:I doubt we would have surprised them anyway, Dyara replied. This woman saw Auraya with the Siyee. She will have considered the possibility that the Siyee would join us.

:So these are the black birds that—

Impressions of shock and pain cut Mairae’s question short. A confusion of thoughts and sensations followed. Tireel, stunned, could only wonder what had happened. His head and shoulders felt battered. He felt as if he’d flown into a cliff, but he could see he was still in midair. He wasn’t falling. He was lying on something. When he looked down, he saw nothing but the ground below.

The Pentadrian army had stopped. Hundreds of upturned faces watched him. The sorceress stood with arms raised, stretched in his direction. Black birds circled between him and the ground.

Auraya felt her stomach turn over.

:The sorceress has him. Dyara’s thought was tense with dismay.

:This is not good, Juran murmured.

The support that had held Tireel fell away and he dropped. Spreading his wings, he stopped his fall, but not before he reached the birds.

They swooped in close, jabbing him with their beaks and slashing with claws. He drew his arms in close, instinctively protecting his wings, and dropped like a stone. An instant later he realized this might be a way to escape them. Drop below and arc away…

Auraya felt a rush of hope.

The birds followed. He saw their sleek shapes beside him. Wings drawn close into a dive. The ground rushed up toward him. He spread his arms again.

At once they darted in to claw and rake. He gritted his teeth against the pain and resisted the urge to protect himself. The ground was not far below now. He could not drop any farther.

:Get away, Auraya whispered, even though she knew he could not escape.

Glancing down, Tireel saw the enemy. Hundreds of faces watching. Then claws ripped through his wings. He screamed in agony and fell. The knowledge that he would never fly again was like an extra weight dragging him down. He closed his eyes and prayed that death would be instant.

The ground did not come like a last merciful blow. It curled around him and slowed his fall. As he felt the texture of it against his back he could not help feeling hopeful. He was alive. His wings might be torn, but he was still…

Then he opened his eyes and saw the ring of black-robed men and women surrounding him.

:This is not good, Juran repeated.

:No, Dyara agreed. They will learn much about us from him.

:What can we do? Mairae asked.

:Nothing.

:Perhaps the other Siyee will kill him.