Hidden in a drawer in the desk lay the self-portraits Gavril had sketched before the coming of the steppe wolves. Now he took them out and gazed at them, comparing them to his reflection in the mirror.

Trick of the winter light, or had his face altered again?

He stared at himself in the mirror, frowning. His brows had become even thicker and more slanted, dark midnight gashes across his temples. And his eyes . . . He leaned closer into the mirror, almost squinting in his efforts to see more closely. His pupils had narrowed, and there was a glint of gold flecks in the striated blue of the iris.

Inhuman eyes. Drakhaoul eyes.

Had he begun to see the world differently through these alien eyes? Did the light fall differently; were the shifting colors and shadows of his world subtly altered? Still staring, he reached for the pen and inks and began a new sketch.

When it was finished, he set down his pen and waited for the ink to dry.

What he had drawn both appalled and fascinated him. It was a distortion, almost a caricature, of the earlier self-portraits-except there was no humor, not even of a maliciously capricious kind, in the portrayal.

The face with its brooding serpent's eyes glowered back at him from a crosshatched background of shadows.

It was a face to terrify children, a daemon face, cruel and alien. And this was just the start. What his father had written down was true. The process would only accelerate from now on.

The more his powers increased, the more monstrous he would become.

Astasia would no longer recognize him.

He sat in the cold staring at the portrait until it was too dark to see any longer.

"My lord! My lord!" Someone was tapping insistently at the door. He got up and went to open it to see Ilsi on the spiral stair outside, clutching a lantern.

"You said," she said in little gasps, "if anyone came-" She had been running.

"Who is it?" he said. The words came out more roughly than he had intended, and he saw her flinch.

She shook her head. "Don't know. Don't know how he got in. Thought it was Michailo-but I've never seen him before-"

Gavril's heart began to beat too fast; had his ruse worked?

"Go get Kostya. Tell him to meet me outside her rooms. And hurry."

"Just you try to stop me!" He caught a spark of malice in her eyes as she pattered away, fleet-footed, down the spiral stairs.

Jushko One-Eye, Kostya's taciturn second-in-command, was waiting outside Lilias' rooms with four of the druzhina druzhina.

"The Bogatyr's on his way, my lord." Jushko silently opened the door to let Gavril into the antechamber. Two druzhina druzhina stood guard outside; two followed them inside. stood guard outside; two followed them inside.

"Where is Dysis?" Gavril whispered to Jushko.

"In safekeeping." Jushko went to one of the candle sconces on the wall and twisted it to one side, revealing a peephole cut in the paneling.

Gavril came forward and peered in.

Lilias' room was warmly lit by firelight and scented candles that let drift a drowsy scent of sweet summer meadows. Lilias was sitting on one of the sofas, her loose silk gown drooping off one shoulder, feeding her baby. Firelight gleamed on the soft curves of her bare shoulder and breast, glinting russet in her unbound hair. Gavril felt his face begin to burn. He turned away, ashamed to be playing the voyeur.

"When I heard about the child, I had to come." A man spoke, his voice huskily deep. Gavril turned back to the spyhole, straining to see and hear. "Did you really expect me to stay away?"

"And are you insane? If you're caught, it'll be the end for us both."

"At least let me see him. Hold him."

Lilias began to laugh, a low, throaty laugh that seemed to tremble on the verge of tears.

A man moved into Gavril's field of vision, a tall man, wrapped in a long, dark, caped coat. Gavril felt his heart miss a beat; he knew him now.

Jaromir Arkhel.

CHAPTER 23.

Gavril watched as Jaromir Arkhel moved into the warmth of the firelight and gazed down at Artamon. He put out one hand to gently stroke the baby's cheek.

"He resembles you, Lilias," he said. His voice shook.

"What did you expect? Scales? Claws?"

"That's not what I meant and you know it," he said, less gently. Artamon stirred, as if sensing the tension, and whimpered. "Is he my my son?" son?"

Gavril heard Jushko's sharp intake of breath.

"Why couldn't you wait?" she said. "As soon as the snows stop I am to leave for Azhgorod. Why endanger us all by coming here? They are watching my rooms, day and night."

"You haven't answered my question." There was a roughness in Jaromir's voice now that betrayed raw emotion, barely suppressed.

"I'm told that Nagarian children show no sign of their inheritance till puberty." Lilias went to lay Artamon down in his cradle, more intent, it seemed, on tucking in the embroidered sheets than on her conversation with Jaromir.

"Don't you know, know, Lilias?" Jaromir went up to her and placed his hand on her shoulder, gently turning her around to face him. Lilias?" Jaromir went up to her and placed his hand on her shoulder, gently turning her around to face him.

So this was Jaromir Arkhel, the man he was blood-bound to kill? Gavril saw only a tall, gaunt young man, whose dark eyes had haunted his dreams ever since the Drakhaoul first possessed him.

"Jaromir," Lilias said, "you have powerful friends. Why haven't they come to your aid?"

"Jaromir?" muttered Jushko. "An Arkhel name . . ."

"Can you be sure your last communication was received?" Jaromir said. "If they've heard nothing from us, they must believe we are dead."

"We've both tried, Dysis and I, day and night, but since the snows started, nothing seems to work anymore."

A sudden gust of wind battered the kastel, and in the grate the log fire began to crackle and spit sparks.

"It is blocking us." Jaromir shivered, glancing uneasily over his shoulder toward the window. "Do you have any idea what we unleashed when we-we did what we did?" is blocking us." Jaromir shivered, glancing uneasily over his shoulder toward the window. "Do you have any idea what we unleashed when we-we did what we did?"

She held up a hand as if to silence him. "Please. No more of these archaic Azhkendi superstitions."

