Free Eye of the Labyrinth by Jennifer Fallon Page B

wanted to know how Belagren gained so much power? She introduced the Milk of the Goddess to the Landfall Festival.”
    He stared at Neris, not sure if he believed the madman. “But how? ...”
    “How does she do it? It’s painfully simple, Dirk. If Belagren has a gift at all, it’s that she understands man’s baser instincts. She understands what it means to strip away our veneer of civilization, our thin human skin, even if only for one night of the year. You’ve no idea the power that gives her. You’ve no concept of how seductive that can be.”
    “If that’s the case, why is it only the unmarried men and women who take part in the ceremony?”
    “Bah! Unmarried! Why do you think the participants are masked, Dirk?”
    He thought about that for a moment, not completely convinced. “When I drank the Milk of the Goddess all it did was convince me I never want to touch the stuff again.”
    “Did you sample the delights of a Shadowdancer while you were under its influence?”
    Dirk hesitated before he answered. “Yes.”
    “And what was that like?”
    “It was the stupidest thing I’ve ever done.”
    “You say that now. But what was it like at the time, Dirk? What was it like when you
didn’t
care? What was it like to let out that animal that resides within us all? Don’t you remember what it felt like? Don’t you recall how intoxicating it was? Don’t you sometimes wake up at night, dreaming of her ... dreaming of recapturing that feeling?”
    “No,” he declared emphatically.
    “That’s a lie. Of course you do. It’s why the Milk of the Goddess works so well—because every man and woman who takes it hungers for that release. They hunger for that one night of the year when they can delude themselves into thinking that they are masters of their own destiny. Only a few of the very strong can resist it.”
    Dirk thought about it, consciously trying to remember a night that, for two years, he had quite deliberately blocked out. “It was like a nightmare,” he admitted finally. “Like I was someone else. It was like ... I don’t know ... I mean ... I knew who I was, but it wasn’t really me ... It’s hard to explain.”
    “You don’t need to explain. I’ve been there.”
    “Is that what drove you mad?”
    Neris stared at him for a moment and then shrugged. “I’m not mad, Dirk. I’m far saner than I want to be. Actually, I would love to be truly insane. I wouldn’t have to care, then.”
    Dirk nodded in understanding. How much easier life would be, how uncomplicated, if he could simply do what Neris had done and give himself over to the dark side of his nature, rather than face the consequences of what he had done.
    “That night ... I recall every detail. But after the Landfall Festival, nobody remembers anything. Why?”
    “They remember, Dirk. But how many of them are willing to admit it?” Neris studied him closely. “You hide dark secrets, Dirk Provin, and my daughter despises you for them. Is it that you’ve tasted the Milk of the Goddess? Is it that you’ve been in the arms of a Shadowdancer? Is that why she doesn’t trust you?” When Dirk did not answer, he chuckled. “I’d not boast about having slept with a Shadowdancer to anyone else in Mil, if I were you. Tia wouldn’t be the only one to look at you askance if they realized how close to the heart of the beast you’ve lain.”
    “And how close is that, exactly?” Tia asked from the cave’s entrance.
    Dirk jumped to his feet and turned to stare at her, appalled to think she may have overheard their discussion. She met his eye for a moment, then turned and stalked off.
    “Tia!” he called after her.
    Neris chuckled softly and began to sing softly, “You’re in trouble now ... you’re in trouble now ...”
    Cursing the madman, Dirk ran after Tia, scrambling down the perilous goat track to the beach. “Tia!”
    She stopped when she reached the beach and turned to face him. Her small dinghy was pulled up beside his