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Back The Invisible Ring Save as PDF
Chapters (48)
  1. Praise
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Dedication
  5. Acknowledgements
  6. ONE
  7. TWO
  8. THREE
  9. FOUR
  10. FIVE
  11. SIX
  12. SEVEN
  13. EIGHT
  14. NINE
  15. TEN
  16. ELEVEN
  17. TWELVE
  18. THIRTEEN
  19. FOURTEEN
  20. FIFTEEN
  21. SIXTEEN
  22. SEVENTEEN
  23. EIGHTEEN
  24. NINETEEN
  25. TWENTY
  26. TWENTY-ONE
  27. TWENTY-TWO
  28. TWENTY-THREE
  29. TWENTY-FOUR
  30. TWENTY-FIVE
  31. TWENTY-SIX
  32. TWENTY-SEVEN
  33. TWENTY-EIGHT
  34. TWENTY-NINE
  35. THIRTY
  36. THIRTY-ONE
  37. THIRTY-TWO
  38. THIRTY-THREE
  39. THIRTY-FOUR
  40. THIRTY-FIVE
  41. THIRTY-SIX
  42. THIRTY-SEVEN
  43. THIRTY-EIGHT
  44. THIRTY-NINE
  45. FORTY
  46. FORTY-ONE
  47. FORTY-TWO
  48. About the Author

Jared watched as she hurried away from him. There was a tartness to her psychic scent that shouldn’t have been there. It didn’t fit her. Wasn’t like her.

“Jared.”

Putting that puzzle aside, Jared turned at the sound of Talon’s voice. “What did she ask of you?” Jared demanded.

Talon gave him a considering look. “You know better than that.”

Yes, he knew better than to ask another male about a private request made by a Queen, but that didn’t stop him from wanting to know the answer.

Talon looked around, as if to make sure there was no one near enough to overhear them. Moving closer, he said quietly, “You’ve played chess with her?”

“A couple of times.”

“Does this fit her pattern?”

Fool, Jared thought. You should have thought of this yourself. He closed his eyes and pictured the game board. “If her stronger pieces aren’t acting as the main defense, they’re supporting minor pieces in an attack. She tends to pair strong pieces. A Warlord Prince with a Black Widow, for example.”

“How appropriate,” Talon murmured. “What about the Queen?”

“She—” Jared felt the blood drain out of his face. “Mother Night, Talon, what are they planning?”

Talon shook his head. “I don’t even want to guess. Something or someone put a nasty edge on Thera’s temper, and Lia’s always had the kind of courage that scares a man right down to the bone.”

“They work well together,” Jared said as he stared at the street without really seeing it.

Talon, too, stared at the street. “Yes, I imagine they do.”

THIRTY-TWO

THIRTY-TWO

037

An interesting way to spend an hour, Krelis thought as he picked up the discarded tunic and carefully cleaned his knife.

A useful exercise.

Sheathing his knife, he studied his work.

A crude effort compared to the High Priestess’s, but he hadn’t had the time nor the practice to equal her skills.

At least, not yet.

Krelis smiled at his pet. “I think it’s time for you to fulfill the rest of our bargain.”

THIRTY-THREE

THIRTY-THREE

038

“Warlord! Shalador Warlord!” Krelis’s Craft-enhanced voice thundered over Ranon’s Wood. “Come to the curve in the road,Warlord. There’s something I want to show you.”

Jared took a couple of steps away from the Coach and stopped abruptly, surprised by Blaed’s and Talon’s hard, restraining hands.

“Don’t be a fool,” Talon growled quietly.

“Warlord! I want to show you something. No one will harm you.”

Lia and Thera came out of the Coach. Both pairs of narrowed eyes stared in the direction of the landing place.

“Is the little pleasure slave afraid to act like a man just once before he dies?” Krelis’s voice taunted.

Thera twitched a shoulder. “The web’s ready. It’s keyed to Jared. If anything happens to him, there’s no time to make another.”

“I’m going,” Jared said firmly.