“Well, I don’t know about Wencit, Sire. But the other one could have been the Earl of Marley. I’ve only seen him a few times, but—”

“What happened then?” Morgan said impatiently.

“Well, Lord Derry here had dragged the lady out of the circle by the time we could reach her, and then the boy and the two men were suddenly gone. I can’t explain it, sir.”

“Don’t even bother to try,” Morgan muttered. He tucked his gloves under his belt as he gazed down at the still-struggling Derry. “Has he been this way ever since?”

“Yes, sir. He wanted to get back into that circle. He kept yelling something about not closing it—that he had to get back. We had to gag him so we could hear ourselves think.”

“I can imagine,” Morgan muttered.

He scanned Derry from head to toe, eyes downcast as he ran both hands close above Derry’s body, then glanced up at the guards. “All right, remove the gag and the bonds, and hold him. This is not going to be easy.”

“But, what’s wrong with him?” Kelson murmured, as the guards obeyed. “Morgan, are you sure it’s safe to untie him? He acts like a man possessed.”

“Yes, and we have to find out exactly to what extent,” Morgan agreed. “This is apparently what he was afraid of, when he first came around this afternoon. I should have gone after it then.”

As he turned his attention back on Derry, the young man shuddered and closed his eyes tightly, inhaling sharply as Morgan touched his forehead. Then the eyes opened and gazed up at Morgan, sanity there now—and embarrassment, as his glance flicked out to touch the guards pinning his arms and legs spread-eagled. When he looked back at Morgan, the blue eyes were hurt and a little frightened. Of all the reactions, Morgan had not expected this.

“What—what did I do?” Derry asked in a small voice.

“You don’t remember?”

Derry blinked and shook his head. “Was it terrible? Did I hurt someone?”

Morgan bit at his lip to hold back an angry retort, thinking of the grieving woman across the chamber. “I’m afraid you did, Derry. You helped Wencit and Bran Coris to steal a lady’s child away. You also injured Warin and a guard. You really don’t remember?”

A crestfallen Derry shook his head, his eyes mirroring Morgan’s sorrow, and Morgan looked away, unable to bear Derry’s gaze anymore. He started to lay a hand on Derry’s arm in sympathy, but even as his hand touched the young man’s sleeve, Derry arched upward, out of the grasp of his guards, to lock both hands around Morgan’s throat.

“Get him!” shouted Kelson, throwing himself across Derry’s legs as the guards moved into action.

For perhaps three seconds, Derry’s grip held. But then Morgan was free, pressing him back against the floor, the guards sitting on his arms and legs. Even then, Derry continued to struggle and scream, “No! God help me, no! My lord, I can’t help myself! Kill me! Oh, please kill me before I—”