accuracy that even Leonin could not match. All Morgis needed was a few seconds of surprise, enough time to manage one focused throw.
A throw that would end with the dagger deep in D’Kairn’s unprotected throat.
Not only would that prevent any magical attack by the keeper, but it would also likely put an end to the spell D’Kairn had cast upon the drake. Then Morgis would not only be able to use his own magic, he would also be able to transform-assuming his friends had escaped already-within the old ruin.
That last alone would put an end to the rest of the wolf raiders.
He told none of this to Leonin, simply assuring the human once more that he would flee the moment they had escaped. Leonin did not entirely believe him, but with one final nod, the human darted off.
The time Morgis estimated it would take Leonin to reach his goal seemed to stretch to an eternity. In that time, the Aramites grew fairly silent, the only evidence of their wariness a sentry peering outside once. The quiet both encouraged and unnerved the drake; it might have meant that D’Kairn’s men were growing weary, off guard, but it also might have indicated that the keeper had grown tired of waiting and had decided to use his lone prisoner to increase his vampiric powers.
At last it was time to act. Morgis crept up to the side of the keep, wondering why D’Kairn had left it so unguarded. The Aramites appeared confined strictly to the chamber inside, not the most competent strategy. What did they have in mind?
Morgis hefted the dagger. He would find out in a moment. If he could barrel into the lone guard, then throw, he felt certain that he would succeed. At the very least, his appearance at the entrance would make most of the raiders, especially the sorcerer and his captain, look only in that direction.
Knowing Leonin as he did, that would be all the time the human would need.
He took a deep breath-then rushed around the corner and inside the building.
But instead of one guard, there were suddenly two, one of them Captain D’Falc. Both charged Morgis, forcing a decision.
Hissing in frustration, the drake threw the dagger.
He had lost no sense of aim despite the abrupt alteration of his plans. The blade caught the more deadly D’Falc-who had purposely let the guard take the forefront-just under the chin, burying itself up to the hilt.
The Aramite captain tumbled forward, already dead. His sword dropped from his limp hand and skidded toward Morgis.
The sentry ran as fast as he could, preventing the drake from seizing the lost weapon. Two more Aramites hurried to reach him and in the back Morgis could see D’Kairn stroking the stone on the necklace as he watched the battle. Why he had not used it yet, Morgis could not say, but every extra second gave the drake some hope.
Curiously, besides the captain and the three who faced him, Morgis did not see the rest of the raiders. There should have been more…
He had no more time to think about it, for then the first foe reached him. Unarmed, Morgis dodged the initial swing, then the second. He could not see past his opponents or D’Kairn, leaving him unable to guess as to whether Leonin had managed to sneak inside. With three blades already facing him, Morgis chose to step back to the entrance. The longer he could draw their attention, the better.
The Aramites seemed perfectly willing to let him do just that. They kept their blades pointed at his chest, but did not lunge. Each matched him step for step. It was almost as if they waited for some signal-
Only too late did Morgis realize his mistake.
To the right and left of him, the walls suddenly reached out with arms of stone. Figures pulled out from the walls, snaring him on each side.
The images of rock and mortar dissipated, revealing to the drake that those who now held him were a pair of Aramites disguised by illusion. He quickly glanced D’Kairn’s way and saw the keeper’s mocking expression. Now Morgis understood why the sorcerer had seemingly done nothing.
He had already laid his trap.
VI
A twist of his injured arm made Morgis cry out. The Aramite holding it twisted harder, clearly relishing the reaction.
“An absurd maneuver, dragon,” commented the keeper, striding toward his captive. “And very predictable. You accomplished only your own destruction.”
But as D’Kairn neared him, Morgis at last caught a glimpse behind the sorcerer and saw that Leonin had more than done his part. Gone was Kalena, a few cut ropes the only trace of her… and lying near where she had been prisoner, the slumped, still corpse of a guard. All done without the other Aramites’ knowledge.
He allowed himself a mocking smile in turn. “I accomplished more than you imagine, human.”
D’Kairn frowned, then quickly looked over his shoulder. The composure vanished, replaced by a barely- checked animalistic fury.
“You!” he snapped at two of the soldiers holding blades on the drake. “The back rooms! Quickly!”
“Your incompetence amazesss me, D’Kairn,” Morgis continued, trying to keep his captor off guard. The longer he did so, the better the chances of his friends. “And you are the hope of these jackalsss? You will ressstore their devilish empire?”
For his remarks he was rewarded with more painful twisting. If only he had managed to slay the sorcerer…
D’Kairn came up to face him. Never had Morgis looked so close into the eyes of a human and read such evil.
“You call us jackals, devils. You are no better than us, dragon. You are a beast parading as a man!” He glanced down at the dead captain. “You will regret every one of the deaths you caused. First you will be tortured to within an inch of your miserable life in every manner prescribed and every manner we can devise… and then, when you have worn your voice hoarse pleading for mercy… I shall skin you alive the way you did my men. Your blood will be the foundation of my power and the losses here will be recouped a thousand times over-”
But Morgis was no longer listening to the other’s tirade. “What did you sssay?”
Before D’Kairn could answer, one of the men he had sent to hunt for Kalena and Leonin rushed back. “My lord! There’s a passage open in one of the walls!”
“So that was how you worked your plan…” The keeper pointed at all but one guard. “Take torches! Bring back their heads as proof to me!”
As the Aramites obeyed his order, Morgis struggled to be heard. “You fool! D’Kairn, you’ll be sssending them to their deathsss!”
“Against your two friends? Hardly! Your trickery is at an end!”
“There’sss something elssse out there! The thing that ssskinned your men-”
D’Kairn touched the stone, sending pain through the drake. “You and your friends are the ones who skinned my men.”
“Go out back! You’ll find ssscores of bonesss and even some bodiesss! I thought you resssponsible, but now I sssee I was wrong!”
“Bind his mouth.” The keeper turned from his prisoner.
Weakened, Morgis could not keep the lone guard from obeying the order. Muzzled, arms tightly tied, he could only watch and wait.
Despite his previous display of confidence, Keeper D’Kairn paced the floor in clear impatience as the seconds passed. Next to Morgis, the single guard fidgeted, hand constantly stroking the hilt of his sword. Morgis was aware of the fact that if he made one false move, he risked being slain simply due to the Aramite’s anxiety.
As for the drake, he also worried about his friends and not because of their pursuers. He should have seen it sooner. D’Kairn had said that he had circled behind Morgis and the others, following instead of being followed. Therefore, the keeper had never had the opportunity to perform his insidious spellwork here. In addition, when D’Kairn had slain Awrak and used the Syrryn’s blood to increase his power, he had left the body otherwise intact.
