unded like pebbles shifting。
Danifae wound up on her hands and knees…but not on the floor。 Instead she seemed to have landed on something that held her at arm's length from it。 Something invisible…or something cloaked by an illusion。 Something that kept shifting。
Pharaun； too； saw her stumble。 One of his hands whipped into a pocket of his piwafwi； and a moment later he was smearing something across his eyes as he chanted a spell。 As Danifae struggled to her feet on the shifting surface…causing that pebble noise again…Pharaun's eyes widened。
〃Danifae！〃 he shouted。 〃You're standing on a rotted chest that's spilling gems…but more importantly； there's a wand just to your right。 Grab it！〃
Quenthel's head snapped up； and she asked； 〃A wand？〃
Danifae began patting the still…invisible pile on which she stood。 Valas； meanwhile felt a growing sense of unease。 Someone； or something； was watching。 Once again； his eyes flicked up to the ceiling。
The scout saw that his intuition had been right。 The eyes of the gods in the mural were different。 They'd been dull； flat stones a short time before； but had begun too glow red； like angry coals。
Then they blinked。
〃Venom's kiss；〃 Valas swore under his breath。 Then； as two pairs of glowing red eyes detached themselves from the ceiling and drifted down into the room； he shouted。 〃Pharaun！ Quenthel！ Above you…wraiths！〃
Jeggred was the first to react。 Grasping Quenthel's shoulders； he gave her a shove that forced her down into contact with the floor。 Her feet touched the portal and she disappeared。 The draegloth then turned and tried to do the same to Pharaun but the mage twisted out of his grasp； kicking Jeggred。 The blow forced the draegloth into the portal； and he too disappeared。
Valas grunted； Jeggred's actions had been too deliberate…and too disrespectful…to have been anything but Quenthel's orders。 Quenthel had obviously briefed him well in advance about what to do should wraiths attack…and her tactics were sound。 She and Pharaun were vital to the quest； but the others could be sacrificed。 Pharaun； however； had guessed what was ing…and had decided； wisely or not； to stay and fight。
The mage yanked from his pocket the tiny pouch he'd been reaching into earlier。 With a serpent…fast motion； he pulled from it a pinch of diamond dust and flung it into the air。 As a pair of wraiths swooped in to attack him…their location revealed only by their glowing eyes…Pharaun shouted his incantation。 Unable to stop themselves in time； the two wraiths plunged into the diamond dust。 As they struck it they wailed…a hollow； anguished sound that raised the hair on the back of Valas's neck。 Their eyes winked out as the powerful spell snuffed out the necromantic magic that had sustained them。
Unfortunately； there were； as the rogue had correctly warned； more than just those two。 Dozens of glowing red eyes erupted from the ceiling and descended into the room like tiny； paired embers falling from a burning building。
Seeing that； Pharaun glanced quickly between the wraiths and Danifae。 What he was thinking was plainly written on his face。 Should he save his own skin by escaping through the portal…or should he stay and protect her？
The wizard began to levitate down coward the portal； then paused abruptly and stared hard…not at Danifae but at something near her feet。 Instead of fleeing； he reached into his pouch for another pinch of dust。
The hesitation nearly cost him his life。 Unseen； one of the wraiths swooped down behind him and； with a hollow death…rattle of laughter； swept through his body。 As its glowing red eyes erupted out of Pharaun's chest the Master of Sorcere shuddered； his face slate gray。
Three more of the wraiths descended with murderous purpose toward Danifae。 Raising her morningstar； she braced herself to meet them； even though she must have known the futility of it。 The magical weapon might account for one of the ghostly undead； but the other two would almost certainly kill her a heartbeat later。
Acting purely on his soldier's instincts； Valas touched the nine…pointed star pinned to his chest and stepped between the dimensions。 He materialized beside Danifae just as the ball of her mace whistled past his head； exploding with sparks as it struck a wraith。 Losing her balance as her weapon met no resistance； Danifae stumbled。
Seizing the opportunity； the other two wraiths rushed forward。 Before they could close with Danifae； however； Valas leaped into the air； his magical boots propelling him upward。 Arms wide； he drove the points of his kukris into the wraiths。 As Danifae's mace had； the blades passed through the bodies of the wraiths without stopping。 The one in his right hand exploded with magical energy； but the one in his left merely tore a rent in the keening wraith's mistlike body。
Unable to avoid following through on his knife thrusts； Valas found both arms engulfed by wraiths。 A shudder passed through him； and he fell back to the ground in a barely controlled landing； stumbling on the invisible； shifting gems。 He thought his heart was going to falter and stop as the ache that chilled him to the bone was drawn upward into his chest。 Then it was gone； absorbed by the amulet that hung around his neck； which suddenly felt much heavier。
Having driven the wraiths away from Danifae； Valas expected her to make her escape。 Surely she was smart enough to realize that Pharaun had paused not for her but for the wand which only he could see。 Three more wraiths were nearly on them； and others were descending through the ceiling every instant。 But instead of fleeing toward the portal； Danifae dropped to her knees and began patting the ground。
