‘Well, of course it does, Sparhawk. Everybody knows that.’ She turned sharply. ‘There it is again,’ she said with exasperation.

‘There what is?’ he asked her.

‘You wouldn’t be able to see it, love,’ she told him. ‘Nobody can see it but me. At first I thought that everyone around me was going blind. It’s a sort of shadow or something. I can’t really see it – not clearly, anyway – but it sort of hovers around behind my back where I can only catch very brief glimpses of it. It always makes me very cold for some reason.’

Sparhawk half-turned, being careful to make it look casual. The shadow appeared to have grown larger and darker, and its malevolence was more pronounced. Why should it have been following Ehlana, though? She had not even touched the Bhelliom. ‘It should go away in time,’ he said carefully, not wanting to alarm her. ‘Don’t forget that Annias gave you a very rare and powerful poison. There are bound to be some lingering after-effects.’

‘I suppose that’s it.’

Then he understood. It was her ring, of course. Sparhawk silently berated himself for not having thought of that possibility earlier. Whatever it was that was behind the shadow would certainly want to keep an eye on both rings.

‘I thought we were making up,’ Ehlana said.

‘We are.’

‘Why aren’t you kissing me then?’

He was attending to that when Kalten came in.

‘Didn’t you ever learn how to knock?’ Sparhawk asked him sourly.

‘Sorry,’ Kalten said. ‘I thought Vanion was in here. I’ll see if I can find him somewhere else. Oh, by the way, here’s something to brighten your day a little more, though – if it really needs it – Tynian and I were out with Wargun’s soldiers flushing deserters out of the houses. We found an old friend hiding in the cellar of a wine shop.’

‘Oh?’

‘For some reason, Martel left Krager behind. We’ll all get together with him for a nice chat – just as soon as he sobers up – and after you two have finished whatever it is you’re doing here.’ He paused. ‘Would you like me to lock the door for you?’ he asked. ‘Or maybe stand guard outside?’

‘Get out of here, Kalten.’ It wasn’t Sparhawk who gave the command, however.

Chapter 17

Krager was not in very good shape when Kalten and Tynian half-carried him into Sir Nashan’s study early that evening. His thin hair was dishevelled, he was unshaven, and his near-sighted eyes were bloodshot. His hands were shaking violently, and his expression was one of misery, a misery that had nothing to do with his capture. The two knights dragged Martel’s underling to a plain chair in the centre of the room and sat him in it. Krager buried his face in his shaking hands.