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

eliminate her influence."
"You intend to declare war on this Gray Lady?"
Dorothea's gold eyes turned hard yellow. "Hayll does not lower itself to
such barbarities as war. What would be the point of acquiring a Territory
that had been savaged by the kind of war the Blood fight?" She tapped the
feather against her chin. "There are subtler ways of making a Territory ripe
for the plucking. But that doesn't concern you."
Krelis stared at the floor. "No, Priestess."
"Your task is to eliminate the Gray Lady."
He didn't think before he blurted out, "How?"
She looked disgusted. Was she regretting savaging the old Master and losing
that tactical mind? Then her expression changed.
"Poor boy," she murmured, gently stroking his cheek. "I've been cruel to
you, haven't I? No, darling"-she pressed her fingers against his lips-"you
needn't deny it. There's no reason why you would know that bitch's habits."
She stepped back and sighed. "Grizelle is too well protected in her own
Territory for you to reach her there. However, over the past few years,
she's come out of her lair twice each year for the slave auctions at Raej."
"Slave auctions." Krelis's gold eyes lit up. Dorothea shook her head. "Raej
is considered neutral ground. If a Queen were killed there for any reason,
others might hesitate to visit, and then how would everyone sell the toys
they're ready to discard and buy new ones?"
"A slave could be replaced with a loyal servant and then-"
"She doesn't buy anyone from Hayll, and there are no loyal servants outside
of our own people. Sometimes not even within our own people."
Krelis leashed his frustration. This was the first important task she'd
given him since he became Master of the Guard a few months ago. He wouldn't
fail. He wouldn't. "Then what should I do, Priestess?"
Dorothea stopped pacing. "Lord Krelis, you're the Master of the Guard. How
you accomplish this is entirely up to you." Her expression softened.
"However, if you wish me to, I'll use my particular Craft to assist you in
whatever way I can."
He breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Priestess."
Dorothea studied him for just a little too long. Then she smiled. "I knew
I'd made the right choice in my new Master of the Guard. I made the same
offer to your predecessor, but he didn't want my help. Since the bitch
escaped his trap rather easily, that was reason enough to doubt his loyalty,
don't you think?"
Remembering what the former Master's face looked like now, Krelis shivered.
"Yes, Priestess."
"I'm not going to have to worry about your loyalty, am I?"
"No, Priestess."
Dorothea walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You know,
darling, I'm very generous with a male who pleases me." She rubbed her
breasts against his chest, kissed him thoroughly, then purred, "That's to
remind you of the rewards that come from serving me well. And this"-she
tucked the large white feather into his belt-"will remind you of the
penalties of failure."

Chapter One