A body slammed into Han, nearly toppling him into a steaming fissure. They wrestled on the stone floor at the edge of the cleft, the boiling vapors plastering down Han’s hair and stinging his eyes. Bayar gripped the chain around Han’s neck, trying to rip away his amulet. Han kept a hold on it with one hand and thrust the fingers of his other hand into Bayar’s eyes. The wizard shrieked and let go of him, nearly rolling into the fumarole. Then scrambled to his feet and once again disappeared into the mist.

Han followed, more cautiously this time. He could no longer hear Bayar’s footsteps, and the mist seemed to amplify and redirect sound, so it was difficult to tell which direction it was coming from. He squinted, trying to discern movement in the murk.

Han guessed they were nearly back to where Fiona lay. He increased his speed, wanting to intercept Bayar before he could make it back to the entrance to the Aerie House dungeons. He turned a corner and nearly ran headlong into a flaming torch.

He staggered back, temporarily blinded, felt a tug at his neck, and saw his amulet pinwheel through the dark like a falling star, extinguishing as it hit the floor with a ping.

They both scrambled after the jinxpiece, but Bayar got there first, grabbing a fistful of chain and scooping it off the floor. Han made a grab for it, but Bayar jabbed at him with the flaming torch, scorching his arm and setting his sleeve to smoldering.

Bayar tucked away the amulet, which, to Han’s disappointment, neither exploded nor set him on fire. Crow wasn’t on board.

“Now, then,” Bayar said, gripping the twin falcon amulet. “Let’s stop all this foolishness. Tell me what I want to know and perhaps I’ll kill you quickly.” But the smile on his face said different.

“Let go of the amulet, Bayar.”

The voice came from behind Han. Both Han and Bayar turned, startled, to see a ghostly apparition in clan garb, the amulet at its center glowing like a star through the fog.

“Let go, I said,” Fire Dancer repeated, his voice oddly muted by the thick air.

“This is perfect,” Bayar breathed. “The witch-spawned copperhead pretender himself.”

Han saw immediately that Dancer wouldn’t have a clear shot at Bayar with him in the way. But Dancer made an easy target.

“No!” Han shouted. “Get back! He’ll—”

A bolt of flame jetted out from Bayar’s extended hand, striking Dancer full in the chest, tearing right through him, and blasting all the way to the far wall of the cave.

The flame died away. Dancer was gone, but the sight was imprinted on Han’s eyelids, so that even when he shut his eyes he could see Dancer’s body ripped in half.