“Aurian?” Anvar’s voice was barely a whisper in his parched throat.
“I’m here.” The Mage could scarcely find her own voice.
Bohan was at Aurian’s elbow, proffering a cup of water, but her hands were shaking too much to take it, and she was afraid to lose her tight grasp on Anvar, lest by doing so she would let him slip away from her again. Instead she propped him, while the eunuch held the cup to his lips.
“Witch! You’ve betrayed us all!” The sun was blotted out as Harihn’s shadow fell across the little group on the ground. His eyes, stretched wide with horror, were fastened on Aurian’s wrists, where the bracelets of Zathbar had been.
“Harihn . . .” Aurian began urgently, but the Prince’s jeweled sword had already flashed free of its scabbard. She tried to get to her feet, but was hampered by Anvar, who had seen the danger and was also struggling weakly to rise as the blade arced down.
Bohan moved with an agility that belied his immense size, flinging himself between the Mage and Harihn’s blade. He had drawn his own short sword, and metal clashed with metal, showering Aurian and Anvar with sparks as he turned the blow aside. Harihn’s wrist twisted down and outward from the back shock of the blow, and Bohan’s left hand shot out to grasp it, tightening his grip until, with a cry of pain, the Prince dropped his weapon. Aurian saw his chest swell with a deep breath as he prepared to call his guards.
“Stop!” Her voice, though not loud, was like a whiplash. From her kneeling position, she addressed the Prince, speaking low and rapidly. “If you kill me, Xiang will want the bracelets back. What will you say to him? You can’t produce them— they’re gone. He has waited for a chance like this, he’ll say you removed them. He has a new Khisihn now, remember, a chance to have other heirs. He’d enjoy having you flayed alive. Think about it.”
Harihn paled, as her words spelled out his dilemma so succinctly. Aurian pushed her advantage. “We’re ready to leave, aren’t we?”
He nodded.
“Good. Then let’s get out of here before anyone notices what has happened. We can work something out when we get back to the Palace.”
“The surgeon saw.” The words grated from between Harihn’s teeth. “He came gibbering to me with some tale of sorcery. Others must have heard.”
Aurian frowned. “Right. Get something to wrap Anvar in, so no one will see that he’s been Healed. Bohan will carry him to the barge, and you can take me.” She forbore to mention that she too had been Healed. In fact, she had only just noticed. “I’ll cover my wrists with my sleeves so no one will see that the bracelets are gone, and when we get to the barge,” she went on, “you curse the surgeon for lying—be furious with him.” “I think I can manage that,” Harihn muttered grimly. “Just make sure nobody believes what really happened and get us out of here as quickly as possible. You can offer the surgeon a bribe or something later. All right?”
Harihn scowled. “Very well—for the present. But this matter is not ended between us—Lady.”
“Fair enough,” Aurian said evenly. “Just get on with it.” Bohan fetched a blanket from the artisans’ camp and carried Anvar down to the barge while the Prince followed with Aurian. He carried W stiffly,\m We averted,\i\*’^ro &t!£\«& with anger. When he had stowed her safely on board, Aurian watched with horror as he carried out his charade with the hapless surgeon, who backed away in terror, right down to the very end Of the jetty, as his Prince bore down on him in wrath. His screams rang out as Harihn seized a whip from a nearby overseer and lashed him across the face and shoulders, punctuating the blows with shouts loud enough for the entire camp to hear. “Liar! Fool! How dare you come to your Prince with such a tale!”
The surgeon fell on his face, wailing. The Prince threw away the whip and advanced on the poor man—and Aurian gasped with horror as he lifted the surgeon bodily and hurled him into the river. Hordes of the great toothed lizards appears as if by magic, converging on their helpless, thrashing victim, noirincr a/ail was cut short in a flurrying face and ripped to pieces. Then there was only silence—and a spreading red stain on the waters.
Harihn, stony-faced, leapt into the barge and signaled the oarsmen to pull away. There was not a sound from the shocked onlookers as his voice echoed across the water. “So perish all who lie to their Prince. Remember that.”
Aurian, utterly sickened, turned away from the carnage and made Anvar comfortable on the cushions, pulling the blanket away from his face.
“Are you all right?” he whispered.
Aurian nodded, bemused by the irony that he should be asking her. She patted his arm gently. “You rest—I’ll be back in a minute.” She turned to Bohan. “Take care of him, please.” The eunuch nodded, and she took his hand. “Bohan, I can’t thank you enough for your help today. I’m forever in your debt.”
The big man smiled, shaking his head.
“Yes,” the Mage corrected him firmly. “Somehow I’ll find a way to repay you, my friend.”
Steeling herself, Aurian made her way to the bow, where the Prince sat, staring sightlessly at the muddy river. “I hope you’re proud of yourself,” she hissed. “How can you justify such a monstrous act?”
Harihn spun to face her, wretchedness and disgust on his face. His eyes glinted with unshed tears. “The man was a surgeon!” he flung at her. “He thought he had seen a miracle! How could he resist telling others, arid proving our undoing in the process? The slave was dying—dead in fact. Your actions were against all nature!” His voice curdled with bitterness. “Did you not think there would be a price to pay? A fair bargain, was it not? A life for a life—my servant in exchange for your man. You robbed the surgeon of his life, Aurian, by your deed. I was merely the agent. Only hope it ends here—for the Reaper may exact a higher price for the soul that you snatched from his grasp!”
“Superstitious nonsense!” Aurian snapped, unnerved by his words. She seemed to remember something—something about a price, and true coin^ but it eluded her. Death had already wiped his words from Her mind. “I simply acted in all good
“And how many lives may be lost in the future because they will be denied the surgeon’s skill?” Harihn’s voice was rising to an hysterical pitch. “How will his family take comfort from your good faith? And when my father has me flayed alive for loosing a foreign witch on his people, what will you—”
“Enough!” Aurian leapt to her feet, rocking the barge. Her voice was shaking. “Very well. The fault is mine. I take responsibility. But your law put those accursed bracelets on me in the first place, and the same law brands me a criminal for using my powers to save a life, and condemns you by default because I did it whilst in your custody. Were I faced with the decision again, I would do the same thing—not only for Anvar, but also for you, or for anyone else that I cared about!”
She sat down beside him once more, her voice softened. “I’m sorry, Harihn, for bringing such trouble upon you. This is a shabby way to repay all you’ve done for me, and I’ll try to think of a way to protect you from the consequences. But can’t you see—I had no choice?”
Harihn tore his eyes away from hers. “Lady, I fear you,” he said frankly. “You talk of repeating the same act, had you the need—but I tell you plainly, were you before me in the Arena once more, I would not lift a hand to save you, knowing the consequences as I do now.”
Aurian tried desperately to think of a way to mend matters. “You speak of consequences, but the thread has not unraveled yet, and the tale of our lives is unfinished. I hope in the end that you won’t have clause to regret saving my life, Harihn. It may be that I can help you, now that my powers are unfettered.”