Maguda snarled at him, 'I wanted that dog—the omens told me it was a bad thing for us to let
it live. Thou art a fool, brother Ligran. Look at me!'
Ligran reluctantly let his gaze rise. His legs were trembling. A long, curved and blackened
fingernail pointed at him.
Maguda spoke. 'Thou art a fool. Say it!'
Ligran's lips moved automatically as he repeated the words: 'I am a fool.'
Maguda sat back, and her hand waved at Ligran dismissively. 'Count thyself lucky thou art
my brother. Begone to thy cave.' Ligran slunk away wordlessly.
Ben felt Karay, who was standing close to him, give an involuntary shudder. Maguda was
pointing at her. 'Pretty girl, what were ye doing up in my mountains?'
Ben whispered fiercely, 'Don't look at her eyes, Karay!'
'Silence!' Maguda shouted. 'Rawth, I do not want yonder boy looking at me, attend to him!'
The eldest brother moved swiftly, dealing the boy a blow that laid him senseless upon the
floor. Dominic and Karay were overpowered by Maguda's guards as they leapt forward to
help Ben.
An evil chuckle came from the throne. 'I'm told thou art a sweet singer. Sing for me, girl.'
Karay's voice dripped loathing as she struggled between two burly Razan robbers. 'I'd never
dream of singing for a wicked old hag like you. Never!'
Maguda Razan's smile was a hideous thing to see. 'Sooner or later thou wilt sing for me, just
like a little bird. Aye, a songbird. I'll have a cage made for thee. 'Twill hang in this cave—ye
shall wear a gown of feathers and sing for me each day. A song of why ye came here. Ah, do
not think I don't know. Ye came on a wasted journey, though, for the one ye seek is no longer
here. Oh, don't look shocked, child, Maguda Razan knows and sees all.'
Dominic could contain himself no longer. Straining against the guards who held him, he
shouted out, 'You lie! Deceit and evil are in your eyes! Truth and honesty are strangers to
you. Your world is built on wickedness and lies!'
Maguda turned her baleful glare on him. 'Facemaker of Sabada, I know thee. Look at me! For
one so young, thou hast a lot to say.'
Dominic's gaze was unwavering. He stared straight at Maguda. 'I'm not weak and ignorant,
you cannot frighten me. My eyes see the truth—your spells and trickeries have no power over
me!'
It was like a struggle of wills, one will trying to overpower the other. Maguda's pupils shrank
to pinpoints, and her head trembled as she intensified her gaze on the boy in front of her.
Dominic's gaze was calm and steady.
Karay had only looked into Maguda's eyes for a few seconds before the power of them made
her feel dizzy, and she turned her attention to the floor. Now she watched Dominic, amazed
that he could look into the Razan woman's eyes for so long. Ben moved slightly and groaned.
Karay edged over to his side and placed her hand on his brow. The contest of wills continued
until, much to Karay's surprise, Maguda's withered hand rose to shield her gaze.
Dominic still stood staring. His face did not register the horrors he had envisioned, though he
had to control his voice to keep it level. 'Death and decay are all I see in your soul, old one.
You cannot hypnotise me—I have gifts of my own!'
Maguda Razan's answer sent a chill through Karay's heart. 'There are other ways of bringing
ye under my power, ways that bold young fools such as ye do not realise. This pretty girl, and
the boy from the sea, they are thy friends, I believe ...'
From between her clawlike fingernails Maguda cast a sly glance at Ben and Karay. Dominic
tried to leap forward, but another Razan man tugged him back by the rope looped about his
neck, and two more jumped in to assist the pair already hanging on to his arms.
Dominic felt helpless as the realisation of Maguda's words swept over him. 'Witch! Rotten
hag! Leave my friends alone!'
Maguda's triumphant cackling echoed around the vast vault. She pulled a grotesque face at
Dominic. 'Not so confident now, little boy, eh? Take them away, lock them in the deep
dungeons. Let them ponder on what delights I have in store for insolent trespassers!'
After the three friends had been marched off, Maguda beckoned to a dark figure who had
been crouching in a shadowy corner close to the cave walls.
'Thy senses did not fail thee, eh, Gizal? Thou wert the first to note the presence of those three
young ones.'
Maguda's staff tapped upon the floor as Gizal shuffled to the throne. 'Have I ever failed thee,
mistress? Touch, scent an' hearing serve me better than the eyes of most folk!'
Maguda drew Gizal forward until she could whisper in the blind one's ear. 'What think ye of
my prisoners?'
Gizal thought carefully before she answered. 'The girl is nought, she can be bent to thy will in
time. But the one they call the facemaker, he sounds like a problem to me. He is gifted. Thine
eyes have no power over him. As to the other boy, the one whom Rawth laid senseless, I
cannot say, I have no knowledge of him.'
Maguda stared at the ragged cloth that bound her aide's eyes, as if trying to penetrate it. 'But
the dog, you sensed a dog. It remains uncaptured!'
Gizal sniggered. 'What does it matter, mistress? Who cares about a stupid dumb animal?'
Maguda was silent for a moment, then she laughed. 'Aye, thou are right, the beast is likely
still running. Why fret about a dog? Gizal, ye did a fine job with our other beast, the bear.
Little chance of that one running again. Here, my good friend, take this as a reward, and this
also.'
The blind woman felt the five gold coins Maguda pressed into her hand. She also felt the little
glass phial.
'My thanks to thee, mistress. Gold is respected by all, no matter whose hand it comes from.
But what is this bottle?'
Maguda whispered confidentially. 'I require thy services. I need thee to act as warden to the
captives. They need to know the meaning of fear. Use the potion sparingly.'
Gizal cocked her head quizzically. 'Even on the boy thy brother struck down?'
Maguda's eyes widened. 'Especially on him!'
Gizal nodded knowingly. 'Ye fear him, mistress?'
Maguda's nails sank into the blind crone's arm as she hissed. 'I fear no living thing! Cease thy
foolish talk! As queen of the Razan, I have to be cautious. The omens have warned me
against yon lad. But even he cannot resist my potions. Now go!'
The dungeons were little more than side caves deep down in the mountain's lower tunnels,
each one with an iron barred door fitted across its entrance. Karay and Dominic assisted Ben
as the guards shoved them inside and locked the door. They lay on the floor until the sound of
their captors' footsteps faded. Dominic helped Ben to his feet, watching anxiously as his friend
massaged the back of his neck. 'Ben, are you alright?'
Smiling ruefully, Ben continued rubbing. 'Oh, I think I'll live, mate. That ruffian had a very
heavy hand, though.'
Karay stood gripping the bars, peering back along the way they had been brought. 'Did you
see the poor old bear? I caught a glimpse of him as they marched us along here. They've got
him locked up a couple of cells back, three I think.'
Dominic placed a sympathetic hand on the girl's shoulder. 'I'm sorry for the bear, too, but
wouldn't it be wiser to look at our own situation first? We're hardly in a position to help
ourselves at the moment.'
Karay sat down on the floor and sighed. 'You're right, Dom. So, what do we do now?'
Ben found himself a dark corner and snuggled down into his cloak. 'Right now all I want is a
