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drawled. “Irequire half the money now along with the target’s name given to the man whosupplied you with my vid-addy. The other half must be paid upon completion ofthe disposal.”

“That’s a bit steep.”

“Take it or leave it,” the hooded man said.

“All right,” Jost muttered. “We have adeal.

* * * * *

Queen Polemusa, the defense queen of theAmazeen, had long hated her sister Molpadia, the domestic queen. Their rivalrywent back to the cradle when each had fought over a simple rag doll both hadwanted. Polemusa had won then and she won now, brutally tossing her sister overher head as they fought still once again, each striving to outdo the other onthe mat. The wind knocked out of her, it was easy for Polemusa to fall upon hersister and pin her, the referee calling the match.

“Bitch,” Molpadia managed to get out as shestruggled for breath.

“Ugly hag,” Polemusa replied, and gotlithely to her feet, striding away with her naked shoulders gleaming with sweat,her long bare legs rippling with muscles.

“You won’t always win,” Molpadia hissed asshe struggled to get up from the mat.

“Yes I will,” her sister said with a sneer.

Glaukia Terramedes, Polemusa’s assistant,came over to the defense queen and whispered something in the tall woman’s ear.

Polemusa’s face paled. “You are sure ofthis?”

“As sure as I am that the sun will riseover Mount Thermodosa come morning,” Glaukia replied, holding the defensequeen’s narrowed gaze.

The pallor fled Polemusa’s face and angerreplaced it. “Ready my runabout. I…”

“The new one to replace the one yourtreacherous daughter stole,” Molpadia said with a snort. She had buried hersweaty face in a towel and did not see her sister move. With one sweep ofPolemusa’s leg, Molpadia went down hard on the bare wood floor, crying out asher forearm snapped when she fell upon it.

“Open your mouth one more time about Shaneeand I swear I will relieve you of your tongue, Molpadia!” Polemusa shouted,snatching up the dagger from her belt lying on the exercise table.

Sucking up the pain that was invading theentire left side of her body, Molpadia pushed herself to a sitting position.Her jaw was clamped tightly shut—partly so no other sign of weakness wouldescape her mouth and partly because she feared her sister would make good onher threat. She sat there and glowered at Polemusa with hatred.

“I will be gone for a while,” Polemusa toldMolpadia. “Try not to send our world into ruin while I am away.”

Molpadia watched her elder sister leave thegymnasium and cursed her when she was no longer in sight. “One day soon,Polemusa, I will chant at your funeral byre!”

Chapter Five

The trek across the mountain in themoonlight was strangely romantic, Shanee thought. She was walking beside herlover, following a trail he knew by heart. He had dressed her once again in theblack blouse and short skirt that he seemed to like so well while he was cladin the breechclout that fit his powerful physique to perfection. While he hadfashioned boots for her, he was barefoot.

“Will Tariq know we are coming?” she asked.Her right hand was in Ailyn’s as they walked. His right hand carried the spearthat was never far from reach.

“Aye, he will.”

Ailyn had been quiet since they left thestream. He’d stopped only long enough to gather several pieces of fruit fortheir evening meal and even then he’d seemed preoccupied.

“Are you angry at me?” she asked.

He stopped and looked down at her. His facewas hidden in shadow, the moon behind him, but she could see a faint reddishglow in his eyes.

“No, ionúin. Why would I beangry at you?”

“For wanting you to go back to Riezell withme. For me wanting to continue my job with the Guardians,” she answered.

“We won’t discuss that now,” he said, andbegan walking again, tugging gently at her hand.

“Then when will we discuss it?” she askedin a petulant voice.

“When the time is right,” he said.

Miffed at his response, Shanee clamped hermouth shut. If he didn’t want to talk, she wouldn’t talk either.

It didn’t seem to take as long going backto the village as it had coming out from it, Shanee thought. Ailyn had taken adifferent trail than Barat had and the climb up and over the mountain had notseemed as strenuous or taken as long. She wondered if Barat had been ordered totake her a longer way around to give Ailyn time to meet them.

The village was still for it was very lateby the time they entered the grassland where the huts sat in a semicirclearound the massive waterfall. Here and there torches had been left burning tolight the way and it was to the largest of the huts—Tariq’s—that Ailyn led her.

Ducking beneath the leather flap thatcovered the arched entrance to the bamboo dwelling, Shanee was surprised to seeTariq sitting beside a lantern, a book in his hand. He smiled at them as theyentered his abode.

“You are well, Shanee?” he asked.

“My mate is in good health,” Ailynanswered, and in his voice was a bit of a warning.

Tariq nodded and put a leaf in the book tomark his place before putting it aside and getting to his feet. He noticedShanee looking at the old-fashioned tome. “A gift from Ryden,” he said. “Itsorigin is Terra.”

Shanee drew in a surprised breath. “Surelynot!”

“Aye, it is,” Tariq assured her. “It is ahistory of their world before the Burning War. I am finding it veryinformative.”

“I would like to read it when you arefinished,” Ailyn said, drawing the Prime Reaper’s eyes back to him.

“Of course,” Tariq said. “My lady-wife hasprepared a pallet for you and Shanee. It is late and she should be abed.”

“I agree,” Ailyn said. He turned to look atShanee. “I will be along shortly.”

“But…”

“Your mate and I have business to attend,Shanee,” Tariq said.

She had to bite her tongue to keep fromhissing at the men. When Tariq pointed to a leather-draped doorway off to hisright, she strode over to it and ducked inside.

“Angry women do not make good bed partners,Ailyn,” Tariq said with a sigh then held his hand out for Ailyn to precede himfrom the hut.

The two Reapers walked away from the standof