yours.... Sacred Band oath or not, Niko's left you, deserted you as he'sdeserted me. Isn't that so, little maladroit nonadept? Or do you think honor andglory and an abrogated bond could bring your one-time partner down to Sanctuaryto save you from a long and painful stint as one of my ... servants?" Teethgleamed above Randal in the dark, as all of Roxane's manifestation gleamed withan unholy and inhuman light.

The Tysian Hazard-class adept lay unmoving, listening to his breathing raspunwilling to answer, to hope, or to even long for Niko's presence. For that waswhat the witch wanted, he finally realized. Not his magic Globe of Power, boundwith the most deadly protections years of fighting Roxane's kind had taughtmages of lesser power to devise; not the Aske Ionian panoply without which,should he somehow survive this evening, Randal would never sleep again becausethat panoply was protection against such magics as Roxane's sort could weaveabout a simple Hazard-class enchanter. Not any of these did the witch crave, butNiko-Niko back in Sanctuary, in the flesh.

And Randal, who loved Niko better than he loved himself, who revered Niko in hisheart with all the loyalty a rightman was sworn to give his left-side leadereven though Niko had formally dissolved their pairbond long before, would gladlyhave given up his soul to Roxane right then and there to prevent a call goingout on ethereal waves to summon Niko into Roxane's foul embrace.

He would have, if his mind had been able to control his fear. But it could not:Roxane was fear's drover, mistress of terror, the very fount from which thedeath squads plaguing Sanctuary sprang.

She began to make arcane and convoluted passes with her red-nailed hands overRandal's immobilized body and Randal began to quake. His mouth dried up, his