Chapters (48)
- Praise
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Dedication
- Acknowledgements
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- About the Author
He’d thought of exploring that circle, maybe even dropping his pants and taking a squat to defile it. But when he’d reached the top of the slope, he’d hit a wall of cold air that made him certain that any male who walked through it would end up with shriveled balls and a permanently limp cock.
So he was here, at the bottom of the slope, waiting for the signal to move forward. The bloodletting would have to wait. The commanders had been very firm about that. Full psychic shields to protect themselves and controlled strikes to wear down the Jeweled Blood and drive them all to the center of the village.
However, once the little bitch-Queen was caught . . .
Something passed by him, a few yards to his left, and headed up the slope.
Immediately, he extended his psychic probe and started searching.
The answer that came back from that probe was more subtle than a thought: Nothing there.
Uncertain, he sharpened his probe. If any of the villagers managed to slip past the Hayllians surrounding this privy hole, it wasn’t going to be near him.
For just a second, he thought he felt something, touched something.
Something female. Something fiercely violent and powerful.
A cold fist settled against his lower back.
Then: Nothing there.
Shaking his head, he turned back to face the village.
When the order finally came, he moved forward eagerly.
That damn circle was making him jump at shadows, was making him feel odd things, hear odd things.
Because, for just a moment, he could have sworn he heard drums.
THIRTY-NINE
THIRTY-NINE
Jared clenched his teeth, squeezed his eyes shut, and concentrated on feeding his Red strength to the web.
Damn you, he thought when he felt Randolf take a hard strike. Tap the strength that’s offered. Use it.
They wouldn’t use it. He’d realized that after the first couple of minutes. The males who had decided to be the main diversion would sip the strength he was providing to maintain their protective shields, but they were draining their own Jewels to strike at the Hayllians and keep the bastards from closing in too quickly.
With his inner vision, he could see the web, its spidersilk threads now colored a strong red from his Jewel. He could see the Jewel stars flare with each strike. They were all winking, constantly flaring and dimming as the fighting continued.
Another strike.
Another.
Talon’s Sapphire Jewel star flared wildly for a moment.
Jared held his breath until it steadied.
How long could they hold out? What were Thera and Lia waiting for?
He wanted to be out there, fighting with his friends, his people.
The Silver Ring kept him chained inside the tavern.
A cold gust of wind rushed over his skin, the kind of wind that made the changing leaves sound like rattles. The kind that was always a prelude to a violent autumn storm.
Jared opened his eyes.