had independently both tried to steal the runestones from the

auction at the Christie Gallery, they hadn’t liked each other. Kira

had grabbed the runestones while Wyrdrune had effected their

escape, and they found themselves forced into an uneasy

partnership, a partnership that both of them had sincere-ly hoped

would be extremely temporary, lasting just long enough for them to

fence the stones. The only trouble was, the stones would not stay

fenced. They kept returning to them. And not only were they

unable to get rid of the stones, they were unable to get rid of each

other. Consequently, they were both very much surprised when

they found themselves becoming emotionally involved. To this day,

Wyrdrune did not know if that involvement had come naturally or

had been triggered by the runestones, exerting their magical

influence over them. But they had been together ever since, and

regardless of what was responsible for what they came to feel

toward each other, Wyrdrune knew that it was more than magic

now. It was magic, in a sense, but a very human brand of magic

that came from somewhere deep within the soul. He loved her and

he knew that she loved him. But he also knew that love was

capable of infinite complexities. She also loved Modred, though she

kept trying to deny that to herself.

The runestones had forged a powerful bond between them.

Perhaps that was partly the reason for what she felt for him. But

there was more to it than that. Kira had a very powerful chemical

attraction to Modred, the kind that defied all rational explanation.

And it tormented her. Wyrdrune knew that it tormented her

because of their own relationship. She didn’t love him any the less

for what she felt for Modred. But she could not reconcile those

feelings. They were all descended from the immortal Gorlois, but

Modred’s descent was much more direct than theirs, undiluted by

the centuries, as theirs had been. And he was also a cold, ruthless,

and utterly remorseless killer. A hard and pitiless man who had

plied the trade of the assassin for centuries. Kira could not

understand how she was capable of feeling love for such a man. And

yet, she did.

True, since they had bonded with the runestones, Modred had

changed. The dreaded Morpheus had gone into retirement, although