torment that would continue long after his death. She stood a little straighter and altered her posture as if he had just intruded on her territory. Before he could retort, the door opened to allow an uncomfortable looking Zesstra in. Practically on her heels were Valyne and Lirayne, both not even pretending to hide their hostility towards their sister. And with them came their three strange surface strays. Well, two and a half with the dwarf as far as Yvonnel was concerned.
Siniira sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Now that everyone's here, we can begin," she said forcefully. It was enough to draw everyone's attention and prevent any fights before they could begin. "Revered Yvonnel is here representing the Yath'Abban, who will form the majority of the force going against the demons. Lirayne, you are in charge of our forces going into battle. With your condition, I would normally forbid it, but a spider on the wall told me you're committed to this. You're also a superior tactician to Zekatar, who would have been my primary choice otherwise."
"I am," Lirayne said. She was both happy and unhappy with the decision. She would be part of bringing a fight to the demons, but it meant she was stuck in command. She wouldn't be following Valyne.
"Matron, with all due respect-" Zesstra started to say, biting off her words when her mother's frigid glare swiveled in her direction. Apparently the Matron's mood was less than fantastic at the moment.
"If I wanted your opinion, I would torture it out of you," Siniira said coolly. "You are Lirayne's second in command in this matter. At all times, you will defer to her judgment until you have returned to Menzoberranzan, or Revered Yvonnel will do something unspeakably cruel ultimately resulting in your death. Have I made myself abundantly clear?"
"Yes, Matron," the oldest of the three ground out. "And what will Valyne be doing?"
"We know there's a gate into the Abyss where these demons are coming from, and it has to be the Wells of Darkness. Shami-Amourae is through there, unable to pass through the rift because of the powers that bind her," Valyne said, her tone as close to casual as she could make it. "My job is to pass through the gate, kill Shami-Amourae, and return while you handle the demonic army."
Zesstra laughed despite her mother's grim countenance, turning to look at her younger sister. "You? Kill a demon lord?" she said incredulously, humor still filling her tone. "You don't have that kind of power, Valyne. Not even binding. A lesser creature against Shami-Amourae would be destroyed utterly, beyond even the power of a god to resurrect."
"Perhaps," Val said with a shrug and a little gleam in her eye, like she knew something that Zesstra didn't. "We'll see, won't we? Galen, you're staying with Lirayne. We can't afford to lose command to demons and you're one of the most qualified to deal with them. Storunn, you too."
"And the rogue?" Cessair piped up, rocking back and forth on her heels. It was hard to tell if it was excitement or anxiety, but either way it baffled and amused Siniira. Not that anyone could tell by her expression. "Because somebody needs to be watching your back, Val."
"I'll need your help getting to the rift. And then I need you to guard it. Because if I don't come back in a set amount of time, you're going to seal it by disrupting the sigils. I'll show you how," Val said.
"Absolutely not!" Siniira shouted, slamming her open hand down on the table with a loud crack that made everyone but Val and Yvonnel flinch. She was not a woman inclined to losing her temper like this. Normally she became calmer, cooler, the more angry she was. Zekatar couldn't remember the last time he'd seen her snap like this.
Yvonnel could. It had been when Val was singled out as the one guilty of betraying her house. Falsely, yes, but the evidence at the time was persuasive.
"Matron, if we don't close the gate, more demons will just pour forth. Particularly if I fail. More than that, Shami-Amourae will be able to cross into a vessel," Val said in a level voice. "And even if I succeed, I may be trapped. For the good of Menzoberranzan, this has to happen."
Before Siniira could retort, another voice piped up, made of spun silk, smoke, and honey. "About that, sweet thing," Malcanthet said, moving out of the shadows. The drow and surface dwellers alike whipped around. The succubus had been hiding herself. "It's going to be a one-way trip. So you can plan on your little pickpocket wiping away those pesky sigils."
"There's no way out?" Lirayne demanded, the first to recover her composure. Val looked a little shell shocked and the Matron even more so. Yvonnel and the others just seemed incredibly wary of the sudden arrival.
"I didn't say that," the succubus said with a little hint of a smile on her curved lips, curling a lock of her red hair around one clawed finger. "You see, the priestess is right. You're not strong enough to kill Shami-Amourae. No mortal is, otherwise she'd have been dead long ago. She has so many enemies, after all. But I happen to have a way. However, that's not for everyone to hear. Valyne, you might want to shoo out anyone who's not family. And then some."
"Lirayne, Revered Yvonnel, you can stay. The rest of you, out," Siniira ordered. Despite their curiosity or concern or both depending on who it was, the others left. Even the surface dwellers knew angering the Matron further was not a wise decision. It left the room feeling strangely empty and uncomfortably quiet. "Explain yourself, creature."
Malcanthet clucked her tongue disapprovingly. "Such poor manners," she said, swaying over and helping herself to a glass of wine.
"Not a good time for your brand of humor," Val said tersely, her whole body tensed. Her hands had knotted into fists, clenched so tightly her nails were almost drawing blood.
"Do you remember, sweet thing, when I told you that everything has a price?" Malcanthet said casually, taking a sip and savoring the bittersweet taste of the wine as it rolled over her tongue. She could conjure up something equally as fine, but this was all the better because of the circumstances. And honestly, someone else's wine was always better. You didn't have to go through that annoying effort of acquiring it. "This is no different. There is a way to slay Shami-Amourae, saving your sister's child and Menzoberranzan. As well as pleasing the Spider Queen and earning her blessing, I might add. Your house would benefit greatly."
"If that's true..." Lirayne said hesitantly, knowing the good that would come of it for everyone else. "But Valyne would be trapped in the Wells of Darkness?"
"Oh, no. Not at all. A different kind of sacrifice is required to defeat Shami-Amourae," Malcanthet said smoothly, just a hint of that inscrutable smile on her face as she rounded on Valyne. "Give up your mortality, sweet thing, your life among the drow, and I will give you the key to defeating not just a demon lord."
Val's mind set off racing, whirling in impossible circles. Give up not only everything that she'd just regained, but her mortality? Her soul? How was that even possible? She was a drow...or at least half, anyway. "I..." She wetted her dry lips and looked around the scene. Everyone else seemed frozen in shock. Perhaps it was reflex, but one of Lirayne's hands had settled on the curve of her abdomen. A niece she would never see...but who would never live if she didn't act. "Can that even be done?"
"Oh yes, my sweet thing. Who do you think offered Asmodeus all the power he has now?" Malcanthet purred. "Pazuzu did it as my bidding. These are wheels that have been in motion for aeons. And now you are a part of it." She reached out, running clawed fingers over Val's cheek. "All you have to do is give in and you can be so much more than what you are. More than Shami-Amourae. What do you have to lose? You will never be Matron. You will never find what you desire in your heart. Forever trapped between two worlds, unable to save the things you love. A cruel fate."
"I..." Val felt herself standing as if on the edge of a precipice, looking down at the darkness and then up again at the light. If she stepped off, there would be no turning back. But would she fall or fly? She pressed her lips together in a thin line, knowing that really, for her, there was only one decision to make. She had to try and do the right thing.
Malcanthet recognized it. "See you on the battlefield, sweet thing. The rift is where you can make your choice," she said, knowing no one else in the room would catch Val's expression for what it was.
"I will be there."