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"Downstairs?" Luthax's voice was suspicious. "Bring it up."

"Uh, I can't."

"Are you playing at something, child?" A muffled slap sounded from above, followed by the thump of Orvendel hitting the roof again. "Do what I tell-"

"Orvendel?" Tanalasta called. She passed Draxius's crown to Owden and pushed out of her hiding place. "Orvendel, I heard voices. Is someone up there with you?"

The roof went silent, and Owden caught hold of her arm. "What are you doing?"

"Quiet!" Tanalasta hissed. She pulled free and went to the base of the stairs. "Orvendel! Answer me!"

Something rustled across the roof, and the brimstone cloud grew thicker and harsher. Korvarr emerged from the stairs below and took Tanalasta by the arm.

"Orvendel!" Tanalasta yelled. "I won't wait much longer for this surprise of yours. A princess's time is-"

"Orvendel?" Korvarr called sternly, now following Tanalasta's lead. He stepped in front of the princess and began to back away from the stairwell, pushing her toward her coffin. "If this is another of your childish games…"

"Hardly!" rumbled Luthax's deep voice.

A tongue of crimson flame licked out of the stairwell, striking Korvarr square in the chest and blasting him into Tanalasta. She stumbled backward and fell, her nostrils filled with the sickening stench of charred flesh. Korvarr landed square atop her, howling and screaming as his burning limbs pounded the floor beside her.

A wizard's head poked out from behind the curtain over the arrow loop, then the bookshelf began to sway as the dragoneers hiding behind started to slide the case aside.

"Stop!" she yelled, putting a tone of royal command into her voice. The wizard's head vanished behind the screen at once, and the bookcase stopped moving. She sighed in relief, then repeated herself in a more panicked voice, "Stop moving, Korvarr!"

Though the order had not really been meant for him, somehow through his pain and fear, Korvarr found the strength to hold still. Tanalasta rolled him off her and tried desperately to think of what she would do next, were she not aware of Luthax lurking on the roof above, listening to her every move and trying to smell out a trap.

"Help!" Even as she screamed the word, she motioned Owden to close the "wardrobe" and waved the rest of her companions to remain where they were. Korvarr, she left burning on the floor beside her. "Guards, help!"

That was all Luthax needed. A tremendous crash rumbled down the stairwell into the room, followed by a choking fog of ash and smoke. In the center of the cloud stood a manlike silhouette with a sizable wizard's paunch and crooked, stick-thin legs. His fiery eyes swung in Tanalasta's direction, then he took one step forward.

A tempest of coughing erupted behind the false book shelf, and the ghazneth's eyes grew as wide as saucers. He spun toward the sound raising a finger.

"Now!" Tanalasta screamed. "Do it now!"

The bookcase toppled forward, slamming Luthax to the floor. A circle of crimson flame erupted beneath it, shooting out to lick at Tanalasta's feet and set the carpets ablaze, then a dozen dragoneers scrambled forward and pulled the iron backing off the shelves.

A pillar of flame shot up through the opening, blasting a horse-sized hole in the room's oaken ceiling. Two dragoneers fell back screaming, hands pressed to their melting faces. The others began to hack and stab through the hole with their iron swords.

Now that the ghazneth was trapped, Tanalasta turned her thoughts to Korvarr, whipping her weathercloak off and spreading it over the lionar's still burning body. He screamed and rolled away, entangling himself in the cloth and smothering the flames.

A tremendous crack shot through the room, then the floor on the far side gave way and dropped into the story below. Choking and coughing on sulfurous fumes, Tanalasta rushed forward and peered over a knee-high curtain of flame into the smoky room below.

The false bookshelf lay square in the center