Its breath cut off, the snouted beast instinctively pulled away.

The half-open manacle could not hold up to the strain. It snapped in two.

Pulling himself up, the Gryphon sank his hands into one of the ridges that divided each segment of the sh.e.l.l. He buried his claws in the tender flesh within.

Shrieking, the Quel abruptly fell back.

Before his adversary's ma.s.sive weight could crush him against the floor, the Gryphon squirmed free. The Quel's desperate attempt proved a costly one for the underdweller, for, having failed to grind his foe into the ground, he now had to push himself up.

The Gryphon did not allow him that chance. Seizing the broken lance shaft, he jammed it into the open area under the snout.

With a last hissing squeal, the creature stilled.

But other cries already filled the tunnels, some of them human. The Gryphon hurried to his son, slicing Darot's bonds with one action.

"Come!" He led the child into the corridor that offered the least echoes of threat. Whether it also offered entrance to the surface, the Gryphon could not say, but he thought he sensed a slight hint of air current indicating so.

The clink of armor warned him of their approach before the wolf raiders could strike. Shoving Darot against the far wall, the Gryphon ducked under a sword blade. He slammed his fist against the armored chest and although the action pained him greatly, he had the satisfaction of watching the Aramite stumble back.

Claws out, the Gryphon slashed at the sword arm. One nail dug deep in the wrist where the armor by necessity ended. The wolf raider cursed, dropping his weapon and falling back as he he tried to bind the deadly cut.

As the second marauder drove forward, the king seized the fallen blade. The two battled for several precious seconds. At last, the Gryphon came under the other's guard, then caught him along the nose.

With a cry, the Aramite dropped to the ground, face crimson. Without compunction, the Gryphon ran him through, then turned to confront the first. However, the other Aramite had already fled, a trail of blood indicating that he would not likely live long despite his retreat.

His son in tow, the Gryphon continued on. A short distance later, he paused at a crossroads in the tunnels. By now, Darot had removed his gag, but he remained silent, trusting in his father.

Sniffing the air, the Gryphon chose the pa.s.sage on the right. After only a few steps, he grew certain of his choice. Pausing to make an inspection of the walls, the Gryphon finally looked down at his son.

"Listen, Darot. You'll do exactly as I say?"

"Yes, father," the child whispered.

"Can you crawl up to that gap there? That one there. See it?"

Darot finally nodded. His eyes were as good as his father's when it came to the dark, but he lacked the latter's experience in ferreting out hiding places.

"Can you climb up there?"

At three years of age, Darot had been found climbing up the high walls of the palace. Rather than be frightened, as the servitors had been, his parents had watched him with pride-and then gone up to retrieve him. Some day, he would surpa.s.s both in his skills, but only if he survived now.

"Yes, father," the youth declared.

"Do so. I'll go to the entrance, lead those there deep in the tunnels. Wait until we're all past, then climb down and leave. Head toward the east . . . you recall which direction is east?"

"Yes, father." Most human children would have been unable to do what the Gryphon hoped of his son, but like any predatory creature, the offspring of the king and his mate matured at a quicker rate. Theoretically, Darot could reach home.

Realistically, it was the only hope the Gryphon had.

"I have to go find the human with the snowy hair. You understand that?" His son nodded, shivering at the same time. The Gryphon could hardly blame him. There were few humans who had filled him with the dread that Orril D'Marr did now. The Gryphon had no illusions that he would readily defeat the maimed Aramite. "He wants to hurt your mother. I have to stop him."

"I know, father."

Ducking down, the king gave Darot a quick, strong hug. He then guided the child up as Darot climbed toward the hiding place.

Pressed against the back, the boy was nearly invisible even to his father. The Gryphon nodded grim satisfaction, then headed toward the exit to freedom.

Just within sight of the night-enshrouded surface, the Quel came for him.

He immediately turned and fled back into the cavern complex, leading them away from his son just as he had planned. The three ma.s.sive creatures crowded the corridor, their gem-encrusted sh.e.l.ls radiating a dim light as they pursued him.

As the Gryphon spun around a corner, he nearly collided with another of the beasts. Fortunately, the Quel was as startled as him. The Gryphon used the Aramite blade to sever the head while the Quel still gaped.

