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"Stop! I conored hi the man across the jaith the butt of the spear

"Not even you can deny a husband his rights in this!" Jardir cried as the Andrah hit the floor "I do Krasia a favor this night!" He raised the spear to irabbed his ar!"

Jardir pivoted to backhand Inevera across the face, knocking her away "Have no fear, faithless jiwah," he said, turning back to the Andrah "My spear will find you soon enough"

He raised the spear again and the Andrah screae and red, and Jardir was struck by an incredible force, knocking him away from his victiarb took the brunt of the blast, but when he recovered fro the wall, he found his robes in flames With a shout, he tore the the fire de in Sharik Hora She stood naked before twothat even now, her beauty had no equal Hatred and arousal swirled in hi for dominance

"Stop this foolishness!" she snapped

"I take no more orders from you," Jardir said "Burn down this whole palace if you wish, I will still kill that fat pig and take you on his corpse!" The Andrah whi him

Inevera did not even flinch, producing a small object in her other hand It looked like a lump of coal until the ward carved upon it flared, and Jardir realized that it, too, was alagai hora The blackened piece of bone crackled, and silver , to strike Jardir

Jardir was lifted from his feet and thrown back into the wall, his body racked with agony beyond anything he could iine He tried to open hiun, leaving only a stark terror in its wake He turned back to Inevera, but she raised the stone again, and the lightning struck a second tied to put his feet under hiled to rise a third time, but his li uncontrollably

"Finally, we understand each other," Inevera said "I ahts of resisting ets you the white turban, then you should be thanking ?!" the Andrah de to his feet at last "I a the demon skull Flames licked from its jaws, and the Andrah blanched

"I needed your support of Jardir until he won over the Sharum and Damaji of the other tribes," she said, "but now that Qasha is with child, the Sharum will see that he is brother to all of theht You can never depose him now"

"I am the Andrah!" the man shouted "I can raze this palace with a wave of hed "Then you will have civil war And even if you did kill Ahhter them, as is the custom? The Evejah is clear about the fate of any ould dare har no reply

"The gates of Heaven are closed," she said, slinging silk across her shoulders to cover her nakedness "Perhaps they will open again the next time I need a proclamation from you, or perhaps I will send Ahmann to write it in your blood But until then, take your withered old spear back to your palace"

Not even bothering to dress, the Andrah gathered his clothes in his arms and scurried fro beside hi disintegrated, and she brushed the ash fro," she said "Few men could rise after one strike, er bone when I carve a new one tonight"

She reached out to hi his face "Ah, my love," she said sadly "Hoish you had not seen this"