From Russia With Love

Illyana and Ishtar visit St. Petersburg, investigating strange Russian iconic lunar clocks and rich paintings of a bygone age. Naturally, they kill some people and blackout a city or two along their way.

Ishtar, Lady of Battles, is the daughter of Deirdre. Dark and fine of hair, with cornflower blue eyes her features are all too often compared to her late mother's. Abandoned when Deirdre fell into the abyss, Ishtar's life was a less than pleasant for a long time. Now trying to get over her darkened past, she has identified and is dealing with her internal issues. Her various analysts' bills have been high, both in her consultation and their funeral expenses! She is here in Russia primarily to help out her cousin Illyana research into her past, although they have revealed disturbing parallels with some of Ishtar's own background and silver ouroubos ring. Whilst here she has fallen in love with an intoxicating, waif-like art student of dubious morals but who is full of life and the angst of the young.

Illyana is the protege of Fiona - a sorceress of no mean ability she often delves into the darker side of the mysteries. Her pale appearance has no resemblance to her patron, and she acts far differently than the ice maiden look she often adopts. Here in Russia she has completed a number of strange rituals under the pale face of the moon, conjuring rich dreams of days past. Melting pools of ice in old Imperial palaces, exotic barbed poison arrows, exiled incestuous nobility, tragic duels and doomed romance fill her past like scattered dusty heirlooms and musty, mothball strewn ball-gowns.