Kyphos held up an iron collar. Dion paled, unable to tear his eyes off it, seeing that it could be fastened by spearing an arrow-shaped rod through a hoop. He also saw that the connection worked in only one direction. The collar had a series of notches, enabling it to be fastened tighter, but never looser.

‘I’m not putting that on.’

‘But you must,’ Kyphos said.

Dion shook his head, dread creeping up through his chest. ‘There’s no way to get it off.’

‘A magus can do it,’ Kyphos said. ‘But at any rate, this isn’t a discussion. We have your woman.’ He paused to let his words sink in. ‘Now crouch. Good. Don’t move.’

Dion swallowed as Kyphos fixed the iron collar around his neck, fitting the arrow through the hoop and tightening it along the notches. Feeling his throat become more and more constricted, he tried to keep his breathing slow and steady. The collar gave a final click and the hunchback nodded to himself. Dion reached up a hand to touch the metal now circling his throat. It was tight and made his skin crawl.

‘There,’ Kyphos said. ‘Now come.’

Kyphos jerked his chin in the direction of the waiting soldiers and their king, and Dion had no choice but to follow him. The hunchback led him directly toward the dark-eyed ruler of Malakai.

‘Kyphos,’ Palemon said, reaching out to clasp the shorter man’s shoulder. ‘You have done well, my friend.’ He then turned. ‘And King Dion of Xanthos. This time we meet without pretense.’

‘I want to see Isobel,’ Dion said.

‘His young bride,’ Kyphos explained. ‘She is also carrying his child. Zara is bringing her by ship.’

‘Leverage indeed.’ Palemon nodded. Taller than Dion, he towered over him. ‘You will see your woman soon enough. For now, there is something I want you to do for me.’ The imposing king’s glare was unrelenting as he pointed at the ground. ‘When we last met, I noticed that you didn’t bow. Now, I want you to kneel.’

Dion lifted his chin, meeting Palemon’s eyes, stare for stare. ‘If that is why you brought me here, I will kneel when I see her safe and well. I will then return to my kingdom and gather my armies and those of my allies, before we grind you into the dust.’

Palemon glanced at one of his captains. Two soldiers left the group, circling around behind Dion, who continued to scowl at the taller man. Suddenly Dion felt crushing pain in the back of first one knee and then the other as they smashed his legs until he fell to the ground.

‘That is better,’ Palemon said. ‘My blood is nobler than yours, half-breed. Never forget that.’