over Darrow's wounds, they closed under a trail of silver light, leaving only gnarly gray scars behind.
'That's the best I can do today,' she said. 'The life they stole will have to wait until tomorrow.'
Thank you,' said Darrow. 'I know I don't deserve your-'
'Don't speak,' warned Feena, but her tone was less venomous than it had been earlier. 'Just show us this secret passage,' said Feena.
Her voice was urgent but surprisingly gentle. The fight had shaken her more than Tal realized. She had trained all her life to fight werewolves, but the undead were another matter entirely.
'That wasn't so bad,' said Chaney. 'Now that we're ready for them, and you have that light, this will be a snap.'
'We'd better hurry,' said Tal. 'I smell smoke. The one who got away must have fled to the upper floors.'
'Just don't be overconfident,' said Darrow. 'Lord Malveen is probably down there waiting for us, and he is no mere vampire.'
'That makes us even,' said Tal. His face was flush with excitement. Despite the horrors of the place, he had never felt so confident. 'I'm no mere werewolf.'
Chapter 21
Tarsakh, 1372 DR
Darrow led them through the secret panel and down the winding stairs. Years of Malveen family trophies stared down at them from the walls. The images unnerved Barrow, who found them eerily similar to the skulls mounted in Rusk's sanctum back at the lodge. He was still trembling since the attack of Lord Malveen's minion. Whatever else it had drawn out of his body, it took some of his courage with it-and he had precious little to start with.
'It's that smell again,' whispered Talbot, sniffing. 'Or something like it.'
'Lord Malveen,' confirmed Darrow. 'He's down here somewhere. I wouldn't be surprised if Radu is nearby, too. Let's just hope they haven't-' Darrow couldn't finish the thought.
'They haven't,' said Talbot. His confidence helped sooth Barrow's fears, but only slightly.
Chaney tugged on Talbot's arm. 'I'm just going to hang back a little,' he said. 'But don't worry. I'll be watching your back.'
'I appreciate it,' said Talbot.
Feena covered her shining holy symbol in both hands, but the daylight still shone brightly through her fingers. It was too valuable to extinguish, but it meant there was no hiding their arrival in the baiting pit. As they entered, Darrow saw that they were expected.
The stone sconces all danced with green flame. In the pit below, the great iron portals were raised to reveal the cells beyond. All but one were empty. Maelin sat on the floor near the heavy bars, looking out into the dueling pit, which was empty except for a row of weapons planted in the sand and the fanged pit in the center.
On the other side of the stands, a roiling mass of shadows hovered above the floor. It was approximately the shape of Lord Malveen and half again as large.
'That's him,' whispered Darrow. Talbot nodded and walked down the aisle to the edge of the ring. Darrow followed him.
Feena crossed over to the next aisle, opening her fingers to shine her daylight toward the shadowy figure. The radiance failed to dispel the shadows, but it did reveal another occupant in the room. Radu Malveen stood motionless near the door to the cells below. His reptilian eyes watched the intruders while his face remained impassive. Darrow shuddered to imagine what he was thinking.
Stannis Malveen's wheezy laughter emanated from the shadowy mass.
'You must have brought me quite a tale, dear boy. Did our friend the Huntmaster bite off more than he could swallow?'
Talbot stepped away from Darrow, fresh suspicion apparent in his face. He tried to keep his eyes on Darrow, Radu, and Stannis all at once. Darrow tried to reassure him with a quick shake of his head, but he could hardly blame the man for being careful.
Stannis seemed to be reading his mind. 'How hard it must be for you to make new friends, you fickle lad, and how wicked of you to lead them back here without permission.'
The shadow floated out over the ring but remained safely out of range of their weapons.
'We've come for Maelin,' said Feena. 'Release her, and we'll go.'
'Be silent, you smelly little drudge!' spat Stannis.
Barrow had never heard such incivility from his former master. The shadows swirled, and an arm-shaped branch reached out to point at Feena. A black bolt of energy shot forth to strike her holy symbol. It smothered the daylight and plunged the room back into eerie green darkness.
Barrow's intuition told him to move the moment the light vanished. 'Look out!' he cried, throwing himself over the seats into the next aisle.
The big man did not need the warning. His big sword had already caught Radu's blade as it licked toward him. He struck back with astounding speed, destroying the chair where his attacker had stood an instant earlier. Radu had already slipped away to attack from another direction.
Barrow took advantage of the fight to make a run for the cell entrance. Miraculously, it remained unlocked. He rushed down the stairs and found the portcullis closed. Cursing himself, he realized Stannis or Radu must have kept the key. He ran back up to the arena.
Talbot and Radu fought near the edge of the baiting pit, retreating and attacking by turns. Talbot bore a long slash along his face and another on his sword arm. His shirt clung to his body, sodden with perspiration. Barrow saw no wounds on Radu, who fenced with cool precision.
Feena and Stannis both hurled magic, the vampire casting forth his shadows while the cleric invoked the name of her goddess. Black tentacles erupted from the arena floor to encircle Feena's legs, pulling her inexorably down. She slashed at them with a radiant blade of moonlight, but it was a losing battle.
Stannis floated toward the struggling cleric, his armor of shadows still cloaking his bloated body. Barrow feared many things in the world, but few of them as much as the touch of the vampire's hand. He thought of what would become of Maelin should he fail, gripped his sword tightly, and ran to help Feena hack at the wriggling tentacles. With two quick chops of his blade, he freed one of her legs as she cut away another inky limb that encircled her waist.
'My sweet^ reckless, feckless boy,' hissed Stannis. 'What a disappointment you have become. Is this how you repay my generosity?'
The vampire whispered arcane words and made a gripping gesture. Pain lanced through Barrow's body. His back jerked in uncontrollable spasms, and the sword fell uselessly from his hand.
'If only a mild lesson would suffice to correct such behavior,' mourned Stannis. 'It pains me to rebuke you, my dear boy. You do believe me, don't you?'
The pain became blindingly powerful, and Barrow felt he could rip Stannis's arms from his body, if only he could control his own. The spasms gripped him from head to foot, twisting every nerve and bending every sinew against his will. His own screams were deafening inside his brain, but they escaped his lips as a weak gasp.
Stannis shrieked suddenly, and through the red veil of pain Barrow saw Chaney stab again through the shadows around Lord Malveen. He had crept unseen along the inner railing, attacking from beneath as the sorcerer levitated above him.
The railing offered no protection from the sorcerer's dark magic. With a sibilant string of incantations and another violent gesture, Stannis wracked Chaney's body with waves of agony. The little man arched his back and writhed, no words escaping his gaping mouth.
'Get away from him, you revolting thing!' Free at last from the groping tendrils, Feena leaped to Chaney's defense.
