But his sympathy for Karn didn’t last long. After glaring down at Han and Dancer as if it were their fault, Karn crossed the room and fetched back his saddlebag.

Kneeling next to them, Karn untied the flap and pulled out three large, leather-wrapped packages. He folded back the leather, exposing their three amulets—the serpent flash, Dancer’s Fire Dancer, and the Lone Hunter piece Elena had made for Han.

The Demon King amulet flared up, casting a sick, greenish light over Karn’s face, as if it knew it was in enemy hands.

Karn drew an assassin’s dagger and, leaning toward them, pressed the tip of it to Dancer’s throat.

“All right, magelings,” he growled. “Take the hexes off these jinx-pieces and tell me how to use ’em.”

“There’s no way you can use them,” Dancer said, canting his upper body backward to relieve the pressure of the blade. “You need us alive.”

“Really?” Karn breathed, pressing harder on the blade so blood trickled down. “Are you sure about that?”

“Why should we tell you anything?” Han demanded. “You’ll kill us anyway.”

“Aye,” Karn said. “That’s so. But there’s different ways to die. Slow ways and fast ways. Hard ways and easy ways. Maybe I’ll let you watch while I cut up the savage, bit by bit. Then it’ll be your turn.”

Karn’s mud-colored eyes had gained a feverish glint. The young captain would bring a certain enthusiasm to the task. Han’s drug-clouded mind scrabbled for ideas. He had no idea how to make his amulet accessible to Karn, even if he wanted to.

It would do no good to scream or shout for help. Han had been listening hard, ever since he’d awakened. He’d heard nothing but the sound of night insects and the rattle of branches in the wind.

Montaigne and Karn meant to keep their flirtation with magic a secret. They’d carried them out to the middle of nowhere, far from the capital city controlled by Gerard’s older brother.

“All right,” Han said. “I’ll undo the hex. But you got to free my hands.” When Karn frowned, he added, “I’ll need my amulet, too. I need to hold it. Only the mage that places the charm of protection can take it away.”

Karn stared into Han’s eyes for a long moment, then nodded grudgingly. “Fair enough. But try anything and your friend’s a dead man.”

Like that was a threat. They’d both be dead within the hour if Karn had his way. And if he killed Dancer quickly, it would be a blessing of sorts.

Han didn’t know if Dancer would see it that way.

Karn dumped Han over onto his stomach and sliced through the ropes binding his hands with his knife, leaving Han’s feet bound.