“We’ve got to get him to Valerius!” said Alec, kneeling beside the wizard and feeling for his pulse. “His heart’s hardly beating.”

“Go fetch Micum.”

Alec dashed away.

“The box,” Thero rasped, and something dark trickled from the corner of his mouth into his short beard. “Please. Must know.”

With the horrible feeling that he might be granting his friend his last wish, Seregil finished with the lock and opened the casket. Inside were three bottles. He gathered them up and knelt beside Thero. The man’s pupils were huge, his face deathly pale. More of the black liquid ran down his cheek.

“There are three,” Seregil told him, holding them up. “Two are milky and labeled. One says TANIA and the other is EONA. Bilairy’s Balls, Lady Tania died a week ago, now he’s killed Laneus’s widow.”

“Last symbol,” Thero choked out. “Do they have it?”

“Yes.”

“Seals—the soul.” Thero coughed and black spittle speckled his lips and chin. His breath was rattling in his throat. Clutching Seregil’s wrist in a surprisingly strong grip, he rasped, “Find Illia’s—before he can—”

“Before he can seal it with the final mark. I understand. But what if he does?”

“She’ll die.” He coughed up a black gout and began to choke.

Seregil got an arm under his shoulders and lifted Thero so he could breathe more easily. “Don’t die! You’re just getting the hang of all this.”

The wizard managed what sounded like a chuckle, but he was shivering badly.

Alec hurried in. “Micum’s gone for his horse. He’ll need our help getting Thero on it.”

“What about the watchman?”

“Micum said he’d deal with him.”

They carried the wizard down and found Micum already at the back door with his tall grey.

“Maker’s Mercy!” he exclaimed softly. “Get him over Stormy’s withers so I can keep a hold on him.”

“We’re going to kill him!” whispered Alec.

“He’ll die if we don’t get him to Valerius,” Seregil grunted, helping him sling Thero over the horse like a sack of grain.

Micum swung up into the saddle and took a firm grip on the back of Thero’s coat. “I’ll come straight back.”

“Where’s the watchman?”

Micum winked. “Napping. What are you planning to do?”

Seregil gave him a humorless smirk. “It’s time to drive our prey. Micum, as soon as you get Thero to Valerius, have him send a messenger to deliver this to Korathan.” Seregil gave him the phial with Eona’s name on it. “Tell him to close the city gates and arrest the other players. Atre still has Elani’s jewelry.”

He put a hand on Thero’s shoulder. “Remember what I said. Don’t die.”