Teeth gleaming in the gloom, the dark one drew a bludgeon from his robes. Panev pressed Eddis aside and brought up his mace.
The two priests swung furiously at each other, but their blows missed. The dark priest spat words and darted forward to backhand Panev out of his way. Blood ran down Panev’s cheek from a long, narrow cut, as thoughhe’d been knifed. He gritted his teeth and swung the mace again, this timecatching his opponent’s weapon firmly against the head of his own. Eddis waitedfor an opening and threw one of her daggers. The blade sliced through the red cloak but clanged off metal and fell useless to the floor.
Blorys’ sword ripped at the priest’s neck, and bloodfollowed.
“Look!” he shouted above the din. “He isn’t proof to ablade!”
Eddis laughed wildly and stabbed. The man now bled from several wounds, but nothing seemed to slow him, and Panev could make no headway. The evil priest shouted, and the sound ground against Eddis’ skin likesharp- edged stones. Blorys gasped and went down. Eddis cursed furiously and set herself between him and the evil one.
Behind them, sounds of fighting ceased. Eddis hoped, but didn’t dare look tosee which side had won. Slowly, Panev was gaining the upper hand. A finger’sworth at a time, he pressed the evil priest back, but every step took them both closer to Mead, who stood helpless, eyes black with fury as he remained bound in a serpent’s coils.
Blorys swore weakly. Eddis helped him up.
“This has to end. Now,” she said flatly.
Blorys nodded. He was short of breath, but his eyes were dark furies.
“We end this. If we can,” he added.
The two ran forward, swords high, and brought them down across the priest’s neck. Blorys’ sword rebounded with a loud dang. Eddis’slashed through flesh, and the priest howled, staggered back, breaking away from Panev, who staggered and nearly fell on his face. The foul priest spun around, eyes glittering with hate, the mace a blur as he swung at Eddis, but she darted back out of reach, and Panev’s mace slammed down on the priest’s exposed head.
Eddis ducked as somewhere behind her Willow urgently shouted, “Arrow!”
One of the black-fletched magic arrows sang across the chamber and buried itself deep in the priest’s eye. He fell to his knees.
Horribly, Eddis realized, he wasn’t yet dead. But as hestrove to rise, Blorys lunged, stabbing through his throat as Panev brought the mace down two-handed.
The snake released Mead, vanishing in a roil of oily black smoke. The elf came slowly across the room as Panev gazed down at the fallen priest, mace ready to strike if he moved again, but the man’s blood no longerflowed, and his eye stared glassily, unseeing at the ceiling. Panev staggered back into the wall, eyes half-closed, his breathing shallow.
Mead felt in his pouch for a healing potion and came up with a small, dark bottle. “A good thing you aren’t much hurt, priest. I’m runninglow.”
“It scarcely matters how I fare, if he is dead,” the priestreplied.
“But others depend on us to escape this place,” Mead remindedhim.
The priest took the little bottle and drank down the contents.
“That’s him?” Jerdren peered around the doorway. “That’s… that’s it?”
Panev nodded.
“Anything here we dare take?”
The priest shrugged. “I am too worn to dare trust my ownthoughts about that. Mead?”
The mage shook his head. “I used my last reveal spell. Still…” He drew a slender scroll from his pouch, unfurled the thing and read itunder his breath. “It is safe now. Search for things of value if you wish, butdo not touch that priest or any scroll or bottle.”
“Good. Because we need to…” Jerdren frowned, turned.
“Where’s Kadymus? He’s the one who wanted to search this room!”
M’Baddah leaned against the doorway, Flerys holding himupright. The outlander reeked of things long dead, and his armor was black-splashed.
“The thief? He ran past me, a little while ago. I heard himsay something about gold, a statue of a golden beast. One of the guards got between us about then, and I lost sight of him.”
“How long has he been gone?” Jerdren asked.
“Saw him go,” Flerys told her. “Just when Eddis went in here.Little sneak went out past the long doth.”
“He’s lost, if that is so,” Panev said. When Jerdren moved togo after the youth, the priest caught his sleeve. “Search for him, if you will,but there are still undead here. Perhaps this death has released such slaves and unmade them, but I cannot tell, for I am worn.” He turned abruptly and left thechamber.
Jerdren shook his head, then turned away, joining Hebold as the man searched through a deep coffer. Two of the Keep men crowded in to help, but after a few moments, they gave up.
“Too many hiding places here,” Jerdren said. “Panev’s right.This place doesn’t feel any safer, even with that one dead. Let’s go.”
Panev, the cut on his face healing at what Eddis thought to be unnerving speed, stepped aside as Mead splattered oil around the chamber and tossed in a guttering torch. Flames exploded, licked at the dead priest, and roared up from the bedding as the elf mage shoved the door closed.
It was quiet here once again: no guards, and no sign of Kadymus, though Eddis wondered if there were fewer stones on the great throne. Any thief who’d try to cut-purse a swordswoman in a village tavern isn’t brightenough to leave cursed gems alone.
Sun gleamed pale in the west. They rested a few moments, thenset out for level ground.
“Stay alert,” Jerdren warned as he waited for the last onesto join them-Blorys, Panev, and Hebold. The priest looked less grim than he hadin a long while, but the supposed hero was muttering to himself, eyes flickering from his two-handed sword to Jerdren, Eddis, the priest, and back again. Blor met Eddis’ eyes and smiled. She smiled back.
Hebold abruptly sheathed his sword and drew a long-bladed dagger, turning it in his hands as he strode down the shelf. He hauled Blorys off balance, fingers gripping his hair, the knife pressed against the young man’s throat.
“Hebold, what’re you doing?” Jerdren said, bewildered.“That’s my brother! Don’t-!”
“Brother!” Hebold spat. “I saw you both drooling over therubies I pried from that throne. You want ’em, don’t you?”
“I don’t-!” Blorys managed, then fell silent as the blademoved slightly.
“I know you all took things in that cave, gold and gems! Youhid ’em from me when I wasn’t looking!” Hebold shouted. “I’ll have all of itnow, every last single penny! Or this man dies, and he won’t go easy!”
Eddis took a step toward them. Hebold grinned at her mirthlessly, and the tip of his knife broke skin. Blood seeped down Blorys’throat.
“Don’t hurt him,” she said, her throat tight and dry. “He’sno threat to you, Hebold.”
“He may not be. But you-!” His eyes gleamed and he licked hislips. “One more order from you-one more
Eddis gazed into Blorys’ eyes, then met Hebold’s mad glaresquarely. “Why kill him?
“Eddis, no!” Blorys croaked.
Hebold’s arm slacked a little, and he looked confused, angry,nervous all at once. The men around her seemed frozen, except for Jerdren. She could sense him moving cautiously up alongside her. Hebold gave him a mad glare, and he stopped. Behind the barbarian, Eddis realized something was moving. Flerys, spear in hand, edged up a slow, cautious step at a time.
If Hebold knew she was there… He’d never get the chance,Eddis thought in sudden fury.
“You want orders, you barbarian bastard? I’ll give youorders!” she snarled. “Drop that blade and turn him loose, or I’ll gut you whereyou stand!”
Hebold stared, astonished, eyes shifting from her to Jerdren and back again. He bellowed in surprise as the
