Riven frowned; Witless jerked his eyes closed.
Queen Satia had taken a few steps closer, her own eyes as wide and wondering as Witless’s.The Bondmaidens had shifted nearer as well, caught in the beauty and power of the magic.
The power was at its height, the magic bright and magnified, Riven reached the point where all he had to do was slit Witless’s throat, feed his blood, his very being, into the matrix.
Riven…no, Tassos.He wasTassos.
He jerked the power away from the spell matrix.
The structure wobbled, the babies jostled in midair.
Riven formed his fingers into a claw, one that glowed, with sharp, jagged edges.He turned toward Nora—
Her eyes widened—
Riven reached, mentally and physically, for the flaw in the webbing, at the pulse point at her neck, the tiny little wrinkle.He grabbed and pulled and…realized his mistake.
It could only be broken from within.
He’d never told her, never said the words, and they tried to spill out now as he opened his mouth.
Dullness engulfed in her eyes, as they narrowed, grew hard and cold andcommanded.Nora moved, her dagger drawn, her mouth twisted in a terrible grimace.
Which was when Riven’s second mistake became apparent.
The power he had tried to use flared up and used him.
The bond he had been creating already existed within the matrix; the blood was only necessary to seal it.The power jerked away from him, wrenching itself back into the pattern.Riven spun around to see the cords writhing, the nascent Bond protecting itself as the power flooded in, strengthening, brightening the entire structure.
Nora was behind him, the warmth of her body pressing against his, her hand in his hair as she yanked his head back and brought her blade to his throat.The knife was sharp, he felt only the slightest pain as he started to choke on warm blood.
He fell forward, on top of Witless, who was frozen in horror.Blood splattered everywhere.
The stone knife fell from Riven’s hand.
Witless screamed, struggling under him.
Nora pressed down, her hand and knee on Riven’s back, screaming her battle cry as she seized the stone knife and plunged it toward Witless’s neck.
Riven grabbed her wrist.He had just enough strength to deflect her.
But not enough to stop the knife from piercing Witless’s skin.
Blood dripped onto the glowing matrix, which instantly turned a seething, hot red.The color and heat pulsed and spread throughout the pattern, weaving through the coils and the ribbons, and there was nothing Riven could do as he choked on his own blood and felt his life ebbing away.
A baby wailed, a heartbroken cry.Riven looked up to see Xykeir, floating in the center of the glittering power.Tears in his eyes, the boy’s tiny arms were reaching for Riven, for Witless.His little face puckered in frustration and want and—
The matrix flared as the last bits turned red.There was a blindingly bright flash that sucked at his soul.
Riven collapsed.
He became consciousof the crying of several babes.
He tried to lift his head to see what was happening.He felt dazed and confused.The world seemed odd, out of focus.He was alive?
Something under him squirmed.
He rolled off Witless, onto a bare stone floor.No sand, no diamond dust, no gold flakes.The mage put one hand to his throat, expecting pain and blood, but his skin was whole.
