Iraj knew instinctively that his enemy was preparing to escape.
And he was determined to escape with him.
Iraj flung himself higher, ignoring the pain as he flopped onto the rough surface. At the end of the rock was a blue-gold shimmer of light. He thought he could make out movement in that light. Gigantic shadows, dancing to a rhythm he couldn't hear.
Safar was one of those shadows.
He was sure of it.
Iraj reached … reached … reached…
The primitive creature that was Kalasariz saw Iraj moving and cried out to the others. 'The king,' he rasped. 'Follow the king!'
Racked by pain, he heaved closer to Iraj.
Behind him the two wormlike things who were Fari and Luka heard his call.
Desperately they forced their bodies after him.
Lava was already rolling down the sides of the volcano when Safar chanted the last lines of the spell:
A great cloud of black smoke burst from the mouth of the volcano. The queen and the other dancers screamed in terror.
Safar braced for the mighty blast of hot breath that he knew would follow.
But just then he heard a shrill animal cry. With that cry came power over his own limbs and he sagged-nearly falling to the sand. It was as if the puppet strings had been suddenly cut.
There was another shrill trumpeting and he staggered to his feet. With difficulty, he turned on numb limbs and his blood thrilled when he saw an amazing creature charging across the beach.
It was Khysmet! White coat gleaming silver in the sun.
Safar didn't stop to think where he had come from, or how. Somehow he got the strength to move forward. Then to run on legs that felt like dead stumps as he staggered across the sand to meet the stallion.
When he reached him, he gathered all his strength and threw himself on Khysmet's broad back.
The horse swung around and sprinted for the shoreline where the waves crashed over a tumble of black rocks.
At that moment the volcano erupted.
An enormous blast of burning hot wind smashed against them.
But instead of dying, they were flung high into the air.
Safar had a sensation of soaring. Then he felt Khysmet plunge forward. It was as if the stallion had suddenly grown wings and they were hurtling across a flame-washed sky.
Behind him he heard someone shout: 'Safar!'
It was Iraj's voice.
Safar bent around, but there was nothing to see except the smoking ruins of the island.
Then he felt something sear his chest and he cried out in surprise and pain. It seemed to burn through flesh and bone, then pierce his heart like a fire arrow.
And then the pain was gone as quickly as it had come.
Khysmet trumpeted joy, surging forward with even greater speed.
Safar was too weary to feel anything now. He collapsed on the horse's back, letting his friend carry him away to wherever he wanted to go.
Still, he couldn't help whispering, 'Free, free.' And then he thought he heard a faint echo: '
Stupefied by exhaustion, he barely registered that echoing voice.
Then darkness seized him and he knew nothing more.
CHAPTER NINE
Palimak was surrounded by huge red eyes that glittered at him hungrily through the darkness. He couldn't move; his limbs were like stone and each breath came with great difficulty.
His mind was a chaos of half-formed thoughts. Where was he? Who were these creatures? Why had he ignored the advice of his Favorites? And what in the hells had possessed him to step through that door in the first place?
Although the inky-black chamber he found himself in was sweltering hot, a chill ran down his spine as he realized that 'possession' wasn't too far off the mark.
He'd entered because he had been compelled. Some powerful force had reached through the very rock to seize him and bend him to its will. Deafening him to his survival instinct's loud clamor of alarm.
Gundara and Gundaree were silent. From the absence of weight on his shoulders, he guessed they'd shrunk to their smallest size, hoping they wouldn't be noticed.
He heard a heavy body moving toward him and he raised his eyes to see the largest of the burning orbs coming closer. By the gods, he wished he could see more!
Although, perhaps it was just as well he couldn't. From the lumbering sound of the body and the fact that the creature's eyes were several feet above his head, Palimak realized that the beast must be enormous.
With that jumble of frightened thoughts came an idea: These creatures feared light! If someone had asked him how he knew this, he couldn't have answered. The knowledge just suddenly bloomed in his consciousness: to escape, all he had to do was conjure up another ball of light.
Desperately, Palimak tried to signal the Favorites-sending his thoughts out through the well-oiled mental channel between them. Their disappointing answer came racing back. That avenue of escape had been slammed shut by the same powerful magic compelling him to enter the chamber. The spellcaster had factored in its own vulnerabilities and had made sure that no light spell at Palimak's command would work within these chamber walls.
Strong magic rippled the dank currents of sweltering air as the huge red eyes moved closer.
Palimak dug deep for strength. But with a shock he realized that merely keeping the life forces burning in the tomb of his spell-frozen body had drained his powers. He couldn't even open his mouth to speak, much less scream.
The beast paused in front of him, its breath like a foul wind issuing from an open grave. Then it moved slowly around him, as if measuring Palimak for that very same grave. Finally it returned to the front, huge eyes widening even larger-two red orbs ready to swallow him up.
Then the beast spoke. 'This creature is a puzzle to me sisters,' it said. Rasping though it was, Palimak detected a feminine quality in the voice. 'From all outward signs it is human,' the voice continued. 'But there is also a demon scent to it. Demon and human and in the same body. How could this be?'
A low mutter swept the chamber-many low voices echoing: 'How could this be? How could this be?
How could this be?'
The beast's voice rumbled with what Palimak thought might be laughter. 'No matter, sisters,' it said.
'Human or demon, it will taste just as fine.'
'As fine … as fine … as fine,' came the echoing reply.
The hungry edge in all of those voices nearly swept away Palimak's will to resist. But he strained mightily to make one last desperate effort.
Then it was like a gate opening, and power burst forth. His whole body tingled as it awakened. A burning sensation afflicted his eyes, as if they'd been struck by hot sunlight. He closed them. The pain vanished and when
