He was saying something but Charlie couldn’t quitehear the words. What was going on? How was she seeing this?

But just as she thought to ask those questions, thescene changed and she saw Two speaking to what looked like a living pile ofmud.

“Alas, they have escaped my liege,” Two was saying,his steel teeth flashing as he spoke. “But never fear, I will bring them back.And when I am done, they will beg for the merciful death of the passionberries. But no, I have a different fate in store for our lovely couple. A fateso much worse than death…”

He threw back his head and laughed—at least Charliethought it was laughing. A strange, unearthly howling noise issued fromhis skinny throat, sending chills down her spine.

“They deserve no less,” the mud creature said in athick, clotted voice. “Your reward will be great if you accomplish this, Two.”

“How great?” Two’s eye gleamed with greed butsomehow Charlie didn’t think he was greedy for money.

“I have been dishonored in my own lair,” the mudcreature said. “You shall have whatever you wish.”

“Then you will See for me?” It was clear by the wayhe spoke the word that it had some great significance.

The mud creature frowned, making it look like hisface was melting off.

“That is a very great request. As you know, mypeople can only See three times in their lifetime and then the gift is gone. Ihave lived a long life and have already Seen twice. I had thought to use mylast Seeing to find the manner and time of my own death, so that I couldcircumvent it as others of my kind do.”

“Ah, so you do not wish me to go after thetwo of them after all.” Two shrugged his narrow, bony shoulders and sigheddeeply. “I understand, my liege.”

“I did not say that.” The mud creature shiftedslowly in its chair, making it obvious to Charlie why he couldn’t go after thegirl and the dark haired man himself. Clearly he was slow as molasses inJanuary, as her Mama used to say. There was no way he’d be able to get himselfgoing in time to catch anyone if it came to a chase.

Two, on the other hand, with his skinny physiqueand stringy muscles looked like he could really move. And she knew from awfulexperience how strong he was—he’d dangled her by the ankle over a bottomlesspit and almost dropped her to her death. He was definitely the man for the jobif you wanted to catch someone, she decided.

“Well?” Two asked, looking down at the mudcreature. “Will you agree to my terms?”

“I must consider.” The mud creature frowned. “Theyare probably long gone, even as we speak. How can you find them? And even ifyou do, how will you approach them without them knowing? Your appearanceis…singular, even for one of your kind.”

“If you’re referring to my striking good looks, Imust thank you for the compliment.” Two performed an elaborate bow. “But as totracking them, finding people who want to stay hidden and knowing informationthat is supposed to be secret is something of a specialty of mine.”

“They why do you wish me to See for you?” the mudcreature asked.

“Because some things are beyond even my ability todiscern,” Two admitted. “Not this, however. I know exactly where the twomiscreants you wish to have punished are and I have a way to get right nextto them—to even touch them—without them having any idea about it.”

“That sounds…mysterious.”

“Mysterious but very effective. I can punish thesetwo for you in any way you see fit. If you will do the Seeing.”

“I must consider. Leave me for now.”

“As you command, my liege.” Two bowed obsequiouslyand backed out of the room. But look at his face, Charlie thought. He’slike the cat that got the cream. He knows Mr. Muddy-britches will come around.All he has to do is wait.

“Ijust wonder what he wants the Lud’om to See for him,” Stav’s mental voice murmured in her ear.

Charlie blinked and suddenly she was back again inStavros’s arms on the side of the bed.

“What happened?” she asked, looking at himwide-eyed. “So you saw all that too?”

“I did.” Stav looked grim. “And so did you,apparently. The only question is how?”

Chapter Ten

“I’m cold. So c-cold.” Trin shiveredhelplessly and Thraceheld her close, rubbing his hands over her back to try and get her warm.

She’d been shivering ever since she woke up, an hourafter he’d gotten them aboard the small life pod. Even the thermal blanket he’dfound in the emergency stores and wrapped around her seemed to do nogood—probably because the damn passion berries demanded physical contact tocounteract their effects. So he was holding her, trying to warm her with hisown body heat though he wasn’t sure she’d like it. It wasn’t like she had muchchoice, though—it was be held by him or shake herself apart. Thrace thought she’d prefer theformer to the latter—he hoped anyway.

At least she was all right. For awhile there, afterhe’d gotten the pod a safe distance from the Demon’s Eye, he’d been afraid shewouldn’t wake up at all. She’d been so still—barely breathing—and her cheek hadbeen icy when he’d touched her. That was when Thrace had gathered her into hisarms and held her close to his bare chest, trying to warm her and wake her.

But for a long time she wouldn’t wake. As he staredat her still face, he’d wondered what he would do if she slipped away. Not thathe should care about her—not after the way she’d chained him up and treated himlike a Gods-damned pet. But he did care—there was something about her.Something he didn’t want to lose. What, though?

Nothing,he told himself uneasily. I still owe her a debtwhich I must repay. It would darken my honor if she died before I could make itright. That’s why I don’t want her to die—only that and nothing more.Still, he couldn’t bring himself to let her go and he’d been filled with reliefwhen she finally opened her eyes.

“Why am I s-so c-cold?” she whispered, looking upat him.

“That’s just the effects of the passion berry wineyou drank,” Thracesaid grimly, brushing a lock of her long black hair out of her face. “You’relucky you’re not dead.” Then, as relief gave way to anger he demanded,“What in the Seven Hells were you thinking, going into that place alone?”

Trin frowned and wrapped her arms around herself.

“Don’t talk to me like that! I had a deal withB’Rugh. I knew it was risky but it was a risk I had to take. And it’s not likeI went in unarmed or unprepared.” She lifted one hand where a thin gold wirering was slipped over her slim index finger. There was a tiny green light onthe underside of the ring glowing a steady green. “See? A toxin sensor. I justdon’t understand why it didn’t detect the poison that man with the steel teethput in my cup.”

“It didn’t detect it because passion berries aren’treally a poison even though they act like one in the wrong doses—they’re anaphrodisiac. A very deadly aphrodisiac,” Thrace told her.

“An aphrodisiac?” Trin struggled to sit upand get out of his arms.

Obligingly, Thrace helped her, sitting her onthe side of the fold out bunk where he’d been holding her. Hopefully some ofthe drug was leaving her system. At least, she no longer looked like she wasgoing to freeze to death—for now, anyway. Later on might be a different story.

“An aphrodisiac?” she said again. “But I don’tfeel…sexual.” Her creamy cheeks flushed a bit. “I just feel cold.”

“Because you only took the first sip,” Thracesaid. “The rule of passion berries is the first sip makes you cold, the secondmakes you hot and the third makes you dead.”

“What?” She frowned.

Briefly, he described the effects of the passionberry laced wine if a second and third drink of it was taken.

“Goddess.” Trin put a hand to her mouth and herface grew so pale it worried him. “So you’re saying B’Rugh—”