“Get back!” he shouted in warning. “He’s—”

Lord Omas’s sword plunged through Gavril’s midsection, but to little effect.  Gavril stood there, impaled on the weapon, and merely blinked at Omas, who turned white and uttered a terrible curse.

Omas jerked out his sword, and Gavril swayed, then focused on Dain and tried to attack him once more.

Alexeika growled something and sprang up. With a mighty swing of Severgard, she hacked off Gavril’s sword arm. Tanengard, still gripped by Gavril’s severed hand, dropped to the floor. Dain weakly kicked it as far away as he could.  Gavril, his stump leaking blood that was black and foul-smelling, swayed from side to side. His empty eyes stared at Dain and his remaining hand clenched and unclenched.

By then the Agyas had surrounded them. Dain was pulled even farther back, and the warriors closed in on Gavril.

“No!” Dain said, then winced as he seemed to lose his breath. Blood was still running freely down his back. Little dots swam in front of his vision, but through sheer willpower he refused to pass out. “Don’t hack him to bits. He’s soultaken. It will avail nothing. Alexeika!”

She nodded, and plunged Severgard through Gavril’s chest.

His mouth opened in a soundless scream, and his dark blue eyes fastened on Dain.  For a moment they almost regained their sanity, then he crumpled to the floor and moved no more. A terrible stench of burned flesh filled the air.  Silence fell over the room, broken only by Dain’s hoarse breathing. The pain swept over him in waves now, and he struggled anew to stay conscious.  The commander issued orders as he threw salt on Gavril’s body with curses and the warriors crowded around Dain.

“My lady,” the commander said, dropping to his knees beside Alexeika, who was now cradling Dain in her arms. “How is he?”

She was weeping, some of her tears dripping on Dain’s face, and did not answer.  When Lord Omas gently unbuckled Dain’s breastplate and cut open the back of his hauberk to expose the wound, their faces grew grave indeed.  “We must bind him quickly,” Lord Omas said. He gave Dain a stricken look. “My first test, and I failed your majesty. May Thod forgive me.” Dain wanted to tell him he’d not failed, but he couldn’t find the breath. The commander, his braid beads clacking as he worked, swiftly pulled off his surcoat and cut it into strips, which he used to bind the wound tightly.  Crying out, Dain felt himself sucked to the very precipice of unconsciousness, but he held on and did not completely pass out. A moment later, when he dragged open his eyes, feeling shaky and drenched with sweat, the men were arguing about how to best move him. Thum appeared, white-lipped and horrified, still holding a tattered length of tapestry in his hands.

“Dain!” he said, kneeling down to grip Dam’s bloodstained fingers. “Sweet Tomias, how came this to happen?”

Dain tried to smile at him. “Gavril always hated me,” he whispered, while Alexeika pressed her hand to his cheek.

“Do not talk,” she said, tears shimmering in her blue-gray eyes. “Please, please rest.”

Dain ignored her. “Now he’s finally struck down his . . . hated pagan.” A shudder passed through his body, and he gritted his teeth against the pain it aroused.

Chesil Matkevskiet came running in. “Majesty!” he called out. “Bad news! The usurper’s—” Breaking off in mid-sentence, he stumbled to a halt and stared at Dain aghast.  “Aychi, nin a myt!” he cried. “This cannot be!”

“What news?” Dain whispered.

Alexeika tried to shield him and gestured for Chesil to go away. “Do not worry about it now. You must rest until a physician is found.” But Dain shook his head, his gaze remaining on Chesil. “What news?” The youth had turned pale; his eyes were enormous. “The general sends word that we must flee Grov at once. It’s a trap. The usurper’s army is coming.” More commotion ensued. Dain felt a cold sweat break out over his body. At last, here was the battle he’d vowed to take on, and now he was unable to do more than lift his head. A terrible feeling of doom sank through his bones, and he realized that he was on the brink of failing completely. Failing his father.  Failing Pheresa. Failing these men, who’d trusted him and followed him into this trap.

Anger ran through him like fire, and he tried to sit up, gripping Alexeika’s sleeve and hanging on with desperation while she tried to push him down.  “No,” she was saying. “No, you will only make yourself bleed more.”

“Our forces are scattered across the city,” Lord Omas said in dismay.  By my order, Dain thought with fresh guilt. “If they are caught in the city, they’ll be massacred,” he gasped out.

Bleak silence fell over them all.

Dain sighed. “Should have known it was . . . too easy. Chesil, dispatch messengers . . . give the word. Must . . . retreat.” He winced, knowing it meant defeat even if most of the men escaped alive.

“They are coming to Grov from three sides,” Chesil reported. “But I’ll do my best to—” “Wait!” Alexeika said. Her eyes were dark with emotions, and she was trembling.

“Majesty, I have a confession to make. I—”

“Not now, Alexeika,” Thum said impatiently.

Ignoring him, she took Dain’s hand between hers. “Sire, I am the betrayer.” Dain blinked at her. Looking shocked, the others started asking questions, but he gestured for quiet. “Explain.”

Fresh tears spilled down her face. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry!” she cried, and drew forth a cord from beneath her clothing. On it swung a ring, and as she pulled the cord over her head and held it out, Dain gasped sharply.  “What miracle is this?” he whispered.

“Nay, I kept it from you. Even when I knew what it was, I kept it!” she said in anguish. “All that you needed most, I withheld.”

“How did you come by this? How did you find it?”

“In Gant,” she said. “When that man—”

“Sulein.”

“Aye. When he fell down dead, I saw the Ring fall off his finger. I picked it up, knowing what it must be, but I kept it hidden from you.” She bowed her head as Dain turned the Ring of Solder over and over in his fingers. “I was a jealous fool. I thought only of myself. I know I cannot be forgiven, but let me use it now to get the Chalice for you.” Her eyes bored into his pleadingly. “Let me do this last act in retribution before I am executed.”

“What!” Thum said, outraged. “Trust her, after this? Let me get it for you, sire!”

Dain glanced up at his friend, so serious, so ready to serve although he did not understand what his offer entailed.