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Disturbed, Jared silently followed To about the lash wounds when she’d wondered about pere? Or had she sensed the hollowness inside hier in pain or exhausted, he keenly felt the loss of whatever it was the wild stranger had taken with it He kneith absolute certainty, that he had no chance of getting free of the Invisible Ring without it

"You still feeling bad?" Tomas asked

Jared shook his head and sat down at the table that had one covered plate, a plate of toast, a cup, and a s spell on the covered plate and pot of coffee? Polli, who sounded like she’d had her spirit as well as her inner web broken? The sharp-teth to do so as basic as this

But when he touched the plate, he knew it had been neither one of theer around the plate’s rier had touched it, felt the ghost of the spark of power she’d used for the war spell

That she had done it at all spoke of concern and caring

Itthe coffee "We’ll be leaving here soon"

Jared picked up the fork and began to eat, re himself with each bite to eat slowly He couldn’t afford to have his stoulped it down, especially when he didn’t knohen he et the next one

While he ate, Tomas told him about the other slaves Besides Thera, Polli, and little Cathryn, there were nineTomas and himself: Blaed, the pleasure slave; Thayne; Brock and Randolf, two foruards; a mind-broken male nae

Half-listening to Tomas’s chatter, Jared reached for another slice of thick, buttered toast What had the Gray Lady been thinking of to buy these particular slaves? He could understand buying the four healthy adult males, but what use could she have for a mind-broken male? Or broken witches who had probably been put on the block because they’d become emotionally unstable or were now barren and had no ability to produce an offspring? Or four children?

Or a Warlord who had killed the last Queen who had owned hily

Reer brothers, Jared knew better than to bluff So he waved his fork over the plate and changed the subject altogether He hoped "What is this?"

Tos and pieces of beef The Lady had bought a big skillet with the rest of the supplies, and this ht Thera, Polli, and Cathryn how to ht in Jared’s throat He sed so ?"

To to die of sha in a skillet over an open fire as if what he served in the inn wasn’t good enough That’s e all got coffee and buttered toast thisThe Lady told him she wanted the females to learn how to make this while she could still have his cook prepareher ive us the coffee and bread, too, so we’d have soood," Jared said, scooping up another forkful

Toot"

Jared frowned "Why the supplies? Where are we going?"

To an old pedlar’s wagon and horses ‘cause we’re going cross-country to her Territory, and we can’t depend on finding an inn e need it"

"Why not go to the nearest village that has a Coach station and buy passage?" Jared said, still frowning "Why take the chance of tangling withcross-country?"

Tomas jerked as if he’d been hit He wouldn’t look at Jared

Jared choked down the last mouthful Was that why slaves ent into Grizelle’s Territory never returned? Because they never got to the Territory in the first place? Marauders and rogue packs were always uarded home camps where they could keep women They’d have no use for male slaves, but what about a broken witch who could cook a decent iven an aphrodisiac that would ht and not care what they did to her until the drug finally wore off? Or a young Blood female that could becoroup? What about an intelligent young half-Blood who tried so hard to please?

Did Grizelle come to the auctions to act as a slave trader for the ue packs who hid in the Tamanara Mountains and wouldn’t dare approach Raej because they’d probably end up on the auction block themselves?

Jared’s stomach churned He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and willed hie a Gray-Jeweled Queen? If she unleashed the Gray, she’d destroy hi out ould happen if she used the Invisible Ring He understood the Jewels, but this thing he couldn’t see, couldn’t touch, couldn’t sense in any way <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>