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7--Terreille

Dorothea hurried up the broad path to the Sanctuary, clutching at her cloak as the wind tried to whip it from her body The old Priestess, bent and somewhat feeble-ht with the wind to close it

Dorothea gave the old wo place

The inner chamber was empty except for torn chairs and a low table placed before a blazing fire Throwing off her cloak with one hand, she carefully placed the bottle she had held tight against her body on the table and sank into one of the chairs with a o, she had felt insolent about asking for help fros she had to provide fro

For two days, Sadi had stalked through Draega, restlessly and relentlessly trying to blunt his rage In that ti Warlord from one of the Hundred Fa to have his pleasure with a tavern owner’s daughter The in and wore a Jewel The Warlord had dealt with the father--not fatally--and was dragging the girl to a coirl’s frightened cries, and savaged the young Warlord, shattering his Jewels and turning his brain into gray dust

The grateful tavern owner gave Sadi a goodthe story was all over Draega, and then there were no tavern owners or innkeepers, Blood or landen, who didn’t have a hotfor him if he walked down their street

She wasn’t sure the Ring would stop him this time, wasn’t sure he wouldn’t turn his fury on her if she tried to control him And if he outlasted the pain

Dorothea put her hands over her face and ain She didn’t hear the door open and close

"You’re troubled, Sister," said the crooning girlish voice

Dorothea looked up, tre with relief She sank to her knees and bowed her head "I need your help, Dark Priestess"

Hekatah s her cloak’s hood pulled well forward to hide her face, she sat in the other chair and, with a graceful turn of her hand, drew the bottle toward her "A gift?" she asked, feigning surprised delight "How generous of you, Sister, to remember lass goblet, filled it frohed with pleasure "Hoeet the blood A young, strong witch But only one voice to give so much"

Dorothea crawled back into her chair and straightened her gown Her lips curved in a sly s you to have her best" It was the least the little bitch could do, having caused the trouble in the first place

"You sent for me," Hekatah said i croon "How can I help you, Sister?"

Dorothea juone mad I can’t control hier, he’ll tear us all apart"

"Can you use the half-breed to curb hilass and sipped the warhed bitterly "I don’t think anything will curb him"

"Hmm Then you must send him away"

Dorothea spun around, hands clenched at her sides, lips bared to show her gritted teeth "Where? No one will have him Any Queen I send him to will die"

"The farther away the better," Hekatah murmured "Pruul?"

"Zuultah has the half-breed, and you know those two can’t be in the same court Besides, Zuultah’s actually been able to keep that one on a tight leash, and Prythian doesn’t want to move him"

"Since when have you been concerned about what that winged soants?" Hekatah snapped "Pruul is west, far west of Hayll, and mostly desert An ideal place"

Dorothea shook her head "Zuultah’s too valuable to our plans"

"Ah"

"We’re still cultivating the western Territories and don’t have a strong enough influence yet"

"But you have some Surely Hayll must have made overtures someplace where not all the Queens are so valued Is there nowhere, Sister, where a Queen has been an iht be useful to you?"

Dorothea settled into her chair, her long forefinger nail tapping against her teeth "One place," she said quietly "That bitch Queen has opposed enerations to soften their culture enough to create an independent h to reut their own society in order to have dominance, and once they do that, the Territory will be ripe for the picking But she keeps trying to fight the to close ht, her eyes glittering "Sadi would be a perfect gift for her"

"And if his tehed