He shook his head in desperate denial, but his sister was already rising. Her staff was in her hands, a shimmer of force surrounding it. Dagnalla held a staff as well. Krin was drawing a wand.
Jarull held out his fist. From between his fingers, black grains of magesbane sifted down. He opened his hand and flicked his wrist. Dust scattered through the air like a wave of shadow. Keph sucked in a breath.
'Mali!' he shouted, straining forward. 'Don't'
Too late. Malia held up her staff, spoke a sharp word, and the magesbane exploded.
The blast was deafening. It slammed Keph back into his chair and hammered against his chest. He felt dry grit, like wind-blown sand, sting his cheeks, but he couldn't see anythingthe explosion was dark and cold, without heat or light. Keph screamed against it, flinging up an arm to protect his facepure reflexbut it was already too late.
Variance and Jarull swayed, their grip on him firm.
Silence followed. Keph lowered his arm and stared at the devastation. Black dust hung thick in the air. The dining table was gone, with only a few scattered splinters to mark its passing. The walls of Fourstaves House were broken stone, the roof and upper floors blasted away. Keph could see the black sky looming close above.
There was no sign of Dagnalla, Malia, Krin, or the foul ooze that had been Roderio.
Or of Strasus. His father was gone.
Keph sat back. His heart felt… dark. And empty.
'Shar's blessing,' said Jarull. 'The Lady of Loss touches you.'
His hands were gone from Keph's shoulder. So were Variance's. Keph rose unsteadily and turned around to find them facing him, silently watching' He swallowed.
'This isn't what I wanted,' he said.
'You made the sacrifice,' Variance replied. 'Your family for Shar's embrace.' She held out the sacrificial knife, the same one Bolan had put into his hand in Shar's temple only five nights before. Keph stared at it. Blood stained the blade. Adrey's blood.
'No,' he breathed. 'That was an illusion. Adrey'
Doors banged open behind him. He spun around.
A woman in a swordfighter's costume strode through the ruins of Fourstaves House. Lyraene. No, Keph realized with a start, not Lyraene.
Adrey. Grown up.
'I want to be like you, Uncle Keph,' she said. 'I want to fight like you.'
Shar's disk hung around her neck.
– — ‹§› It was over in an instant.
The glare of Dhauna's magical moonlight vanished with Feena's attack. Conscious thought returned with a slap of clarity. Feena opened her jaws in shock. Dhauna's arm slipped free, and the old woman dropped to the ground and curled up around her torn arm. Footsteps pounded in the hallway outside. There were voices:
'What's going on?'
'I don't know!'
'Did you hear that? Moonmaiden's grace' 'It's locked!'
'Stand aside! Bright Lady of the Night, lend me your strength!'
The clergy were coming in. Feena reached into her spirit. The wolf gave no resistance as she drew the woman back to the surface. The transformation felt like nothing at allshe shook herself back into human form just as the door of Dhauna's chamber groaned and tore out of its frame. Mifano shoved it out of the way and stumbled into the chamberthen froze. Clustered at the door, other priests and priestesses stopped as well, all of them staring in horror.
In the midst of shredded scrolls and torn clothing, Feena rose up above Dhauna's huddled, shivering form- naked, blood-smeared, and completely numb.
She drew herself up and moved toward the door. Mifano stood aside. Selune's clergy leaped to get out of her way. Feena walked past them all and out into the corridor, turning toward her room in silent, brittle dignity.
Blood dripped from her chin onto her breast. She stopped and turned to the nearest personJhezzailand said, 'Younger sister…'
Jhezzail made no reply. Feena continued anyway.
'The High Moonmistress must be taken to the infirmary immediately and given a sprig of belladonna to eat. A fresh sprig. It will prevent her from becoming a werewolf.' She focused on the girl. 'Do you understand?'
'Y-yes, elder sister,' Jhezzail stammered.
Feena turned away.
Sounds forced their way into her haze. Shouting. Screaming. Crying. Her nameJulith was calling her. Feena didn't answer.
She reached her room, opened the door, stepped through, and closed the door. Noises still reached her, including Julith's frantic calls. Footsteps raced along the hall outside, drawing nearerJulith again, she was certain of it. Feena shot the bolt on the door, then sagged down against the rough wood as Julith began to pound against it from the other side.
The high, keening whine that welled up from deep inside Feena's belly belonged more to the wolf than to the woman, but the despair and horror behind it were entirely human.
Adrey moved across the rubble strewn floor like a serpent. As she moved, she reached across her body and drew her sword. It left its scabbard with a dry hiss. Keph gasped.
She was carrying Quick.
A dark smile flickered across her face as she saw his surprise.
'It seemed appropriate,' she said. 'You already have the knife you used to kill me.'
Keph glanced down. Shar's sacrificial knife was in his hand. He jerked and flung it away.
'Adrey,' he said, 'I didn't kill you!'
'You might as well have.' Her voice was as cold as a winter wind. She lifted Quick, holding the rapier in front of her face. 'Storm's lash!'
The lightning that writhed around the blade, bitterly white, brought no light to the darkened hall. Fear trembled through Keph's belly. He raised his hand and the disk of Shar that dangled from it.
'Shar-' he gasped. 'Shar-'
'Shar take me?' Adrey laughed. 'Uncle Keph, she already has. Don't you know any other spells?'
Mistress of the Night, he prayed, guide me.
Keph didn't speak the words, but they echoed in the hall just the same. Keph's gut twisted. An orison. One orison. Shar's guidance had shown him nothing more than damnation.
Adrey sank into a dueling pose, and Keph stumbled back.
'Adrey, I didn't mean it!'
'False regret does not become Shar's chosen,' she snarled.
'No!' Keph spat. 'It's not false. I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!'
'Too late, Uncle Keph!'
She lunged and he twisted desperately. Quick slid past his belly, close enough that he could smell the lightning on her blade. Keph grabbed Adrey's extended arm and pulled her off balance, using the momentum to leap past her.
Through the open doors where she had entered, there was lighttwilight, the hot glow of sunset, the only true light in the hall.
Keph glanced over his shoulder. Adrey was back on her feet and coming after him. He turned back to the doorway, but Jarull and Variance barred his path.
'It's too late to back out now,' Jarull said.
'The cult,' said Variance, 'must be protected.'
He gulpedand dived between them.
For a moment it seemed like it might work. The light drew closer. He was almost there, almost out of the hall.
Hands closed on his legs. He hit the ground screaming and kicked out. Hands fell away but grabbed again.
'Too late,' Variance chanted, 'Too late.'
