“There’s been an accident,” Seregil replied, climbing down from the carriage. “Bring me my horse, then take Lady Zella and Lady Kordira to the governor’s house.”

“You’re in no condition to ride,” said Kordira. “Erian, fetch the panniers from my horse.”

He did as she asked and they set off for Deep Harbor again, sitting side by side, with Zella’s corpse laid out on the opposite seat.

“You look worse than ever, Seregil,” Kordira noted with concern.

Indeed, Zella had shredded some of his bandages and he was bleeding from several long scratches and opened wounds.

“I’m fine,” he gritted out. Now that the excitement was over his wounds—old and new—were making themselves known.

“Liar.” Kordira reached into one of the panniers and took out a length of bandage. “Here, staunch the bleeding with this.” Reaching in again, she produced a long clay bottle.

“Will brandy help?”

“It can’t hurt.” Seregil took the bottle, pulled out the cork, and took a long swig, then another. “Much obliged. You’re a useful woman to have around in a crisis.”

She laughed at that and held out her hand for the bottle. “Thank you. That’s enough now. A little brandy is medicinal; too much isn’t.”

“At least I wouldn’t feel anything,” he said, relinquishing it with some regret. It was excellent brandy.

Leaning down, she picked up the silk head scarf and smoothed it out before handing it to him. “We don’t want you scaring small children and old women. Are you going to tell me what just happened?”

“It appears that Lady Zella hasn’t been herself for some time,” Seregil replied as he wrapped the scarf around his head again. “The question is, for how long?”

“I’ve heard of necromancers animating the dead, but never the living.”

“Me, neither.”

“What made the dra’gorgos come out of her?”

“This.” Seregil held up the bloodied amulet. “I’m just glad it didn’t turn on you.”

“But how could it attack you at all if you were wearing that?”

“Perhaps being in a body protected it up to a point. Now that I think of it, it’s odd the thing didn’t turn on you.”

She raised an elegantly arched brow at him. “If I was a necromancer, wouldn’t Thero have ferreted me out by now? Besides, I could have killed you ten times over before breakfast.”

Seregil chuckled at that. “Unless you had a good reason for keeping me alive.”

At the governor’s palace they had Zella’s body laid out in her chamber under guard, in case the necromancer decided to use her again.

Seregil leaned over her and reached under the collar of the dead woman’s dress. Finding the chain that held the key to the box in the library, he slipped it off over her head.