Luck in the Shadows

saw that the mosaic on the floor below depicted an immense, scarlet dragon crowned with a silver crescent. Its leathery wings were outstretched in flight; beyond its coiling body, as if seen from a distance, lay what Alec took to be the harbor and walled city of Rhнminee itself.
    "That must be the dragon of Illior," he observed, leaning over the rail for a better look.
    "The very one."
    Stopping at the last door on the gallery, Wethis knocked and stepped back to make way for Alec.
    A woman opened the door, her welcoming smile one a man could happily die for. It vanished as soon as she saw the two of them, however. Suddenly Alec couldn't have spoken a word if his life depended on it.
    Ylinestra was stunningly beautiful. Framed in a mass of raven hair, her face was at once delicate and sensual. Her eyes were the deep, velvety purple of a summer iris. The loose-flowing garment she wore was made of embroidered silk so sheer it did little more than tint the voluptuous body it draped.
    Alec, who had never seen a naked woman before, stood rooted to the spot, too shocked to think.
    Wethis stood to one side in respectful silence.
    "Yes?" Ylinestra demanded imperiously, folding her arms beneath her breasts.
    "I've come from Nysander," Alec said, finding his voice at last. He wanted desperately to keep his eyes on hers, but the onslaught of her gaze was too much. Knowing that he'd be lost if he looked lower than her shoulders, he finally settled on her chin and blurted out his message. "He-he said to tell you that he'll be late."
    "Did he say when he would come?" she demanded, her tone ominous.
    "No," Alec replied, resisting the strong urge to fall back a pace.
    "Thank you," she snapped and slammed the door in his face. A series of loud crashes from behind it quickly followed as Alec and Wethis beat a hasty retreat.
    "If I'd known what your message was, I'd have warned you about her temper," Wethis apologized.
    "She and Nysander are lovers, you see. I think she must have been expecting him in person."
    ''His lover!"
    "The latest one, anyway," Wethis answered with obvious admiration. "Nysander's one of the few Orлska wizards who doesn't hold with celibacy. Far from it, in fact. Still, I'm not certain even he is a match for Ylinestra, if you know what I mean." Lowering his voice, he added with a knowing wink, "But I'll warrant she's worth the trouble!"
    Reaching the atrium, Wethis led Alec into a long gallery lined with statuary of every size and description.
    "This is just the anteroom of the baths," he explained, seeing Alec's look of wonder. "The really unusual things are in the museum across the way. Lord Seregil could show you around there; he knows the place better than some of the wizards."
    Steamy air enveloped them as Wethis swung back a large door and ushered him into an immense vaulted chamber. Having always associated washing with chilly streams and drafty bathhouses, Alec wasn't prepared for the opulence that now lay before him.
    At the center of the huge chamber lay a broad octagonal pool lined with red and gold tiles.
    Marble griffins with gilded wings stood at four opposing corners and spewed arching streams of water into it. The tinkling plash of falling water echoed pleasantly around the chamber.
    The walls of the room were decorated with frescoes depicting water nymphs and undersea scenes. Beneath these, set into the floor in the same manner as the pool, were individual tubs. Attended by servants, a number of other bathers were already making use of these. Alec could feel the warmth of the heated floor through the soles of his boots.
    A carved bench, clothes rack, and the largest looking glass he'd ever seen were arranged around the tub prepared for him. Nearby a servant stood ready with a basket, and another was approaching with a tray of food. The scented water in the tub did look inviting, but Alec felt acutely uncomfortable undressing under so many eyes. Noting his hesitation, Wethis shooed the servants off and turned away himself while Alec slipped hastily into the water.
    "Looks like Nysander wants you to eat," Wethis observed pushing the tray of food over to him.
    In spite of his resolution to hurry, the aromas wafting up from the various bowls stirred Alec's empty belly. Taking up a spoon, he hastily wolfed down a few mouthfuls until a fiery red sauce brought him to an abrupt, choking halt.
    Grinning, Wethis handed him a goblet of cool water. "You'd better slow down. Skalan food can take you by