“So do I,” Duncan agreed. “But we really don’t have any choice but to continue. If Kelson has to face Charissa without the powers his father had—whatever their origin—he’ll die. That fact is inescapable. On the other hand, simply awakening that power in him could kill him. If we’ve made a mistake—or if we should make one in the next minutes—he’ll be just as dead as if we’d bound him over to Charissa and said, ‘Here you are, m’lady. Take him with our blessings. We wanted you to rule Gwynedd all along.’ ”

He turned and took a white stole from the storage cabinet and touched it to his lips, settled it around his shoulders.

“Of course,” he added, turning back to Morgan, “we’ll never know until we try, will we?” He stepped to the candle and cupped his hand behind the flame.

“Are you ready?”

Morgan shrugged resignedly.

“Let’s get on with it, then,” Duncan said, blowing out the candle and ushering Morgan through the sacristy door. “You know, this is really ludicrous. Here I am, priest and Deryni sorcerer—heresy to begin with—about to help a Deryni warrior-lord give forbidden powers to a mortal king of Gwynedd. I must be out of my mind!”

KELSON sat in the study with his hands folded, gray eyes gazing dreamily through the candle flame flickering before him. Beside the candle, the Crimson Lion glittered softly from its cushion of black velvet, reflecting pale fire back onto the boy’s face and hands.

But the candle and the Lion were not Kelson’s chief concern just now. For he was well aware that a cusp had been reached, that all his future—indeed, his very survival through the night—depended upon his conduct in the next half hour.

The thought was not a comforting one, but he was loath to let it slip past and vanish in the night stillness. Fear was a thing that must be faced. His father had drummed that into his head from the first time he could remember. He dared not shrink from what would be required of him.

He unfolded his hands, then twined his fingers together as he allowed the image of Morgan to take shape in the candle flame.

Morgan would not be afraid were he in this situation. No matter what the danger, Kelson was certain that the wise and powerful Deryni lord had never allowed even a trace of fear to make him falter. Those of the Deryni born were not subject to the hopes and fears of mortal men.