Up ahead was the natural pillar that nearly cut off the passageway to the diamond-shaped chamber, the first room they’d entered in this lair. All four struggled to squeeze between the pillar and the craggy wall of the cavern. They emerged into the hallway and once again began racing.

“Get ready for the stairs,” Evin shouted. “The trap fell, remember, so we’ll have to jump up and—”

An axe flew out of the darkness and clanged against the stony ground.

Jorick shouted and jumped to the left, grabbing Bet and pulling her with him. Evin ducked to the right, dragging Marten down.

A gnoll stood behind them, cackling. It raised its blade at Evin and Marten, ready to bring it down again.

Jorick shouted a battle cry and lashed out with his sword, slicing the gnoll’s leg. The creature screamed and stumbled, then rounded on its good leg to snarl at the boy.

“Go!” Jorick screamed as he readied his blade for the next blow. He met Evin’s eyes, his jaw set in resolve. “Run, Evin. Save your brother. Bet and I can handle it!”

Evin didn’t hesitate, couldn’t hesitate. He hoped Jorick and Bet would be all right. Pulling the deadweight that was his brother, Evin burst into the torch-lit diamond chamber.

He skidded to a stop. Marten slammed into his side. Ahead of them, bounding down the steps that led to the surface were dozens upon dozens of gnolls.

Behind Evin, the sounds of Jorick’s battle raged on. In the distance, he could hear more laughing howls echoing around the cavern.

Evin took in a breath, looked left, right. To his right was a doorway, the one in which the broken half of an axe had embedded itself. Evin dragged Marten toward the door, rounding past the fallen body of the gnoll Jorick had killed earlier. He flung open the door. A quick scan inside revealed a long, empty room.

A growling howl sounded from behind. As Evin pulled Marten through the door, a battle-axe whizzed through the doorway.

“Help!” Marten cried.

Evin threw his brother to the floor and slammed the door shut. The door latched, locking it.

The gnolls pounded on the wooden door, shaking it in its frame. Dust cascaded from the ceiling. Evin backed away. His legs ached. His heart thumped. Swallowing hard, he turned around. “Marten, we’ve—oh, by the gods!”

His hand flew up to cover his mouth.

Marten lay on the floor, staring blankly at Evin. His arm lay a few feet away.

Evin’s mind went blank. Something was incredibly wrong with the picture before him. Marten, who had not stopped muttering and moaning since the moment he’d been freed from his cage, now sat in silence. And though his arm had been chopped off, there was no blood. There was no bone.