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Lia’s psychic scent hadn’t changed.
Itshould have changed. He should have been able to sense the deeper, richer power of the Gray in her. But all he picked up was a solid, unmistakable Green.
Lia glanced at him but wouldn’t meet his eyes.
Jared struggled to breathe.
What had he seen in her eyes before she looked away? Sorrow that her attempt to descend to her full strength had failed? Regret that she’d tried to make the Offering to the Darkness when she was physically, mentally, and emotionally tired, and, because of it, had failed that ultimate test of Self?
No second chances. The Offering could be made only once. Whatever potential depth of power a person might have reached was lost forever if it wasn’t won during that one grueling night. Whatever Jewels a person came away with after the Offering were the darkest Jewels he or she couldever wear.
Which is why a witch who should have been a Gray-Jeweled Queen had ended up wearing the Green Jewels of her birthright. She might hone her Craft and gain more skill with the power she had, but because she’d gambled on one night, she wouldn’t be strong enough to protect her Territory or her people against Dorothea SaDiablo.
Thera looked at Blaed and Talon before focusing on him. “We’d like to return to the village and leave as soon as possible,” she said.
Jared clenched his teeth until the muscles in his jaw began to jump. “Whatever you Ladies wish.”
Lia flicked an uneasy glance in his direction before hurrying toward the horses.
Watching them, Jared pivoted slowly until he could see the men around the fire. How many of them knew he’d given Lia her Virgin Night?
Most of them, judging by the way they kept their expressions carefully blank and politely looked around or through him.
Only Randolf didn’t look away, and his eyes held something that might have been sharp regret.
Even Brock just shook his head and turned his attention to smothering the fire and preparing to leave the Sanctuary.
As resentment began to burn through the shock, Jared walked away from them, needed to get away from them. They blamed him for diminishing a Queen, blamed the inexperienced pleasure slave for daring to perform a service that should have been left to a strong, seasoned male.
Talon’s hand closed on Jared’s arm, forcing him to stop.
“It’s wrong,” Jared snarled. “It’s all wrong. Talon, I swear by the Jewels and all that I am, I did everything I was supposed to do.”
“No one’s saying differently,” Talon replied calmly.
“No?” Jared looked over his shoulder at the other men. “A pleasure slave isn’t considered a man. How would he—”
“Shut up.”
Jared tried, but the resentment kept building. “It’s wrong,” he insisted. “Even if she wasn’t able to descend to the Gray, she shouldn’t have ended up with just her Birthright Green. She should have at least come away with the Sapphire or the Red.”
“Hold your tongue,” Talon snapped. “This isn’t the time or place to chew over what happened or why. It’s done, and there’s nothing we can do about it, so we’d better all start accepting it.”
With his hand still clamped on Jared’s arm, Talon headed for the horses. “Once we’ve got everyone tucked safely in Dena Nehele, why don’t you spend a few months in the mountains with me?”
“Why?” Jared said, feeling the guilt that he should have done something different, somethingmore , coil around his heart and squeeze.
Talon bared his teeth in a feral smile. “Because, Warlord, after you spend a winter with me, all that shit you spew about pleasure slaves will be knocked clean out of your head.”
“Well, that’s something to look forward to,” Jared grumbled as he mounted the bay gelding.
Lia, Jared noticed with a fresh stab of resentment, was surrounded by Talon’s men—and they didn’t make room for him to ride beside her.
“Let’s move,” Talon said. “Jared, take the lead. I’ll watch our backs. Everyone in the village will be waiting for us at the Coaches.”
The Sanctuary was only a mile from the village, but it was the longest mile Jared had ever ridden.
The sky got lighter.
Feeling a prickle between his shoulder blades, Jared urged the gelding into a canter.
He probed the road ahead of him, looking for a trap. He probed the village and lightly touched the minds clustered together.
He expanded his probe outward . . .
. . . and found a blank spot.
And another.
And another.
And another.
The kind of blank spot a dark Jewel would notice when a lighter Jewel was wrapped in a psychic shield.
Mother Night.
*Hold steady,* Talon said on a spear thread. *We’re almost there. If they were ready to attack, they would have done it by now.*
Jared acknowledged the message and kept his eyes on the road. Thank the Darkness they had moved the Coaches into the village instead of leaving them near the landing place. Otherwise, they would likely have been destroyed.
By the time they cantered up the main street of Ranon’s Wood, a circle of psychic blank spots surrounded the village.
Jared turned the gelding to one side, letting the others pass.
Talon reined in next to him.
“Can we make a run for it?” Jared asked quietly.
Talon shook his head. “At a quick guess, I’d say there’s several hundred of them out there, including a handful of Warlord Princes. They’ve cut us off from the Winds, and we haven’t got a chance of breaking through and outrunning them overland.”
“So we fight as well as we can.”
“So we fight,” Talon agreed, urging his horse toward the Coaches.
“And we die,” Jared said, moving with him.
Talon stared straight ahead. “If the Darkness is kind.”
Lia moved toward them as soon as they dismounted. Before she could say anything, a Craft-enhanced voice thundered over the land.
“Warlord! Shalador Warlord! I am Krelis, Master of the Guard for the High Priestess of Hayll! Your village is surrounded by Hayllian warriors, the finest warriors in the Realm. You have two hours, Warlord. If you hand over the Green-Jeweled Queen, I’ll let the rest of you go. If you don’t, there will be nothing left of you or your people but dust.”
Jared slipped a protective arm around Lia’s shoulders. He felt relieved when Blaed stepped behind her to protect her back and Thera moved a little closer to her other side.
“Well,” Talon said, turning to face them, “it looks like the bastards have declared war.”
