Queen of the Darkness

Queen of the Darkness
    Jaenelle Angelline has made her Offering to the Darkness, and reigns as Queen of Ebon Askavi. No longer will the corrupt Blood slaughter her people and defile her lands. But where one door has been closed, a window may be opened... or broken through.
    Even Witch cannot protect the Shadow Realm alone. Somewhere, long lost in the madness of the Twisted Kingdom, is Daemon, her promised Consort. His unyielding love for Jaenelle will complete her court and secure her power. Yet, even together, their strength may not be enough to stave off their enemies.
    In the end, only a terrible sacrifice can save those Jaenelle loves....
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    ROC
    Published by New American Library, a division of
    Penguin Putnam Inc., 375 Hudson Street,
    New York, New York 10014, U.S.A.
    Penguin Books Ltd, 80 Strand, London WC2R ORL, England
    Penguin Books Australia Ltd, Ringwood, Victoria, Australia
    Penguin Books Canada Ltd, 10 Alcorn Avenue,
    Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4V 3B2
    for
    Penguin Books (N.Z.) Ltd, 182-190 Wairau Road,
    Auckland 10, New Zealand
    Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices: Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England
    First published by Roc, an imprint of New American Library, a division of Penguin Putnam Inc.
    First Printing, January 2000 10 9 8 7 6 5
    Copyright Anne Bishop, 2000
    All rights reserved
    Cover art by Matthew Innis
    This E-Book is not for sale!!!
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    For Pat and Bill Feidner and Grace Tongue
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    ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
    Thanks to Lorna Czarnota and Tom Heim for the archery lesson; to Pat Feidner for always knowing a funny story when I needed to hear one; to the Circle for their celebration and support of creative endeavors; to Kandra and Tatianna for all their help with the webpage; and to all the readers who have shared in the wonder of Story.
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    JEWELS
    White
    Yellow
    Tiger Eye
    Rose
    Summer-sky
    Purple Dusk
    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.
    AUTHOR'S NOTE
    The "Sc" in the names Scelt, Sceval, and Sceron is pronounced "Sh."
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    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
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    PART 1
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    Chapter One
    1 / Terreille
    Dorothea SaDiablo, the High Priestess of the Territory called Hayll, slowly climbed the stairs to the large wooden platform. It was a bright morning in early autumn, and Draega, Hayll's capital, was far enough south that the days were still warm. The heavy black cloak that shrouded Dorothea's body made her sweat. Under the deep hood, her hair was damp and her neck itched. No matter. In a few minutes, she could shed the cloak.
    When she reached the platform, she saw the lumpy canvas that stretched across the front, closest to the waiting crowd, and automatically began taking shallow breaths through her mouth. Foolish. She'd used every spell she knew to keep what was beneath that canvas a secret until the proper time. Forcing herself to breathe naturally, she walked across the platform, stopping a few feet behind the canvas.
    Watching her, with wariness and resentment, were the Queens of all the Territories in the Realm of Terreille. She had demanded