"Can't you sense it, Lilias? There will be no end to this bitter winter until I am dead."

She let out a little exclamation of annoyance.

"If you won't take action, then I must. I have my son's interests to consider now."

Her son's interests. Gavril's throat tightened, knowing she meant his death.

"I've heard enough." Jushko drew his saber. "Now!" He kicked the door to Lilias' salon open and ran in, followed by the waiting druzhina druzhina. "Arrest them!"

The baby let out a terrified yell and began to cry, a high, breathless sobbing.

Behind Lilias, a small secret doorway lay open, the gold and magenta tapestry that had concealed it pulled to one side. Jushko and the two druzhina druzhina struggled to haul out their quarry from the secret passageway. struggled to haul out their quarry from the secret passageway.

Gavril watched as Jaromir was dragged back into the chamber. He saw how the druzhina druzhina caught hold of him by the arms, yanking them behind his back, roughly forcing him down onto his knees. caught hold of him by the arms, yanking them behind his back, roughly forcing him down onto his knees.

"Here he is, my lord," Jushko said, breathless but triumphant. He jabbed the point of his saber under Jaromir's chin until Jaromir sullenly raised his head. "I believe this is the one we've been looking for."

"How dare you invade my privacy, Jushko?" Lilias spoke, her voice low yet controlled. "Where is Dysis? What have you done with her?"

"Take them away for questioning," said Jushko, ignoring her.

Two of the druzhina druzhina went toward Lilias. went toward Lilias.

"Don't you dare to touch me!" she spat, drawing away from them. "I am a citizen of Muscobar. A visitor in your country. I have rights. I demand to see a lawyer."

"Let her go." Jaromir spoke for the first time. Gavril could see a tiny trickle of crimson on Jaromir's neck where Jushko's blade had drawn blood. "Whatever your charges are, she is innocent."

"Did I say you could speak?" Jushko struck Jaromir with the back of his hand. Jaromir's head snapped back with the force of the blow. "Keep silent."

Artamon yelled even more furiously. Gavril's ears began to ring with the sound.

"Take the woman to the Bogatyr's rooms for questioning," Jushko commanded. "Under armed guard."

"Lord Gavril!" Lilias cried as she was hustled past him. Her green eyes glistened with tears. "Don't let them hurt my baby."

Gavril looked away.

"At least let me have Dysis." Tears spilled out, down her pale cheeks. "Don't leave me all on my own with your soldiers, my lord. Please."

Gavril, distracted, half-heard himself saying, "Very well. Let the maid be brought to Madame Arbelian." All he could think was that Jaromir Arkhel was his prisoner. Now there was no escaping the blood curse his father had placed on him. He stood alone in Lilias' empty room, paralyzed, unable to move.

What, in God's name, would the druzhina druzhina expect of him now? To take part in some archaic ritual, a barbaric duel to the death? He shuddered at the thought. expect of him now? To take part in some archaic ritual, a barbaric duel to the death? He shuddered at the thought.

In the hallway below, he could hear Kostya briskly issuing orders.

"No one allowed in or out but myself. No matter what story she spins, no matter what excuse, 'My baby's sick, dying. . . .'"

"What have you done to my mistress?" Dysis hurried up, escorted by Michailo and several of the druzhina druzhina. Her usually neat clothes were in disarray; locks of brown hair were escaping from her lace coif.

"Michailo?" Kostya broke off in the midst of his orders, frowning. "I put you on keep watch. What are you doing here? You were forbidden kastel duties."

"Are you all right, my lady?" Michailo asked Lilias, ignoring Kostya.

"Back to the keep!" thundered Kostya. "Till you've learned some respect."

"I'm taking no more orders from you, old man," Michailo said. "Let her go."

"You young fool-"

Gavril heard the rasp of steel. Then a sharp retort.

Light and fire exploded in his mind.

Pistol shots. How could there be pistol shots in Azhkendir, where he had never yet seen a single firearm?

Flares of violent red splashed across his vision, fire and blood. Darkness gusted, cold as winter stormclouds through his mind.

A terrifying void gaped at his feet.

He blinked-and found the whole kastel was in disorder. Maids were screaming; men of the druzhina druzhina clattered up and down the stairs, brandishing sabers and axes. clattered up and down the stairs, brandishing sabers and axes.

Now the shouts were coming from outside the kastel. Gavril ran to the window to look down on the courtyard.

A sleigh sped away across the snow, drawn by two sturdy horses. Behind it galloped a small escort of horsemen.

Druzhina were leading out their horses from the stables, scrambling up into the saddle, spurring after them. were leading out their horses from the stables, scrambling up into the saddle, spurring after them.

"She's escaped," Gavril said under his breath.

"Lord Drakhaon!"

In the hall below, he saw several of the druzhina druzhina leaning over a prostrate form. A slowly pooling stain of red leaked out onto the black and white tiles. As he leaned far out over the stair rail, he saw from the iron-gray braids that it was Kostya. leaning over a prostrate form. A slowly pooling stain of red leaked out onto the black and white tiles. As he leaned far out over the stair rail, he saw from the iron-gray braids that it was Kostya.

He flew down the stairs toward the gathering crowd.

"Let me through!" They drew aside when they heard his voice. "What's happened here?"

Sosia was crouched beside Kostya. She had lifted the Bogatyr's head and was supporting it on her knees. From the gray pallor of his battle-scarred face, from the blood trickling at the side of his mouth, Gavril could see he was badly wounded.

"How could Michailo do such a thing?" Sosia said, her voice tight with unshed tears. "To his own commander?"

"Where's the surgeon?" Gavril cried. "Bring the surgeon here!"