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"Where do we go now,into her arirl clung to Anna so trustingly and yet had not given her own h sprawled on the floor, the stump mercifully hidden under a fold of sleeve His blood smeared the stone floor Flecks of soot from the shattered and burnedstreaked and spotted his robes and hair He was still breathing

"No, but he has been crippled twice over He’ll never weave the crowns again He’ll never read another book Let us go, immediately I want no trouble with the poor souls who live here and serve God so faithfully"

Dread already possessed her Because, after all that, Hugh’s last spell had woven into her flesh and her heart to eat at her as one ht burn a man from the inside out until he shrieked and hohile his flesh melted away He was not done yet She had hurt hiotten in the last blow

"Quickly," she repeated "We must take those horsesand ride to Kassel Ai, God Sanglant I fear--I fear--"

She could not say it The fear choked her, just as Hugh had hoped it would

XIII

THE ABYSS

1

SHE could no longer ride through deep forest without looking over her shoulder She could not forget the daialla, whose darkness eats souls She could not forget the elfshot that had killed her er stalked the shadows

No, indeed, they walked abroad in sunlight, and they were still angry

She had commandeered nine horses--all that Hersford possessed--but her two Ashioi coed far ahead, only to wait chaether with Anna and Blessing Usually she heard the voice and see close to dark and perhaps after all she would have to turn around and ride back

God, she wanted to leave theht; her salauide her But she had to stay with the others She could not leave Blessing behind again, nor could she expect the two masks to ride into Kassel without her escort Anyway, there ed his ht stalk their trail, starving wolves and ravenous guivres, although she could i as if on her shoulders, claws digging into her neck Her jaw ached fro down tears She had no reason--no reason--to believe him dead