The voice seemed to sigh then before continuing on, "To what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from the hero of Sapan? Congratulations on yet another of your many victories over these past few years."
The Priestess came into view then. In fact she materialized right before my eyes not 10 feet away.
It was hard to stay cool in the presence of this sort of power, but I tried. I inclined my head forward in a slight bow before saying, "The rumors are true my lady. You are very beautiful and you know how to make an entrance, but I wonder………" I let my words draw out as I then glanced up to her and said, "are you also as wise as I have heard?"
Her seducing gaze on me turned to one of calculation, even as a sardonic smile played about her full lips. Slowly she nodded her head approvingly, "He certainly taught you well, I see. Tell me, how is Kuri these days and why did he send you here?"
"I've heard he is the same, both in purpose and in authority."
She smiled fully at me then, but I didn't trust it as a sign of anything. I didn't trust anything about her other than that she would be out to deceive me at every turn.
"You play the game well, Benaiah. Now answer my first question or be gone from here."
Her face had instantly turned cold in the wake of her statement. It was a hard look to see on a woman so beautiful. As beautiful as she was though, I felt no attraction for her other than the simple fact that I could acknowledge that any man would be proud to have her and yet I doubted very much that any man had ever really had her. More likely it had been the other way around.
I chose to be completely honest in my address to her, "You are aware of the lateness of the hour my lady?"
"I am," she responded affirmatively.
"Kuri has never quite told me what to tell you, only that one day this day was to happen. I believe, though, that if Kuri could be here he would say that it is still not too late. The door is still open for you to walk through to reclaim his love for you. He does still very much love you."
She had turned away from me as I had talked and I was unsure of any of the effect that my words had upon her.
"Tell me, Benaiah, do you really think it's as simple as that?" she asked harshly, as she turned to glare at me in a complete changeover of mood from that of playful dominatrix to that of hostility and extreme hatred.