City of Jade

42

DARK DESIGNS

EARLY SUMMER, 6E9

Has the vile Dolh yet taken the bait? Surely, he must have. The jade carving is in his murderous, god-slaying hands, and he would not resist the challenge.

From leagues away, an incorporeal Nunde watched as the Eroean sailed into the bay at Port Arbalin.

Nunde did not dare fly any closer, for Aravan’s trollop could invoke ‹sight›, and Nunde would not risk being revealed. No, he would stay a safe distance away. In fact, from now on, he would track the ship in the candlemarks following mid of night, when the slattern was most likely to be asleep, or at least in her quarters wildly rutting with that execrable Dolh.

Nunde glanced up at the half-moon slipping toward the west, the lit face ebon to his astral gaze, and then he turned eastward to speed toward the place where he had commanded Malik to lie in wait.

Leagues passed and leagues more, but at last he came to the site, and indeed Malik and the Chun were there, just as Nunde had ordered.

The Necromancer chortled unto himself, for surely none would escape this trap. Yet, if by some miracle the foul Dolh and his crew managed to prevail, there was always the dread creature in the tower, and that would of certain prove fatal to Aravan.