DragonStar stared at the boys, perturbed more by the Demons' ability to see inside their minds than by the apparitions they chose to weave about them.
How had they known about Gwendylyr's boys?
The two demonic dogs grinned, and their entire bodies waggled and writhed, as if highly amused.
Then they quieted, and their fleshy lips drew back from their teeth. They snarled back at Sicarius and FortHeart, and the two hounds sidled forward a pace or two, stiff-legged.
"No!" DragonStar commanded, and the Alaunt stopped. FortHeart flicked her eyes his way, and in that instant the two Demons attacked.
Gwendylyr screamed, and DragonStar seized her by the shoulder and hauled her away from the twisting, snarling pack of savagery before her. She stumbled, almost fell, just saved herself, and shrank against a wall, her arms hugged tight about her, her face pale and wide-eyed as she stared at the dog fight.
DragonStar stepped close to the four dogs and tried to seize either Sicarius' or FortHeart's ruff to drag them back. Gods! He hadn't wanted the two Alaunt to get involved in a one on one fight with the Demons! Apparition and illusion this all might be, but DragonStar did not doubt it when Qeteb said that any fatal wound delivered to any apparition would also deliver a fatal wound to the reality.
All DragonStar received for his efforts was a savage bite to his left hand.
In the chamber in Sanctuary, Axis, Azhure and Faraday stared in alarm at the deep woundthat suddenly, unexplainably, appeared on DragonStar's hand. Faraday seized a cloth from anearby table, and wrapped it tightly about DragonStar's limp hand, staunching the flow of blood.
"What is happening?" Azhure said, aiding Faraday to tie up the bandage.
"I do not know," Faraday answered, her voice tight and hard with frustration.
The pack was a writhing, twisting and largely indistinguishable mass of heat and teeth and ferocity.
Blood and sweat and pieces of fur scattered about as the four creatures within the pack wriggled and wormed, each trying to get the death grip on the throat of their opponent.
DragonStar hesitated on the outer, not knowing what he should do. Curse his stupidity for bringing the hounds into this nightmare —
A cascade of ice-cold water appeared from nowhere, drenching the dogs and soaking through DragonStar's shirt and breeches.
"It is easy to see that none of you have had to deal with a dog fight in the streets of Carlon," said a calm voice, and there was Goldman, standing to one side with his arms folded and a satisfied look on his face.
DragonStar nodded at him, relieved not only that Goldman was well and had managed to find them, but that he'd had the presence of mind (and enchantment) to do what was necessary.
The dogs had separated, Sicarius and FortHeart standing just in front of DragonStar, the two Demons several paces away. All were wounded: Sicarius carried several deep gashes on his flanks, while one of FortHeart's ears hung almost completely severed and she limped badly on two of her legs.
The two Demons, also badly gashed, healed themselves simply by flowing back into their humanoid forms complete with pastel-coloured gowns and smug faces.
It was Sheol and Mot.
Behind DragonStar, Goldman moved to stand with Gwendylyr. DragonStar glanced at his two Alaunt. They were panting heavily, and were in obvious pain.
"We have you trapped," Sheol said in a conversational enough tone, "in our mansion of dreams. How do you think you will get out, DragonStar?"
DragonStar held her gaze easily. "By wishing you love," he said.
Sheol flinched, and Mot instinctively took a step back, but before anyone could say and do anything else, the hunchbacked, wizened old man appeared behind the other two Demons, cackling with laughter.
He still held the knife in his hand, but he was laughing so hard it hung useless at his side.
"Love! Love!" the old man cried. "You wish me love, DragonStar? Is that how you think to defeat me? By redeeming me? You utter fool! Ah, bah!" And the man suddenly raised his arm and slashed the knife through the air.
Goldman, Gwendylyr and the two hounds disappeared.
"It is time you and I talked, my Enemy," Qeteb said, and assumed his true form. "There are some things I ought to explain."
The forms of Goldman and Gwendylyr gasped and twitched, then their eyes flew open.
"What's happening?" Faraday cried, seizing Goldman by the hands.
"Qeteb has DragonStar," Goldman said, and looked at Axis.
Axis stared at him, then switched his gaze to the still limp and insensible form of DragonStar.
Chapter 21
Legal Niceties
Do you recognise the place?" Qeteb said, and waved a hand about. "I thought you might feel more at home here."
But for the moment DragonStar could not take his eyes from Qeteb. The Demon had assumed a form that was a reflection of DragonStar himself, save that his body was better muscled, his face less lined, and his mouth far more sensual.
DragonStar wondered why he'd assumed so close a likeness, and then thought that perhaps Qeteb wanted to remind him of the close blood relationship between the body the Demon inhabited —
WolfStar's son — and DragonStar, who was WolfStar's grandson.
Qeteb had dressed himself elegantly in shades of grey and ivory, his hair neatly combed, his hands folded innocently before him.
He wore no weapons.
