Where—? She expected ur-viles and Waynhim to swarm around her. They keep watch against me. Whenever Esmer had helped or endangered her, the creatures had appeared. They had been profligate with their own lives in her defense.

This time, however, they did not come. Esmer had been too swift for them, or too sudden—

While she warded herself and her friends with flame, Esmer surged like a running wave at Roger; crashed like a breaker over Covenant’s son.

At once, the two of them vanished. For his own reasons, or Kastenessen’s, or Lord Foul’s, Esmer carried Roger away.

The fall of rock ceased as abruptly as it had begun.

The croyel’s dismay drew a yelp from Jeremiah. Frantically the boy brandished his arms. With one hand, he hailed or harried skest back into the chamber. With the other, he slapped Covenant aside as though Covenant’s opposition and anguish were trivial. Then he hurled frenzy like a battering ram at Linden.

She met the burst with Earthpower; blocked it. But it hit her barrier so fiercely that the Staff bucked in her grasp. The creature’s fury shoved her backward.

Its desperation matched hers.

Skest rushed to attack. Covenant tumbled away. His hands seemed fused to the krill.

By sheer force of will, Stave wrenched himself to his feet. He still clenched Covenant’s ring. Its chain swung between his fingers. Limping on savaged legs, he struggled toward Liand.

“Defend yourself, Chosen,” he panted hoarsely. “Preserve your son. I cannot combat the skest. I will aid Liand.”

It was too much. There were too many skest. The croyel was too strong. And Linden could not call on the EarthBlood to make her greater than she was.

Nevertheless she flung herself forward, driven by love and need—and by a new surge of despair. Covenant and Liand and Stave were about to die; and she could not bear to abandon Jeremiah to the croyel’s cruelty.

But her plight required her to strike at her son. In abhorrence, she wielded Earthpower as if she were screaming.

Esmer had aided her. Where was the betrayal required by his conflicted nature? I am made to be what I am. Was it this, that she could only save Jeremiah by attacking him? By killing him? If so, her horror would delight the Despiser.

But she did not believe it. Lord Foul did not desire Jeremiah’s death. Esmer had told her, Your son is beyond price. No matter how keenly Lord Foul relished her distress, he did not wish her to kill Jeremiah. He still had a use for her son——of my deeper purpose I will not speak.

No, this fight did not serve the Despiser’s purposes, or Kastenessen’s: not now that the croyel had been prevented from escaping with Jeremiah. Esmer had not yet revealed his treachery; or he had masked it too cunningly for Linden to see it.