The hallway was silent as a grave. The oil lamps on the walls had long guttered to darkness. Duties had been neglected. Most of the guard would be on the sea walls, or drafted into the defence of the Land Walls and not yet returned, and the servants were out celebrating in the squares and streets like everyone else.

Erlan’s eyes were well accustomed to the dark but there was an eerie feeling seeping through the deserted palace like a bitter perfume. He arrived at Lilla’s quarters and without knocking went inside. It was dark there, too. The curtains moved like a murmur in the night air. Quickly he went to the heavy silk drape that divided the rooms and threw it aside.

The second room was as empty as the first.

He cursed. They could be anywhere in the palace for all he knew. His heart sank with disappointment. It had taken all the will in him to haul his half-roasted carcass up there. Now he was at a loss what to do. He was about to lie down on the bed when he heard a soft, low whine.

‘Aska?’

Beyond the bed, a familiar shadow rose. But the dog didn’t come to him. Instead he dropped his head and whined again. Erlan hobbled around the foot of the bed and saw Aska prodding his long nose at another shadow stretched out beside the bed. He dropped to his knees and pushed Aska aside, seeing at once that it was a woman. And then he recognized the streak of white in the fan of black hair. He rolled her over and swore.

Gerutha’s abdomen was glistening darkly. He put his ear to her mouth. She was alive but her breathing was dangerously shallow. Where was Lilla? Where was anyone? He snatched a pillow and eased her away from the side of the bed, then lay her head upon it. His hands were wet. He looked down. Blood. A lot of it. ‘Grusha, can you hear me? Gerutha?’ He gently moved her head from side to side, trying to rouse her. ‘Grusha, it’s me, Erlan.’

She uttered a soft moan and opened her eyes. ‘Erlan. . . I knew that you would come here. . . that you must come. . . I crawled. . . Lilla. . .’

‘Easy, easy. Tell me what happened?’

‘Katāros. . . He took them.’

‘Took who? Lilla?’

‘Yes. And Anna.’

‘The princess? Where?’

Her eyes rolled backwards.

He shook her, more violently than he meant. ‘Grusha, where did he take them? Where!’

‘I don’t know,’ she groaned. ‘Away. Out of the city. He. . . they attacked us.’

‘Attacked you? Here?’

‘No. . . the steps. . . below the Golden. . . Hall.’

Erlan’s mind was a tempest. Then his gaze fell on Aska. Yes, Aska. . .