Deathstalker 02 - Deathstalker Rebellion

fat smiling face of her father. A cold hand clutched at her heart. She had to fight to get her breath, and she clenched her teeth together to keep her mouth from trembling.
    "Just called to let you know I'm on my way," said Gregor Shreck. "Think loving thoughts till I get there, my precious. And wear the pink nightgown. The one I like. I won't be long. And then we can have some fun, just you and I. Won't that be nice?"
    The fat smiling face disappeared, and the mirror returned, showing Evangeline her own face again. For a moment she didn't recognize it. Her face was thinner than it had been, the pale skin stretched taut over the protruding cheekbones.
    Her eyes had a trapped, hunted, haunted look. She tried a smile, rehearsing for her father, but it looked more like a grimace. She had a feeling the Shreck preferred it that way. And then there was a knock at the door, and she nearly jumped out of her skin. She stared blankly at the door, her heart hammering in her chest. It couldn't be him already. Had they come at last to drag her away, screaming and kicking, to the torture of the mind techs, where neither lover nor father nor Cause could save or succor her? She snatched up a heavy pair of scissors from the dressing table. Not as good as a knife, but close. She'd make them kill her. She'd be safe then. Somehow she backed away from hysteria and got a grip on herself, precarious though it was. She moved slowly to the door, still clutching the scissors. It seemed to take forever to get there. When she opened the door with a hand that hardly trembled at all, Adrienne Campbell was standing there waiting for her. Evangeline stared blankly at Finlay's wife, and all she
    could think was Oh, great. Another complication.
    "Well?" said Adrienne. "Aren't you going to invite me in? We have so much to talk about."
    "Oh, hell," said Evangeline. "I haven't got time for this."
    "We need to talk."
    "This isn't a good time. I'm… expecting someone. Could you come back again?"
    "I doubt it," said Adrienne, smiling slightly. "Your security people didn't want to let me in at all. I had to speak to them very firmly. Even so, they were still going to turn me away until I demanded a strip search. That slowed them down. I may have fallen from grace, but I am still a Campbell and noble born.
    Let them try to explain to their superiors that they'd strip-searched an aristocrat, and their next job would be delivering bad news to the Empress. I understand there are always vacancies. They were falling all over themselves to apologize as they let me in, poor bastards."
    "What do we have to say to each other?" said Evangeline.
    "I don't know," said Adrienne. "But we do have at least one thing in common. Or rather, one person. Have you heard from Finlay lately?"
    "Oh, hell. You'd better come in. But you can't stay."
    She stepped back to open the door wide, and Adrienne Campbell strode in like she owned the place. She always did. It was practically a trademark. Evangeline realized she was still holding the scissors and tossed them onto a nearby chair.
    She didn't want to be tempted. Adrienne looked around Evangeline's apartment with a slightly arched eyebrow, implying with a glance that she'd seen much better, but was too well-bred to mention it. She picked out the most comfortable chair with infallible instinct, and sank into its embrace with a single graceful
    movement. She smiled graciously and waited patiently while Evangeline pulled up a chair and sat opposite her. There was something of the Empress visiting one of her lesser subjects in Adrienne's manner, but Evangeline didn't take it personally. That was just Adrienne for you. She might have fallen from favor, but she hadn't fallen far. Evangeline still felt like slapping her face, on general principles. A giggle almost escaped her, but she forced it back. She didn't have the time for hysterics. She settled herself opposite Adrienne and met her gaze with a cool calm look.
    "Finlay never loved you," she said flatly. "You must know that."
    "Oh, of course. I never loved him. Our marriage was arranged for various business and Family reasons that no doubt seemed good at the time. We might have made a go of it, but we quarreled walking out of the church, and it all went downhill after that. He had his lovers, and I had mine, and we were both very civilized about it. You look shocked, dear. Surely, you didn't think you were his first?"
    "No. He never talked about his other women. But I knew. It didn't