As Maizalyn walked, Lenar followed at herside. Warring emotions fought across his features. He shared noneof Felip’s looks. His brown eyes matched Maizalyn’s, but littleelse made one think of her. Her hair was a vibrant red, his a deepauburn. Of medium height and build, he lacked Felip’s tall slenderframe or his mother’s stature. He must have had a different fatherthan Felip. Or was he adopted by her?
Funny, what odd thoughts paced through hermind! Was this the conflict Sybil had sensed in Lenar? He wasMaizalyn’s son, planted to redirect her interpretations? Had itbeen Lenar who said the hidden corridors were safe for Kambry theday she had run into Felip and the man with him?
Drew snapped his fingers in front of herface. “Kambry!” he barked. “Release the ring or I will cut off yourthumb.”
The glow of purple brightened, as did thescabbard’s design. What was it trying to tell her? If she had thepower to remove it, didn’t she also have the power to use it? Theceiling was open in the inner map room. The stone that separatedthe two rooms could carry the magic, couldn’t it? Maybe it enteredfrom beneath the wall where it met the floor.
Kambry concentrated, closing her eyes andpulling at Kavin. She begged for it to rise in her. If it came toher, what would she do with it?
The table was made of wood, the knife ofmetal, and both were natural elements. She sent the first trickleof Kavin magic she felt tingle over her skin down through her armand imagined the table pulling away from the knifepoint. Shefocused on the metal thinning and pulling up through her hand. Thepain eased to a dull throb.
“Hurry!” Maizalyn screamed.
Kambry flinched, but the magic kept flowing.What would she do when her hand was free? Drew still gripped herwrist. She grabbed at the magic and struck at Drew, sending himflying over the table. The knife toppled over, but before she couldgrab the handle with her bloody hand, Sarena had it.
Kambry backed up and lay her punctured handover the queen’s scabbard. She delayed activating the blade’srelease mechanism, remembering Gordy said she should keep it as aholdout for as long as she could. No one was close enough yet forthe thin blade, but Kavin's magic continued to caress her skin.What more could she do?
Blood flowed down Kambry’s injured hand,along her forearm, and dripped on the stone floor.
Lenar stepped behind his mother, and for amoment, was out of sight. Kambry watched for him to come back intoview. When he did, his hand wielded a knife, but she was the onlyone facing him. He stared at his mother. For guidance, or did hehave his other intentions?
Sarena crouched, her weight shiftingforward.
Drew rose from the floor, a hand gripping hisshoulder and his arm hanging oddly straight down.
Had he dislocated it in his flight over thetable? Kambry hoped so. One less for her to worry about. She shovedthe table sideways toward the map wall, blocking Sarena’s wayaround it. The woman snarled.
Maizalyn screamed, “I don’t care how it’sdone. Just get that ring from her.” She turned to Lenar, who kepthis side facing her, and her voice softened. “Arnel, my darling.Get the ring for me. You needn’t use a knife. I know how you hatethem. Rip it from her hand!”
“It’s not possible,” he said, his voicequiet, his gaze now pointedly away from his mother. “She hascontrol of the magic. We need to leave.”
Sarena threw her knife, and Kambry dodged,shoving the heavy table toward Sarena with a surge of Kavin magic.The blade clattered and skittered away.
Drew rammed his shoulder into the wall,yelling like a stuck boar, before toppling the table out of hisway.
Kambry hesitated, watching him charge towardher. Galvanized into running, she headed for the open doorway. Ifshe could just get out of the room.
A hand gripped her bodice and yanked her backjust as she was about to cross the threshold. Drew shook her, andshe curled around her hands, drawing them close to her chest andgrasping the queen’s scabbard above the slit in the leather.
The blade slid out and, though her left handpained her as if it were tearing from within, she grabbed the hilt,turned it so the blade pointed down toward her wrist, and shestabbed out behind her.
It landed in flesh, and she ripped it upward,eliciting a high-pitched cry from Drew. He flung her forward, andshe stumbled into the wall, cracking her knees on the stone as shedropped to the floor. Her knuckles rapped the hard surface, but shekept her grip on the hilt.
A scuffle behind rose as she turned about onher knees.
Sarena fought with Lenar. She bit, scratchedand punched. “Give me the knife, you worthless coward!”
Lenar did nothing to avoid her barrage ofpunches, but he kept the knife from her.
Drew lay gasping on the floor, his handholding his stomach.
Kambry grimaced and felt bile burn herthroat. His intestines bulged between his fingers. She couldn’tturn away from the sight. Her own hand gripped the hilt of theslender blade so tight, her fingers were white against the blood.Was all of it hers?
The battle for the knife continued, Maizalynraging at them both. “Get the ring!”
Kambry backed toward the door. No one waswatching her.
There was a scream of fury and then fright.Lenar was scrambling away, his hands bloody, horror on hisface.
Maizalyn dropped to her knees, her back toKambry.
Kambry had to get out of here, but someonestood in the doorway. She gazed in dumb uncertainty, unable torecognize the individual for an instant.
Felip looked at each one, confusion rising onhis face. His gaze widened at the sight of Kambry’s bloody hand.His glance at Drew was short. The guard lay, his eyes gazingunseeing at the ceiling.
Kambry watched Felip. Would he be the next todemand she give up the king’s ring?
Felip seemed to steady himself, pulling hisshoulders straight. “Mother, what have you done?” he said.
Kambry sidled away from the doorway and Felipand watched the dynamics of the group from a fuzzy sense of peeringin at a moment of private disaster.
“You’ll not take it from me!” Sarena screamedand drew the
