The Invisible Ring

blood and froze it at the same time.
    These drums weren’t calling the males to the dance. These drums were calling the witches to war.
    And they answered.
    Through the web, he felt the temper of the fight change, felt it grow colder, more savage. Merciless.
    He looked out the window, trying to focus on the point where the Hayllians at the landing place—and Krelis— would enter the village.
    But he didn’t see any of those things. As the wind swept over his skin again, as his blood pounded to the rhythm of the drums, he saw the web with its bright beads. He saw a dark circle surrounding it, slowly constricting as the Hayllians advanced.
    He saw another circle appear beyond the dark one. Light, dark. Silver, gold. It was all those things—and it held all the answers if he could just stay quiet enough to hear them.
    He raised his hand. Reached out to touch it.
    A warning shout broke his concentration and the vision disappeared.
    Jared tensed when he saw Randolf retreating up the road. The Warlord didn’t even glance at the Coaches. Jared silently applauded that self-control. If they could draw the Hayllians far enough into the village, Lia still might be able to get away.
    Moments later, several Hayllians appeared. One of them, a Sapphire-Jeweled Warlord, wore the badge of a Master of the Guard.
    Krelis looked around, then focused on the tavern, as if he could see, or at least sense, Jared standing inside. He smiled and gestured lazily.
    Three Hayllian guards headed for the tavern.
    The Coach door burst open.
    Lia dodged the Hayllians’ grabbing hands and raced up the street.
    “Lia, no!” Jared shouted. Desperate to protect her, he used Craft to blast the tavern door open.
    That startled the Hayllians enough to buy her a couple of seconds.
    “Lia!” Jared shouted.
    “Go after her!” Krelis roared.
    Before any of them could move, a bolt of Sapphire power hit Lia in the belly. Her body burst, spraying blood and guts over the street. Her mouth opened in a silent scream as she flew backward.
    Jared reached her first. He forgot the Hayllians. Forgot the web. Forgot his promise. Forgot everything but the woman lying on her back in the middle of the street.
    “Lia.” Jared dropped to his knees. One of his hands hovered over her ruined body. The other gently stroked her hair.
    Hearing footsteps, Jared raised his head and bared his teeth.
    Krelis stood a few yards away.
    Jared saw no regret in those hard gold eyes. Disappointment and anger, yes, but not regret.
    “Jared,” Lia said weakly.
    Dismissing Krelis, Jared gave her all his attention. “Hush, Lia,” he said softly. “Don’t try to talk.”
    “Jared,” she gasped. “The web. Nothing else matters but the web. Everything’s keyed to you.”
    “Hush, Lia.”
    Her hand flailed. Her fingers found his hair. Curled. Tightened. Yanked hard.
    Jared grunted in surprise.
    “Hold the web,” Lia said in a voice that had an eerie quality to it.
    Jared lowered his forehead until it touched hers. It didn’t matter now. It was too late now. He wouldn’t tell her that. But now, when they only had a few moments left, he would tell her something else.
    “I love you, Lia,” he whispered. “I’ll always love you.”
    “Remember to say it when it counts,” she replied tartly.
    Stung by her tone of voice, Jared raised his head.
    And watched gray eyes change to frosty green, watched the illusion of Lia’s face disappear.
    He felt something gathering, gathering. Heard a roaring.
    “Mother Night,” he whispered.
    The link between Garth and Brock had worked so well because Garth’s Birthright Jewel was the same as Brock’s Jewel of rank.
    Like Lia’s and Thera’s.
    Now he understood the tartness in Lia’s psychic scent when he’d kissed her, why she and Thera had stayed so close to each other, why Lia had tried to avoid physical contact as much as possible.
    Thera had linked their psychic scents together to hide the fact that Lia . . .
    The roaring grew louder.
    Power gathered, gathered, gathered beneath the Red .
    Everything keyed to him. Keyed to his blood.
    He looked at Krelis and knew the Master of the Guard heard the roaring, too. Felt the power gathering.
    He looked at Thera.
    She bared her teeth in a smile that was pure malice. “Checkmate.”
    “ Mother Night !” Jared whimpered. He threw himself on top of Thera, pressed his face against her neck, and closed his eyes.
    The inner part of the web was still a strong red color, but the outer threads had faded, the power had retreated.
    How much