The Invisible Ring

court.
    The young Warlord Prince swore quietly, passionately.
    Lia squirmed.
    “So Garth’s the only one who knows who the enemy is,” Blaed said through clenched teeth, “but there’s no way to find out.”
    “Not for a few more days,” Thera said. “By then, all the runners I cut will have withered enough for him to break through.”
    Lia closed her eyes. “A few more days,” she said wearily.
    Jared slipped an arm around her shoulders to support her. “We’ve got a few advantages now. First, there were three buttons. That means three attempts to signal someone or leave an indication of our direction have been fouled. Second, whoever’s following us isn’t going to expect slaves to be wearing their Jewels.”
    “Unless the bastard somehow reported that you’re wearing the Red,” Blaed pointed out. “But you’re right that they’ll have more opposition than they’re expecting.”
    “And third,” Jared continued, “we’re less than three days away from my home village. If we push, we might be able to make it in two.”
    “No,” Lia said, trying to pull away from him. “We knew bringing people out of Raej would be risky, and it was a risk they’d have to share for the chance of freedom. But I’m not going to let a village of people who have nothing at stake take the risk of having Dorothea’s wrath descend on them.”
    Jared looked at Blaed and Thera. “My father is the Warlord of Ranon’s Wood.” If the war in Shalador had reached a small village like Ranon’s Wood . . . No. He wasn’t going to think about that. Couldn’t think about that. “We can get shelter and help there. And we can get a Coach to take us to the mountain pass.” He squeezed Lia’s shoulder. “The Gray Lady’s warriors would be waiting at the pass for you, wouldn’t they?”
    Lia nodded reluctantly.
    “What about all the rogues?” Blaed asked.
    Lia rubbed her hands on her trousers. “Gran has an arrangement with all of the rogues in the Tamanara Mountains.”
    “Gran?” Blaed and Thera said in unison.
    “The Gray Lady is Lia’s grandmother,” Jared said, watching them. “Lia is her successor.”
    Thera started sputtering. “You fool. You idiot.” She stopped because Blaed’s response was much pithier and far more creative. She nodded approvingly. “What he said.”
    Blaed’s hazel eyes blazed with anger. “Are you sure about getting a Coach that will get us safely to the pass?” he asked Jared.
    Jared nodded. “If, for whatever reason, my father turns down the request, I’ll steal the damn thing. We’ll get to Dena Nehele.”
    “Do I get any say in this?” Lia muttered.
    “No,” Jared and Blaed said.
    She gave Thera a dark look. “You’re not being helpful.”
    Thera responded with a cool, measuring stare. “You’ve risked yourself and your land’s future to bring some people out of Raej—which really means out of Dorothea’s control. One of those people has been trying to betray you during every step of this journey. The enemy’s remained undetected because he’s linked somehow with Garth. I got that much. It’s ingenious, actually. That link produces a sense of—”
    “Wrongness,” Lia whispered.
    “Wrongness,” Thera agreed. “Nothing to trace, nothing to detect, no stray thoughts or emotions that might alert someone. All of that is channeled to the one person whose psychic scent is already fouled.” She paused. “I’m with Jared on this. Once the enemy realizes the protection he’s been hiding behind has fallen, he’ll have to bolt or strike. You need a stronger escort than we can give you to get back to Dena Nehele.”
    “Wait a minute,” Lia said, sitting up straight.
    “No, you wait, Lady.” Thera’s green eyes flashed. “You’ve been the target all along. Not us, Lia. You . Don’t try to deny it. You’ll only sound like a fool.”
    Gray eyes clashed with green.
    Jared braced himself, not sure what to expect.
    Lia lowered her eyes first. Leaning forward, she rammed her fingers into her hair. “How did it go so wrong?” she asked no one.
    “Dorothea’s probably asking the same thing,” Thera said dryly.
    Lia looked up. “You could go. There’s nothing to hold you. No one will stop you, any of you, from catching the Winds and going home.”
    Thera took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “If you make that same offer to everyone here, some, like Tomas and Cathryn, will stay with you because there’s nowhere they’d rather be; some will stay to safeguard Dena Nehele’s future; and one will stay to destroy it.”
    Thera took a last sip of whiskey and handed