〃Protect me；〃 she barked up at Valas； not even bothering to look up。
Valas considered for a heartbeat…battle…captive or no； Danifae was a priestess of Lolth； and her word was his mand…then he shook his head。
〃No time；〃 he bellowed。 〃Jump！〃
Ducking just in time as a wraith swooped past； he called upon the magic of his star…shaped amulet and stepped between the dimensions a second time； arriving at the portal。 He paused just long enough to observe Danifae suffer the same fate as Pharaun； her face blanching to a pale gray as the wraiths swept through her body。 Meanwhile Pharaun had managed to dispatch another wraith with his dust…leaving his pouch empty。
Glancing up at a wraith descending through a tangle of exposed tree root； Valas suddenly realized something。 The surface could be no more than a few paces above the ceiling。 After a quick calculation of the time； he realized he had overlooked one of the most powerful weapons of all。 He pointed up at the ceiling with one of his daggers…goring a low…flying wraith in the process…and shouted to Pharaun。
〃There's daylight above…use it！〃
〃Ah！〃 Pharaun exclaimed； understanding instantly。
One hand darted to his pocket。 He barked out a spell； flicking a pinch of seeds into the air。 Even as he did； six wraiths dived down toward him and another four at Valas； eyes blazing。 Then； like a cork being pulled from a wine bottle； a portion of the ceiling disappeared as the spell bored a tunnel through it。 Daylight streamed into the vault。 Valas had a brief glimpse of red eyes； streaking toward him less than a palm's breadth away…and the eyes were gone。 Squinting against the glare of the shaft of light； he looked around the vault。 The wraiths； driven off by the sunlight； had vanished。
He closed his eyes and breathed a deep sigh of relief。 Then he glanced down at his sun amulet。 The metal had lost its bright gold sheen。 It was left a dull； lead gray。 All of the rays were drooping。
Valas tucked the amulet inside his tunic； out of sight。 It had done its duty。
So had he。
〃I'm leaving；〃 he told Pharaun and Danifae。 〃You two can stay and fill your pockets with treasure if you like。〃
He glanced down at the floor and saw the magic that had limned the portal in light had faded。 No matter； he remembered where it was。 As he stepped forward onto the portal； Pharaun； the vault…and Danifae； who had risen to her feet and was glaring at him with eyes that blazed more furiously than the wraiths' had…all disappeared。
The air around Valas was cooler and more humid； a wele change from the vault's oppressive atmosphere of death and dust。 He had the sense of enormous distance in front of him and a stone wall at his back。 Shaking his head to clear the slight dizziness that traveling through the portal had produced； he saw Quenthel and Jeggred standing nearby on a narrow shelf of rock that was splattered with bat guano。 Far below the ledge a vast； dark lake stretched as far as the eye could see； illuminated by beams of winter sunlight that shone in through crevices in the rock above。 The ceiling of the cavern was high overhead； but even from a distance Valas could see the thousands of bats that clung； sleeping； to it。 When dusk fell the air would be thick with them。
〃Where's Pharaun？〃 Quenthel asked urgently； confirming Valas's earlier guess about himself and Danifae being little more than wraith fodder； in her eyes。
Jeggred； meanwhile； sniffed at the rock face； prodding it with a finger。
〃We can't go back；〃 he growled。 〃Pharaun didn't follow us…and we can't go back。〃
〃Pharaun's still in the vault；〃 Valas told them。
The vipers in Quenthel's whip gave Valas a baleful look。
〃You left him？〃 Quenthel spat。
〃Why not？ The wraiths are defeated…no thanks to you；〃 Valas grumbled…then realized he'd spoken out loud。
Stepping back a pace； he lowered his eyes； but the reprimand he'd expected did not e。 Quenthel's whip was still in her belt； and her attention was entirely on the wall behind him。 Her body radiated tension as she waited； silently staring at the wall； as if willing Pharaun to step through it。
A few moments later； Pharaun obliged by emerging from the portal； together with Danifae； whose legs were articulated normally again； Pharaun's spell having ended。
Jeggred growled softly at the mage； but Quenthel silenced him with a curt wave of her hand as she spotted the object Danifae held in her hands。 It looked； to Valas's unschooled eyes； like a forked twig； plated in silver； but Quenthel seemed to recognize it at once。
〃A wand of location；〃 she said； holding out her hand in silent demand。
〃It is indeed； Mistress；〃 said Danifae； her face expressionless。 〃The rogues who were in the vault before us must have dropped it。〃
She handed the wand to Quenthel； bowing her head。
Quenthel stroked Danifae's hair in what Valas； had he not known Quenthel as well as he did； would have taken to be a sign of affection。
〃At last； Danifae； you've proven your usefulness。 This will make finding the ship of chaos much easier。〃
So fixated on the wand was Quenthel that she missed something that Valas did not： the look on Pharaun's face。 Once again； the Master of Sorcere was plotting something。 Valas； neither wanting to know nor caring what it might be； turned away and stared； brooding； out at the lake。 Then； spotting something in the distance with his keen eyes； he stiffened。
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