His shadow erupted, a torrent of icy darkness that flooded the space between them. The woman screamed as it gathered her up. It twisted the sword from her grip, wended about her limbs like hissing snakes, then hoisted her a foot above the ground.

“Who are you?” he demanded. “What is the meaning of this?”

Even through his anger, Viktor recognised the pointlessness of the first question and the stark obviousness of the second. More than that, he felt the first uneasy glimmer at how suddenly and completely the shadow had burst free, and without conscious command. Elzar had been right. It wanted to be used.

The woman gasped as the shadow-coils constricted. “You’ll have nothing from me.”

“Viktor!”

Thin fingers closed around his arm – a reminder that Calenne would see what came next. Drawing down a deep breath, he checked the shadow’s contraction. “I want answers!”

Kurkas staggered to his feet. “Said she had a message for you, sir. From the duke. Seemed said message took the form of a beating and a ripper’s grin.”

Relief that Kurkas yet lived eased Viktor’s temper another notch. He dragged the shadow back deep. The woman crumpled to a heap. “Do you need a physician, captain?”

“Me, sir?” Kurkas swayed. “Made the error of head-butting a helmet. She’s still a fighter, after all these years.”

The comment made Viktor look closer. As his anger fell to a dull ebb, he put a name to the face. “Revekah Halvor. You’re a notorious woman. Did Josiri truly send you to slit my throat?”

He didn’t believe so. The Josiri he’d seen would never have the courage to order an assassination.

“I came here to kill you for him,” she snarled. “For what you intend for the Southshires. And for what you did to Anastacia.”

Viktor’s conscience seethed anew. “I intend nothing for the Southshires but the best of fortunes.”

“It’s true, Revekah,” said Calenne. “I’ve seen the warrants. Viktor will set you free of the Council. Would have done already if my idiot brother hadn’t refused him.”

Her scowl deepened. “So you are with him. I weep for your mother’s loss.”

“Then stop! While you and Josiri carry on like frightened brats, Viktor’s trying to save us!”

“And Anastacia?”

“A mistake,” said Viktor. “One I’ll gladly undo, if I can.”

Kurkas cleared his throat. “Permission to take this harridan outside and give her a good hanging, sir? Takes the fight out of a body, a nice bit of rope about the neck.”

The fingers on his arm tightened. “Viktor . . . She was Katya’s dearest friend. You can’t.”

He shook Calenne aside. “She’s an outlaw, and by her own confession came to murder me.”

He crouched and stared into Revekah’s eyes. She gazed back without fear.