Free Spiderwork by L. K. Rigel Page A

this city will welcome all people on the chain as long as they obey the laws."
    "You have no right!" Maribel backed away to the center of the room, her face wild and her finger pointed at Jake. "You don't even have the right to call yourself lord."
    "Of course he has the right," Magda said. "Come, Maribel. Calm yourself." She tried to take Maribel's arm, and Maribel shook her off.
    "It's your fault, you know. Your perfect son isn't so perfect, and it's your fault! You couldn't give the Emperor even one moment of ecstasy."
    Magda's face was bright red. "What do you mean?"
    Maribel had a point. If Jake had no soul, it meant Magda and the Emperor had never reached the highest heights in their lovemaking.
    "I mean that Jake, Lord Ardri, has no soul." Maribel reveled in her triumph. By now everyone in the room had gathered around. "He has no soul, and he can't be king. He is the lowest of the low."
    "Prove it," Magda said. "You can't."
    "Ah, you're wrong, Matriarch ." Maribel loaded the word with contempt. "Watch me."
    It began. Against her will, Durga was drawn to Maribel as she had been drawn to Faina during meditation. The veil between them was so thin. Maribel was so close, so beautiful. If Durga could just get closer, just a step closer, she would know true bliss. Just a step.
    But there was something between them. No, not something. Nothing. A chasm. It was Jake. If she looked into Jake she would see nothing. She would become nothing.
    Somebody screamed. Did she scream?

A Kiss Like Lightning
     
    Char punched Maribel in the face. Though Char had never been in trance herself, she knew what one looked like, and something strange was at play here. Somehow Maribel had created a psychic hold on Durga. Durga's eyes were still fixed on some other world, but the punch did appear to weaken the connection. Char slapped Maribel. The trance was deep; hard to tell if the slap had any effect.
    Before Captain Gordon could get to Durga, Khai of Luxor swept her up in his arms and commanded the captain, "Help Lady Charybdis."
    Good. Khai had already struck Char as a serious man, and he looked dead serious about Durga's safety now. His personal guards surrounded him on four sides.
    Prince Garrick backed away from the action, joined by Geraldo. Char felt sure that Garrick was unsurprised by any of this. Geraldo didn't look too shocked either, just afraid for his own skin. Two of Garrick's men tried to stop Captain Gordon. Maribel was, after all, technically under Garrick's protection.
    Jake's guys needed backup. As Prince Garrick had noted, most of the citadellers were absent. They were outside the perimeter wall, secretly bringing in Alice's bees. Captain Gordon called the doorkeepers over to help. Thank Asherah the Garricker guards were so out of shape.
    Maribel closed her eyes and raised her hands and Durga whimpered. She was so tiny and helpless in Khai's arms. He headed toward the door. Maribel made a humming sound, and Durga moaned in agony.
    Another of Garrick's men stepped in front of Char with the mocking grin of a bully about to go into action. The guy was so soft a white top could take him. Before Char thought about it, she lifted her knee and shot a front kick into his solar plexus.
    "That's right," she said as he stumbled backwards, a puzzled look on his face. "Some people train." Shibadeh. She'd ripped her gown's side seam all the way up to her hip.
    Jake got behind Maribel and pinned her arms to her sides. She let loose a scream that sounded like it could rip through flesh. Maribel's eyes popped open. There was no one in there.
    Khai nearly ran into a woman in the entryway, Lydia, the settlement priest of Asherah. She said, "The Emissary is no longer in danger from the broken chalice." She touched Durga's forearm. "She could have died, Lord Ardri, but your touch broke their connection."
    Prince Garrick signaled his guards, the ones not subdued by Gordon, to fall back.
    Lydia crossed the room to Jake. She wore the standard garb of