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Prologue

Lord Krelis, the new Master of the Guard, tried not to fidget as he watched Dorothea SaDiablo slowly pace the length of her private audience rooht have openly adht have wondered if the black hair gracefully coiled around her head felt as silky as it looked, ht have dared to run a hand over the brown skin that wasn’t covered by her long red dress He ht have enjoyed the way the dress swished in counter rhythht have wondered if the way she caressed her chin with that large white feather was a subtle invitation for other kinds of caresses

But Dorothea SaDiablo was a Black Widow, a erous and feared covens in the Realm of Terreille Black Widows specialized in poisons and journeys of the mind, in shadows and illusions, in dreamscapes that could ensnare a hth Priestess of Hayll Since there were noQueensin theHayllianTerritorywho could nified, and since no weaker Queen anted to stay whole and healthy challenged her authority, Dorothea ruled as she pleased--which was soet

"Have you seen your predecessor lately?" Dorothea purred as she swished past him Her coquettish sold eyes

"Yes, Priestess," Krelis replied, trying to keep his voice neutral When he and a troop of a, Hayll’s capital, to round up sos for expendable labor, he had seen his for out of a filthy alleyway

The former Master of the Guard was now a maimed, tortured mockery of the man he’d been Worse, his inner web, that intimate core of Self that made the Blood who and what they were, had been shattered so that he could no longer wear the Jewels, could do no more than basic Craft, if even that The keen tactical mind that had protected Dorothea for so many decades had been split open like a melon and scraped clean But not completely If the haunted eyes in the scarred face were any indication, enough thought had been left for him to remember what he had been And who had done this to hiain Sweat beaded his forehead as he blanked his mind and prayed to the Darkness that she wouldn’t sense anything that would hts

"I gave your predecessor an i in front of hiainst his cheek "Now he belongs to the Brotherhood of the Quill"

Krelis shuddered Mother Night! To be shaved of all the organs that e quills to

"Areyou going to failclose to him

"No, Priestess," Krelis stammered "Tell me what you wish of me, and I’ll do it"

"A wiseaway "You know of the Gray Lady?"

Had he failed already? Oh, he’d heard vague whispers a few uard at the ti theirsick, he sed hard, and ed to whisper, "No, Priestess"

Dorothea flashed aher leisurely pacing "She’s a dangerous enemy, a Gray-Jeweled Queen who rules the Territory called Dena Nehele on the other side of theTamanaraMountains She’s been a thorn in o, and she continues to fightthe Realuidance of Hayll"

Krelis said hesitantly, "Since she’s not fro-lived races, surely she ," Dorothea snapped "As long as she continues to live, Dena Nehele will be able to resist being drawn into Hayll’s shadow, and the Territories bordering it will be strengthened by that resistance Even if she died toenerations to eliminate her influence"

"You intend to declare war on this Gray Lady?"

Dorothea’s gold eyes turned hard yellow "Hayll does not lower itself to such barbarities as war What would be the point of acquiring a Territory that had been savaged by the kind of war the Blood fight?" She tapped the feather against her chin "There are subtler ways ofBut that doesn’t concern you"

Krelis stared at the floor "No, Priestess"

"Your task is to eliminate the Gray Lady"

He didn’t think before he blurted out, "How?"

She looked disgusted Was she regretting savaging the old Master and losing that tactical ed

"Poor boy," shehis cheek "I’ve been cruel to you, haven’t I? No, darling"--she pressed her fingers against his lips--"you needn’t deny it There’s no reason why you would know that bitch’s habits" She stepped back and sighed "Grizelle is too well protected in her own Territory for you to reach her there However, over the past few years, she’s come out of her lair twice each year for the slave auctions at Raej"

"Slave auctions" Krelis’s gold eyes lit up

Dorothea shook her head "Raej is considered neutral ground If a Queen were killed there for any reason, others ht hesitate to visit, and then hoould everyone sell the toys they’re ready to discard and buy new ones?"