The Invisible Ring

Shalador people.
    Except his eyes were the rare Shalador green—eyes that could be traced back through the bloodlines to Shal, the great Queen who had united the tribes into one people.
    Reyna’s eyes.
    He was the only one of the three boys who had her eyes.
    He had been willing to destroy himself, but now that he was still alive, he wanted to survive. Sweet Darkness, he had to find some way to survive long enough to get home, long enough to talk to Reyna and take those words back.
    Balls and sass. It was the only weapon he could safely use. He was wringing himself dry, squeezing what was left of his physical endurance, but he had to last until they reached the slave compartment in the Coach, had to make Grizelle believe he was still a male to be reckoned with. For a little while longer, he had to hide the fact that he was nothing more than a hollow man.
    Raising his trembling hands, Jared ran his fingers through his hair. It was a bit shaggy now, but with a little Craft, shaggy could be altered to bedroom disheveled. The Gray Lady was an old woman, but he was a bed-trained slave who had a few sweets he could offer that might entice her, might distract her, might help tip the scales to his advantage while he tried to figure out how much control this damned Invisible Ring had over him.
    His stomach churned at the idea of encouraging the Gray Lady to enjoy him. But if it made her lower her guard, it might be possible to slip away and ride the Winds to Shalador.
    Without warning, the escort opened the door and stopped short, unable to hide his surprise at the transformation of the naked slave he’d left into the Warlord who turned away from the mirror and smiled at him.
    Pleased that he’d managed to unsettle the man, Jared walked toward him and held out his hands as if bestowing a favor. “If you’re going to chain me, get on with it. The Gray Lady’s waiting to dance.” He hoped the escort would mistake the exhaustion in his voice for boredom.
    “She didn’t specify chains,” the man said grudgingly.
    “No, I didn’t think she would. She strikes me as a discreet Lady, and chains tend to call attention to themselves, especially when the sound they’re making becomes rhythmic. Don’t you think?”
    The escort’s lip curled in a sneer. “I’ve never worn chains.”
    “I wasn’t implying that you had worn them.” Jared waited for the insult to sink in and then shrugged. “Or that you needed them. I just thought that since you earned a living restraining people, you might know a few interesting positions that aren’t considered common in the courts. But perhaps not. Things like that are a bit like mounting a woman dog-style. It isn’t to every man’s taste.”
    Fury blazed in the escort’s eyes. “You know what I can do to you?”
    “Not a damn thing.” Jared bared his teeth and added softly, “Come on. Try it. Let’s see if this Ring really can hold the Red.”
    “Is there a problem?” Grizelle’s voice settled over both men like a cold rain.
    The escort reluctantly stepped into the hallway. “No, Lady.”
    “Then what’s the delay?”
    Jared gave the escort a smug smile, knowing it would infuriate the man because there wasn’t any way he could respond to it.
    Time to play the last act.
    Mother Night, don’t let my body fail yet.
    Jared stepped forward, forcing the escort out of the way. He bowed to Grizelle, making sure the bow was exactly what Protocol dictated as proper for a Red-Jeweled Warlord to make to a Gray-Jeweled Queen.
    If the Warlord wasn’t a slave, that is.
    The escort growled in anger.
    Grizelle stared at him, but Jared thought he caught a flicker of amusement in the hard gray eyes.
    So she liked balls and sass. Thank the Darkness.
    Draining the little psychic strength he could summon in order to project the feel of a sensual man eager to please, Jared offered his right hand, palm down.
    Grizelle hesitated a moment before lightly placing her left hand over his and allowing him to escort her out of the building.
    Jared bit back a grin. The escort was now trailing behind them like a resentful, forgotten puppy.
    It was full dark by the time they hired a pony cart and headed out of the auction grounds. Instead of going directly to the official landing place, they took a side road that circled around the low, flat-topped hill until they reached the ticket station, and the Coaches and drivers that could ride the Winds.
    “Wait with the others,” Grizelle said, as Jared helped her from the cart. She didn’t bother to