Those pursuing unleashed harsh hoots of warning, which were immediately picked up by others deeper in the complex. A human voice-Orril D'Marr's-loudly but emotionlessly commanded them to close in on their prey from the very walls. The Gryphon was well aware that D'Marr expected him to hear that command and react accordingly, but he hoped that instead he would do what neither the underdwellers or D'Marr had in mind.

It was the only way he could hope to save Troia and the infant.

IX.

General Marner could have summoned the entire guard, but instead he chose to seek Juren himself. It could be that he was wrong-he prayed he was wrong-but, if not, a troop of soldiers tramping around the building would only alert the other soldier to his suspicions.

Marner ran over the details again. On the surface, nothing proved that Juren was anything other than what he claimed. Still, he had been the one to react swiftest and his first action had been to toss the dagger at Henrik. What had seemed a survivable wound had become a death sentence thanks to the poison.

But that did not mean that Juren had known his strike would slay his comrade. Neither did the fact that he had been trying to pick up the dagger afterward indicate anything other than a soldier doing his duty. There was no reason for General Marner to be wary of the missing man.

And yet . . .

Without at first realizing it, he headed in the direction of the royal chambers. If his concerns had any merit, it behooved him to check on the security of the pregnant queen. She was well protected, but the kidnapping of the prince proved that even the best protections did not always work.

That thought came back to haunt him but a moment later when he noticed the slumped forms near the gilded doors.

Sword ready, he moved with stealth to the dead men's sides. Like the other guards, they had been killed with their own blades. One wore an expression of outright astonishment, as if he could not believe the ident.i.ty of his killer.

Small wonder when it had been one of his own comrades.

Marner noticed then that one door was ajar. Cautiously, he nudged it open with the tip of his blade.

A single lamp remained lit within. It offered just enough illumination to reveal two more corpses . . . the female companions of the queen.

As he neared them, the general noticed a significant difference in their deaths. Blood splattered everything. The women's throats had been ripped apart. It looked more the work of an animal than a human being.

But then, in his opinion, wolf raiders were less than either.

At first he saw no sign of the queen, but then a faint blood trail from one of the women led him back to the doorway. Stepping over the dead guards, Marner searched for more telltale spots.

They led him toward the rear of the palace, toward where one of the huge balconies open during grand b.a.l.l.s overlooked the ceremonial gardens. Below the balcony in question, Marner recalled, a huge fountain with a pointed spire had recently been constructed, a gift from the mountain kingdom of Talak.

Marner hurried his pace.

As he neared his destination, he suddenly noticed that all the torches ahead had been doused. Swearing silently, the commander planted himself against one wall and felt his way to down the vast corridor. His vision adjusted some as he went, enabling him to make out shapes.

And as the balcony came into view, he made out one shape in particular. Pregnant or not, there was no mistaking the queen. She stood as if frozen, her gaze turned toward the outside.

Marner started forward-and pulled back a second later when he noticed the other figure nearby.

His suspicions that it was Juren were verified when the figure raised a tiny, glowing emerald up, staring at it as if awaiting something from it. Juren wore an expression far different from his humble, youthful one. Marner recognized the fanaticism, the utter obsession Juren had to his cause.

The general could only a.s.sume that dark cause now demanded the queen's death.

Moving slowly toward the traitor, Marner held the sword high. One quick stroke would remove both the crystal and Juren's hand.

But as he readied the strike, the younger soldier suddenly slipped aside. He clenched his fingers over the crystal, dousing the dim light. At the same time, he drew with his other hand his sword.

"General Marner . . . I was coming to see you later, sir."

"For what reason? To add me to your list of victims?"

Although he could barely make out Juren's shape, much less his countenance, the commander knew that the latter wore a callous smile. "Yes, sir. Exactly that."

The general lunged, almost catching Juren in the throat. The traitor brought his own weapon up, deflecting Marner's blade. They traded blows for a moment, with Juren quickly forced back onto the balcony. Marner's hopes rose as the wolf raider barely kept his guard against the elder fighter.

Too late did the commander realize that Juren played him.

As they neared the still figure of the queen, Juren suddenly leapt toward her. He did not seize her or run her through as Marner feared, but rather simply pointed the tip of his blade at her swollen stomach.

"Drop your weapon, general. Do it now. The dagger on your belt, too."

Marner hesitated, then tossed the sword to the floor. He did the same with the smaller blade. That still left him with another that Juren could not know about, one that could be used the first moment that the traitor's concentration lapsed in the least.

