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At least the hex one Not that it host warriors who guarded the door had already heard about Ellen They reear and stood silently by as the soleh the nave and into a side chapel where they laid her on the altar like a corpse on a bier

Ellen lay, still and cold, wearing the es on her face and arms Mercedes ran her capable hands over Ellen’s body They stopped just above her waist "Ah Here we go That’s where it went in"

Jack stood at the head of the altar, holding Ellen’s hand and speaking to her in a low voice Will and Fitch lingered in the entry of the chapel so they weren’t in the way as Mercedes bent over Ellen

"Mercedes," Madison said diffidently, touching her arlanced up in surprise, hesitated, then stepped back "Be esture to set against a huge betrayal

She slid her hands under Ellen’s jacket, pressed the tips of her fingers into Ellen’s skin, and felt thethe dark ic into the hollow that always existed inside of her It was a small curse next to Leicester’s, but deadly all the sa under Madison’s hands She cried out and her eyelids fluttered When Madison could no longer feel the heat beneath her fingers, she drew her hands back and shrugged

Ellen’s face was shiny with sweat, contorted in pain She lay restlessly now,quick, shallow breaths Her helht from the candles that stood in tall sconces to either side

"She’s fighting now," the sorcerer said, looking ood"

"Madison Let’s go downstairs," Seph said, turning away abruptly

They paused at the top of the narrow stairway so that Seph could disable the ical traps that he’d put in place Then they descended the uneven steps to the crypt

Seph kindled a row of tall, beeswax candles that had replaced the electric lights Electricity caenerator, now, and it was a precious commodity The flames flickered in the draft fro the names on the occupied crypts

In contrast to the dihtly illuure sat on the floor next to it, wrapped in a shawl, see asleep

"Nick?" Seph whispered

The old man raised his head at their approach Madison was stunned at how ed in the tione He’d e to someone who looked like he’d outlived the most ancient of the patriarchs

Still Why was he here, and not out on the battlefield?

"Ah" Nick nodded, as if they were expected "You’ve come"

Seph looked a little confused himself "Um Ellen, Jack, and the others are upstairs Ellen’s hurt Madison caonheart"

"Yes Of course" Nick smiled, as if Madison were the answer to a prayer "My dear, I’lad you’re here"

But Seph still hesitated "Nick? You all right?"

Snowbeard closed his eyes, as if too weary to hold them open "Yes I believe all will be well, now that you’ve colanced at Seph, then back at Nick, receiving no guidance frouess I’ll just see"

Cautiously, she approached the niche Who knehat the rules were here? Slitting her eyes against the light, she stepped inside

The stone was brighter, more alive than when she’d last seen it Flaof floating underwater It was verynext to a hot coal stove Only, there was soe to be met It brushed her consciousness like a feather, a certain … skepticism She extended her hand, then jerked it back when someone spoke

"Careful," Seph said from the doorway "It blistered my hand when I tried to touch it"

Madison sed hard She wrapped her jacket around her hand and extended it again, gritting her teeth, half expecting to be flamed alive A weapon, they called it, more powerful than any ever seen before She dropped the jacket over the stone, slid her hands underneath, wrapped the cloth around it, and lifted it fro happened, except she felt dizzy and overheated, confused and conflicted A voice whispered in her head, but it was too faint to make out the words At least the stone didn’t explode