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Yarek frowned, gave Jared an uneasy glance, frowned harder "Didn’t have a Black Widow in Wolfs Creek"

"Not every village has one, any more than they have a Priestess or a Queen," Jared said, wondering where this was leading

Yarek rubbed his chin "The Hourglass covens have different ways Stands to reason considering the kind of Craft they do"

Nodding, Jared waited

Yarek shrugged, and asked hesitantly, "Do they eat different?"

Jared narrowed his eyes That hint of fear hadn’t been there a few hours ago when Yarek talked about Thera fretting

"The women asked about it, you see, and I said I’d ask you"

"About what?" Jared said cautiously

"Well, they butchered the two pigs and the chickens that were left" Yarek held up a hand as if Jared had protested "No roo them to fill someone else’s belly But a cool box filled with cooked meat won’t take up much room in the Coaches and woulda bit of their own for the first day or two So we’ll eat hearty tonight and toot to do with Thera?"

"See and sahat they were doing Ca a couple of wash buckets and insisted on having all the offal she could fit in them Soon as they were filled, she vanished the buckets and left"

"I don’t--"

"I told you how she was fretting last night, reot her cal with the young Warlord Prince He went up with her, then ca ht she wanted to be alone for a little bit and had shown hi she wanted soled webs When she came back downstairs a couple of hours later, she was troubled but a lot calht That’s why the wo--"

"Lord Yarek! Lord Yarek!" A boy barreled into the dining rooasped "Thirteen of the the chair over

"Mother Night," Yarek whispered "They’ve come back"

The descent to the Red ift but controlled By the time Jared stepped into the street, he was centered in his strength and ready, ale

He looked east

Lia and Thera, returning from their ith Blaed, slowed dohen they saw hied the toan walking down the street

Brock and Randolf ca, but neither of them stepped into the street to join him

It was his uncle Yarek and Thayne--and Garth--and the Jeweled Warlords and witches ere left who formed a wall at his back

The riders turned into the main street and rode forward slowly Six pairs of Warlords behind a Sapphire-Jeweled Warlord Prince

The Warlords stopped

The Warlord Prince kept co He reined in a few yards from Jared, dismounted, and closed the rest of the distance on foot until he stood a th away

"Warlord," he said with deceptive pleasantness

"Prince Talon," Jared replied, keeping his face and voice neutral

"We need to talk, Warlord Privately"

Jared jerked his head at the building to his left "This will do"

He barely got into the room before Talon slammed hi--ifyou were thinking?" Talon roared as he jammed his tunic-filled fists under Jared’s chin "You’ve been staggering around in a hostile Territory like a drunken landen! If we hadn’t cohter and followed the tracks, we’dstill be searching"

Jared bared his teeth He cla abilities are at fault"

"I’m the best tracker around!"

"Then think how much trouble the second-best tracker has had"

Talon’s eyes glazed with fury

Ree, Jared leashed his own anger "Talon--"

Talon just shook hiot your niece back Lia’s not your concern"<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>