“But—” Even if it wasn’t the one she would have chosen if she could have spent anything she wanted, she’d still expected to keep it. After all, it was a brooch by Banard—something she could never afford for herself.

“What was Daemon doing there? What was he buying?”

“I think he commissioned Banard to make something special—probably for that stupid cripple, Jaenelle. But he did buy a bracelet. ‘A special gift for a special Lady.’ ” As she described the bracelet, Lektra’s gold eyes gleamed with delight.

“We can go to another jeweler and get a duplicate made,” Lektra said excitedly. “It doesn’t have to be exact, just have all the right elements, so when someone sees me wearing it, they’ll think it’s the one Banard made. And since Jaenelle Angelline isn’t likely to be coming to Amdarh anytime soon, no one will know the difference.”

“What about the brooch?” Roxie asked.

“While he was in Amdarh last time, Daemon attended several parties. There’s always dozens of them just before the actual thirteen days of Winsol. Some of the theater folk attended one of them, and I heard Daemon spent some time with one of the actresses. Danced with her a couple of times. Even stood as her escort for dinner.” Lektra pouted.

“So maybe he’s not as chaste as everyone thinks.”

“Don’t be a fool. Of course he’s chaste. Hell’s fire! Any hint that he’s been unfaithful to precious Jaenelle would have everyone worth knowing shunning him—which is the whole point, remember?” Lektra smiled. “That’s why using this actress is the perfect starting point to freeing Daemon from Jaenelle’s control. People did notice the attention he paid the bitch. If she receives a gift from a secret admirer—a ‘special gift for a special Lady’—she’s going to wear it, and she’s going to tell people it’s from a secret admirer. So all we have to do is mention that someone had seen Daemon in Banard’s shop buying a ‘special gift’ and people will tie the knot between those two bits of information themselves.”

Lektra tapped her lips with a fingertip and looked thoughtful. “Maybe I won’t have another bracelet made after all. It will be so much nicer when Daemon takes me to Banard’s shop to buy one for me.”

“What do I get out of this?” Roxie muttered.

“You get to share the prize, just as I promised,” Lektra said coolly. “And you get to pay the SaDiablo family back for the way Lucivar Yaslana treated you. And as my friend and guest, you get to attend parties and dances you’d never be invited to on your own—not to mention the lovers who come home with us.”