Her blade cut effortlessly through the vampire's shadow armor. The flesh beneath boiled away with a sickening stench, spraying ribbons of vile ichor across the floor and down onto the sandy pit below.
'Brother!' cried Stannis. 'Defend me!'
Radu did not even glance in his brother's direction. Instead, he pressed Talbot with a series of attacks to his arms and face. He was only slightly quicker than the big man, but his sword was far lighter than Perivel's war blade. Talbot used reach and retreats more than parries to defend himself. Soon he ran out of room to withdraw without stepping on Chancy, who struggled to his feet.
With his friend at his back, Chancy set his teeth against the pain and thrust again at Stannis, whose attention was fixed on Feena and her devastating blade. Chaney's blade sank deep into the vampire's flesh and evoked another shriek of pain.
The shadow sorcerer lashed his heavy tail once, then again, slamming Chaney hard enough to knock the sword from his hand. Each blow slapped the blush from his face, leaving him as colorless as rain. The last blow threw him against Talbot's back, where Chaney sank to the floor.
'No!' yelled Feena, slashing again at the monstrous vampire. 'Face me!'
Talbot looked down at his fallen friend. It was the opening Radu needed. He thrust past Talbot's open guard and ran his long sword through the swordmaster's chest. The red point emerged just an inch to the left of Talbot's spine.
The big man gasped at his foe, who tried twisting the blade. The sword would not turn, and Talbot grabbed Radu's hand, holding it fast to the grip. Dropping his own weapon, Talbot grabbed Malveen's jacket and pulled him close.
Darrow saw the big man's shoulders swell and the fur sprout on his arms. For a moment he thought Radu had met his match at last, but then he remembered the real danger.
'The knife!' he cried, cursing himself silently for not thinking of it earlier. 'Look out!'
The bone blade flashed at Radu's hip, striking up toward Tal's exposed stomach. Before it touched flesh, Chaney's hands closed on Radu's wrist. He mustered all of his strength to pull the weapon down, away from his friend.
Instead of struggling against him, Radu turned the point down and thrust the dagger at Chaney, who was unprepared for the sudden reversal. The slender dagger sank deeply into Chaney's throat. Hateful white light shot from the little man's eyes and mouth, showing a red skull beneath his flesh.
'No!' roared Talbot, releasing his grip on Radu's clothing to grab the hand that held the dagger.
Darrow heard the bones of Radu's arm grind and crack as Talbot squeeze his wrist and pulled the blade out of Chaney's throat.
It was far too late for Chaney. His flesh withered and collapsed, leaving only a ragged skeleton behind. Those meager remains survived only a moment longer before dispersing to the finest dust.
Still transfixed by his foe's blade, Talbot gripped Radu by wrist and throat, lifting the slender man off the floor. The motion would have seemed effortless except for the stream of blood that ran from both sides of the sword wound. With an inarticulate scream, Talbot hurled the swordsman over the edge of the baiting pit, onto the hard sand twenty feet below.
'Brother!' cried Stannis, retreating from Feena's glowing blade.
The cleric spared only one brief glance for the slain Chaney before pursuing the fleeing vampire. Stannis flew down to Radu, still dripping black ichor. Darrow looked down to see that the cell gates were open. Maelin was the only occupant, and she crouched behind the shelter of her cot when she saw Stannis arrive.
With furious abandon, Talbot grasped the sword in his chest and pushed it out in two painful thrusts, each one punctuated by a mournful howl. His face was a twisted cross between man and wolf, curved fangs protruding over a short snout, his blood-red eyes blazing furiously.
'Help him!' he cried to Feena. He scooped two big hand-fuls of the dust that was his friend.
Torn between rage and sympathy, Feena simply shook her head. 'I can't,' she said.
Talbot crouched over Chaney*s remains, letting the dust sift through his bestial hands. A low growl grew in his chest, and he reached for PerivePs sword.
Darrow was afraid to speak and turn the werewolf's anger on himself, but his fear for Maelin was even greater. 'Stannis has the key to Maelin's cell,' he said.
Talbot's blazing eyes fell upon him, and the werewolf leaped up onto the edge of the pit. Darrow craned his neck to see the Malveen brothers below.
Stannis curled protectively around Radu, who struggled to regain his feet. The fall had finished the work that Talbot had begun. Radu's left arm turned at an impossible angle, hanging awkward and useless at his side. The bone blade lay on the sand beside him.
'Malveen!' roared Talbot in a voice that only the Nine Hells could lend him.
He leaped down into the pit and landed squarely on two feet, bending slightly to absorb the shock. His black torso gleamed with blood, but the wound had begun to close. He took one step toward the brothers, raising his massive sword.
'No!' squealed Stannis. 'Spare us, I beg you! It isn't us you want.'
'Be silent!' hissed Radu.
Clutching his horrid brother's chain veil, Radu pulled himself up. His left leg trailed as uselessly as his broken arm.
'Pietro!' shrieked Stannis. 'Laskar! They are the ones you want. Spare me, and I will give you what you want.'
'Liar!' shouted Radu. It was the first time Darrow had ever seen his former master impassioned.
'It's no good, dear brother,' said Stannis. 'We must make amends as best we can, even if it means acknowledging our brothers' misdeeds. Perhaps we can earn some clemency for our incidental-brother! What are you doing?'
Radu released the golden veil and snatched up the bone blade.
Talbot took a cautious step back, but Radu did not even look at him. Instead, he thrust the bone blade into his brother's wide flank.
An explosion of light dispelled the remaining shadows that cloaked Stannis. His golden veil flew away, leaving bloody wounds where the rings had pierced his face, revealing a round, gasping mouth filled with row upon row of triangular teeth. The radiance that surged from his body was tainted with wriggling strands of liquid black and red.
Still holding the bone blade, Radu was galvanized by the magical feedback. His body trembled and rose from the floor as the dark energies of his brother mingled with the life-draining magic of the dagger.
The vampire's body did not wither but flushed with power, glowing blindingly as it shook.
'Get down!' cried Feena from the rail.
Darrow heeded her warning just as an explosion shook the arena. Sand and wet matter fell all around them. The bright light was gone, leaving the baiting pit illuminated only by the flickering green flames of the braziers.
Darrow picked himself up carefully. Feena was already at the edge of the pit, leaning over to see what was below.
'Tal!' She ran her thumb across her holy symbol and spoke a word. Light shone from the talisman, revealing the aftermath of the vampire's destruction.
Radu Malveen lay on his back beside the pit. The explosion had reduced his right hand to a withered black branch. His face was also ruined, burned to the bone in some places, in others spotted with raw, weeping red wounds.
There was no sign of Stannis Malveen except for the nasty black and red stains covering every surface.
Talbot sat propped against the bars of Maelin's cell, where the blast had thrown him. Everywhere his exposed skin was burned and peeling, his hair singed and smoking.
Feena gasped and thrust her fist against her mouth, staring down at his motionless body. At last, Maelin emerged from the shelter of her overturned cot, cautiously approaching Tal. She placed a tentative hand on his neck, and he flinched at the pain.
'Oh, thank you!' cried Feena from the other side of the bars. She closed her eyes and clutched her glowing talisman. 'Thank you, Lady.'
Darrow ran to fetch the key from the veil. The chains were still hot, but the keys were relatively undamaged.
