The piece-shaped like a drow female, but with a bestial face and eight spider legs protruding from its chest-cringed under her touch. Lolth moved it next to another of her pieces, one that had remained motionless for millennia-a piece that had not been moved, in fact, since the game began. That piece, a massive Warrior with bat wings and horns, blazed to life as Lolth's retreating hand brushed against it. Lurid orange flames danced over its black body and its wings unfolded with audible creaks.

"Not yet, my love," Lolth whispered, her breath heavy with spider musk. "Not yet."

The demonic Warrior piece stilled. Its wings folded back against its body. The flames turned a dull red, then vanished.

Eilistraee, studying the board, spotted a path along its web-shaped lines that would allow her to capture the piece that had just stirred. She could do it with one of her Priestess pieces. Taking out Lolth's Warrior would involve several preparatory moves, some of them risky feints, but ultimately the Priestess piece could move into a position where it could strike the Warrior from behind.

As Eilistraee made the first of those moves, a ripple formed at the place where her domain met Lolth's. Both goddesses started and looked up from their game. Eilistraee's perfect nose crinkled at the scent that seeped from the ripple as it solidified into a dark crack-a sickly sweet odor, laden with millennia of dust and ash-the scent of death.

A voice whispered from the crack between the domains. It had the sound of something produced by vocal cords long since gone tight and dry. "You play… without me?"

A burst of cackling laughter followed. It danced at the edge of madness, then was gone.

Eilistraee's and Lolth's eyes met across the board.

"Kiaransalee," Eilistraee whispered.

Lolth cocked her head in the direction of the disturbance and raised one eyebrow. "Shall we let her join our game?"