SLAUGHTER OF THE INNOCENTS

“Why children?” King Oryn asked. The calm faces of the dead children were still visible to him, as if yesterday’s evening sun had etched them onto the backs of his eyelids. “Why carry them away? Even the wildings never carry captives away.”

“No one’s ever heard of a woman working magic, either,” pointed out the wizard Soth. “No one’s ever heard of one wizard, let alone dozens, suddenly being unable to perform even the most elementary of spells.”

The Summer Concubine, veiled with the thin silks that wealthy women wore indoors, sat at Oryn’s feet. “Could it have something to do with the stories about the djinni taking children?” she asked.

“Even the djinni don’t butcher them,” protested Soth.

The Summer Concubine replied, “How do you know?”

PRAISE FOR BARBARA HAMBLY

“Hambly is a born storyteller, a smoothly natural spinner of tales . . . a master fabulist.”

—Realms of Fantasy

“First-rate high fantasy, elegant, intelligent, and entertaining.”

—Publishers Weekly on Dragonshadow

“Beautifully concise, adroitly plotted, inventive, and insightful.”

—Kirkus Reviews (starred review) on Dragonshadow