"Anne Bishop - Black Jewels 00 - The Invisible Ring" - читать интересную книгу автора (Bishop Anne)

Opal*
Green
Sapphire
Red
Gray
Ebon-gray
Black

*Opal is the dividing line between lighter and darker Jewels because it
can be either.

When making the offering to the Darkness, a person can descend a maximum
of three ranks from his/her Birthright Jewel.

Example: Birthright White could descend to Rose.

BLOOD HIERARCHY/CASTES

MALES: landen- non-Blood of any race Blood male- a general term for all
males of the Blood; also refers to any Blood male who doesn't wear Jewels
Warlord- a Jeweled male equal in status to a witch Prince- a Jeweled male
equal in status to a Priestess or a Healer Warlord Prince- a dangerous,
extremely aggressive Jeweled male; in status, slightly lower than a Queen
FEMALES: landen- non-Blood of any race Blood female- a general term for all
females of the Blood; mostly refers to any Blood female who doesn't wear
Jewels witch- a Blood female who wears Jewels but isn't one of the other
hierarchical levels; also refers to any Jeweled female Healer- a witch who
heals physical wounds and illnesses; equal in status to a Priestess and a
Prince Priestess- a witch who cares for altars, Sanctuaries, and Dark
Altars; witnesses handfasts and marriages; performs offerings; equal in
status to a Healer and a Prince Black Widow- a witch who heals the mind;
weaves the tangled webs of dreams and visions; is trained in illusions and
poisons Queen- a witch who rules the Blood; is considered to be the land's
heart and the Blood's moral center; as such, she is the focal point of their
society

Prologue

Lord Krelis, the new Master of the Guard, tried not to fidget as he
watched Dorothea SaDiablo slowly pace the length of her private audience
room. If she'd been any other woman, he might have openly admired her
slender body, might have wondered if the black hair gracefully coiled around
her head felt as silky as it looked, might have dared to run a hand over the
brown skin that wasn't covered by her long red dress. He might have enjoyed
the way the dress swished in counter rhythm to her swaying hips. He might
have wondered if the way she caressed her chin with that large white feather
was a subtle invitation for other kinds of caresses. But Dorothea SaDiablo
was a Black Widow, a member of the Hourglass, the most dangerous and feared
covens in the Realm of Terreille. Black Widows specialized in poisons and
journeys of the mind, in shadows and illusions, in dreamscapes that could