But Juren was no fool himself. "What to do with you, eh, general? Each moment I keep you alive, you endanger our plan . . . "

"What? To kill the king's family?"

Juren snorted. "No . . . to free our G.o.d!"

Recalling what he had heard concerning the Aramite deity, Marner retorted, "Pretty petty G.o.d, if he needs the likes of you to help him escape."

"He was weakened! Our faith lacked and it cost him! But we grow strong again!"

How had the likes of this one slipped through, Marner wondered. Every word was seeped in zealous loyalty to the beast called the Ravager.

"So what you want is the information that the king has. That's why you kidnapped his son."

"We know the misfit well," Juren answered, referring, so the general gathered, to the Gryphon. "Only his family could break him. It nearly did when he lost his firstborn . . . "

The general shifted ever so slightly, noting with relief that Juren did not see him move. He needed to stall the villain a little more. If Marner could unhook the other dagger- "How did you manage to drag the boy out of here? I could understand you being able to kill the guards, but there was no sign of a struggle-"

"The sons of the wolf inherit his cunning," Juren replied, as if quoting something. He continued, "Who best to quietly rouse a youngster from his bed and guide him to our waiting arms? Who better to slay guards without they're having any prior warning?"

Marner could not conceal his sudden intake of breath. He gazed at the shadowy form of the queen. "The pendant . . . "

"Aye. A thoughtful gift from her loyal servants . . . suggested by Henrik and me, if you recall."

He did . . . now. "You slew Henrik!"

He gave his life for his G.o.d. It was all planned ahead." Juren held open his palm, in the glow of the crystal revealing his manic expression. "This, the one she wears, and another held by my Pack Leader are all part of the same. Through this, I link to the last, communicate with Lord D'Marr. He gives the order . . . I send the queen leaping off the rail."

It made no sense to keep her alive . . . unless . . . . "You're keeping her alive in case the king's willing to sacrifice his second son."

"He may be capable of that . . . but will also he suffer the loss of his cat and the last of their get?" Juren shook his head. "Even the vaunted Gryphon has his limits, general."

Too true. Darot would be the example that would prove to the king that he had no choice. If he did not give them what they wanted, they would then have Troia kill herself . . . and slay the third son in the process.

"Twisted minds," he murmured. Marner turned his arm slightly, feeling the hidden blade position itself. He expected no aid from the palace guard; Juren had chosen the most secluded spot for his deviltry.

The wolf raider edged closer to the queen. He held up the stone so that Marner could see her blank expression. The general could also make out the drying blood on her clawed hands.

Juren had used Queen Troia as the means of murdering her own bodyguards.

" 'Tis nearly time, general. I thank you for giving me something to distract me, but now the game's ended. She's got just a few minutes left to her . . . more than enough for one last hunt."

He held the crystal toward General Marner. To the latter's horror, the cat woman turned and stared at her subject.

"Which will it be, general? Can you kill your queen . . . or will you let her slay you?"

With that, Troia raised her hands. The b.l.o.o.d.y claws extended to their fullest . . . and the queen leapt at Marner.

X.

Orril D'Marr stood in the glittering chamber, gaze fixed upon the macabre timepiece the Quel had made at his request. In his palm rested the final triplet. Only one blue stone now hovered, a stone whose slow descent he watched avidly.

That still did not prevent him from noticing when he was no longer alone.

"I thought you'd come sooner," he remarked without turning.

The Gryphon crept out of one of the dark tunnels. He had spent the past hour evading the pursuing Quel and Aramites. Several of each lay dead and the rest followed false trails. The Gryphon had utilized valuable time just so that he and his nemesis could be left uninterrupted.

"Slay me and she dies," D'Marr commented, turning slowly toward him. His ruined arm he left hidden under his cloak. "My agent will know the mission is lost and will therefore take action."

"You plan to kill her, anyway." The Gryphon strode toward the wolf raider, gaze shifting constantly as he sought traps. Orril D'Marr was too calm, even for him. "That leaves me with little inclination to save your own miserable existence, cur."

"But one word from me and she will be spared. She . . . and your unborn."

"One word that you'd never give, D'Marr."

The wolf raider bowed slightly, keeping the crystal visible. "You do know me . . . "

A sense of dread filled the Gryphon.