In the meantime, however, there was the little matter of dealing with his brother.

Placing a hand on the ledge, Ryder leaped over the low wall and into the courtyard below, his chains clanking as he landed. At the back of the melee, standing valiantly beside his baron, Liam fought against the men who had at one time been his friends and neighbors.

They were allies once. Liam had made them into enemies.

Ryder crossed the courtyard toward his brother. "Liam of Duhlnarim," he said as he approached. "I call you out." He grabbed one of the chains dangling from his shoulder and set it in motion.

Liam finished off the opponent he was fighting and looked back at his brother.

Ryder didn't wait for him to acknowledge the challenge. Swinging his chain, he let it fly at Liam's head. His brother stepped back, dodging the links with a quick weave.

Ryder stepped forward, pressing his advantage and coming in closer to Liam. This time though, he swung a chain with each hand. Again his brother stepped back, dodging out of the way.

"Ryder, what are you doing?'

"I'm killing you."

Liam pointed to the fight raging beside them. "Don't you see? The people of the Awl aren't what they seem."

Ryder swung his chain again. This time Liam had to bring his sword up to block it from slamming into his face.

"Propaganda," Ryder shouted, striking out again.

Liam bashed aside another attack. "I don't want to fight you. Just look, will you? They're vampires!"

"All I need to know is that you stole Samira!" Ryder went low, catching Liam by the foot and sending him sprawling.

Liam clattered to the ground and scrambled back to his feet. "I thought you were dead," screamed the younger of the two brothers. "I watched you fall in battle. I didn't think you were coming back."

"Well, here I am." Ryder shook his chains. "And I'm going to take back that which belongs to me." Again he attacked Liam.

This time Liam fought back, smashing aside the chain and countering.

"That's more like it," said Ryder through gritted teeth. "Let's see what she's worth to you."

Liam's eyes narrowed. "She's worth dying for." He lunged, feinting to the right then changing back to the left-a move Ryder had taught him many years ago.

The blade spanked off of the links of Ryder's armor.

"Nice form," said Ryder. "But you'll have to do better than that if you intend to stop me from killing you."

Liam lunged again. This time, Ryder slapped the blade away harmlessly with a pair of chains and followed through with another that slammed into Liam's arm.

Liam winced from the blow and took a step back, rolling his shoulder.

"Hurts, don't it?"

Liam ignored him. "I never meant for any of this to happen," he said. "Can't you believe me?"

Ryder shook his head. "No. I can't." He stepped up to take another swing at his brother.

A dark shadow flashed in front of Ryder, and in the next moment, he found himself struggling to stay on his feet. Some foul-smelling creature now clung to his shoulders and neck, its feet pressed against his back as if it were using him like a perch.

Ryder couldn't see the beast, but he could see the one clinging to Liam. It looked so strange. About the size of a man, it stood atop Ryder's younger brother at an odd angle, clutching his back. Somehow the creature, whatever it was, looked familiar, as if it were someone he knew.

Then a terrible chill ran up his spine. He did know this creature-this man. He was a farmer who had lived in Furrowsrich. He was a member of the Crimson Awl. As Ryder watched, the man opened his mouth, revealing long sharp fangs, and he tried to bite down on Liam.

What was happening here? This wasn't right.

Liam had been telling the truth-the Awl had been infiltrated, or worse, sucked dry and turned into vampires. His brother had tried to tell him, but Ryder had been blinded by his jealousy and rage.

Sorrow filled Ryder's chest. He had let these people in here, had let the vampires into Zerith Hold. Many men were going to die because of this, including his brother.

Truly, that was what Ryder had wanted when he escaped his bonds. He had stepped out of the dungeon with every intention of ending Liam's life.

But he'd felt that way before, when they were children. He would get so mad at his younger brother that the urge to kill would well up inside him. It was the only power a younger brother had over his older sibling-the power to push him to the point of blinding rage faster than any other human could.

But every time, that rage passed. Ryder would always forgive Liam. This time was no exception. Liam was his younger brother, and if he was in trouble, it was Ryder who was going to get him out of it.

Gritting his teeth, Ryder charged forward, launching himself at Liam. With the vampire attached to his back, he crashed into his younger brother and the creature trying to bite his neck. Everyone tumbled, and for the next few instants, Liam, Ryder, and the two vampires were nothing more than a spinning pile of elbows, fangs, and chains.

When they came to a stop, Ryder leaped to his feet, grabbed Liam by the arm, and lifted him as well.

Liam had lost his long sword in the tumble, and he pulled a shorter blade from his belt and pointed it at his brother.

Ryder held up his hands. "I'm sorry, Liam," he said. "I don't want to kill you."

Liam grimaced. "Great," he said, pointing over Ryder's shoulder. "Because if you still did, the line forms over there."

Ryder turned around to see more than a dozen vampires charging at the two of them. "Just like back in the old days," he said as he slapped away the first attack with a chain. He could feel Liam's back against his. "I'm afraid this is where we left off last time."

The Crimson Awl surrounded Ryder and Liam, hissing as they closed the circle.

Captain Beetlestone spurred his horse on. It wasn't far from the back entrance to the front gate of Zerith Hold, but the ride seemed to take an eternity.

Behind him, he heard the alarm bell toll. Under other circumstances, he would have turned back. But right now, there was nothing he could do to help those men. His baron was in jeopardy.

"Onward," he shouted, pointing toward the front gate just to make sure the rest of his men knew his intentions. He didn't look back. They would follow. They always did.

Reaching the northeast corner of the Hold, they made the turn around to the front of the fortress.

The Crimson Awl was nowhere to be seen.

Beetlestone relaxed. That's right, he thought.

They fled before the arrows of the elite guards on the wall. He looked up to salute the archers who regularly guarded the entrance to Zerith Hold.

They were nowhere to be seen.

Now it was time to panic. If the guards had abandoned their posts, it could mean only one thing.

The Awl was already inside.

Kicking his horse again, Beetlestone tried to make his mount run faster. He wasn't going to lose the baron, not this way. Reaching the drawbridge, he could see that the portcullis and the heavy wooden doors behind it were only partially open-just wide enough for them to sneak in single file. Pulling up on the reins, Beetlestone leaped from his horse.

"Dismount," he shouted. "We go in on foot."

The others soldiers in his unit followed his lead, unsheathing their swords as they hit the ground.

"That'll be far enough," came a voice.

Captain Beetlestone turned to look up at King Korox sitting on a magnificent black steed.

"Drop your weapons and give up your allegiance to Lord Purdun, and the Magistrates will go easy on you," demanded the king.

Beetlestone stood firm, torn between his obligations to his baron and his king. Beside him, his men stood their ground, waiting for his order.