back to the door, Cavatina caught a glint of something: silver fire, kindling deep within the high priestess’s eyes. Was Wendonai about to unleash it? Could he? If so, their lives would be measured in heartbeats unless Cavatina did something, and quickly.
Eilistraee, she silently prayed. Dancing Lady, aid me.
She caught Leliana’s eye and glanced down at the other female’s singing sword. One finger flicked. On my signal.
Leliana moved her feet slightly, getting ready to dive for her sword. With luck, the Protector would survive long enough for Cavatina to take Wendonai down and stop himby killing Qilué, if necessary.
Cavatina prayed that it wouldn’t be.
Qilué opened the door, revealing Meryl. The halfling held up a tray on which stood a single goblet. Or … was it Meryl? For all Cavatina knew, this might be another dretch in disguise.
Cavatina raised her hand slightly, about to give the signal to attack. Before her fingers could move, a voice sang into her ear. Wait.
Eilistraee? Cavatina wondered. Or the demon, mimicking her voice?
Watch, the voice urged. As before, the word sang out in a duet, blending male and female timbres.
Eilistraee. Cavatina felt certain of it.
Meryl glanced into the shrine, at the two priestessesthen yelped and stepped back quickly as Qilué snatched the goblet, spilling part of the clear liquid it held, and shut the door in the halfling’s face.
Cavatina held her hand still. Leliana would be wondering why she hadn’t signaled yet. Logically, now was the time to move, while the “imposter’s” back was still turned.
Goblet in hand, Qilué turned.
Leliana waited, her body tense.
Suddenly, Cavatina understood what the goddess wanted her to do. As Qilué drank from the goblet, Cavatina whisŹpered a hymn of detection. She finished it as Qilué lowered the empty goblet. Cavatina saw the high priestess’s aura brighten, returning to its usual gleaming silverexcept for a faint dimple that was the scar on her wrist. She realized that it must have been holy water the high priestess had just drunkand that it had done its work.
Cavatina shifted her whispered song. As she’d suspected, there was a dark purple aura surrounding the Crescent Blade. Wendonai was back inside it. Yet even as Cavatina watched, a thread of purple found its way back to the scar on Qilué’s wrist, and taint began to flow back into her.
So soon? Surely holy water would have a more lingering effect than that.
Unless it had been tainted by a dretch.
That hadn’t been Meryl. The halfling would have reacted to Cavatina in some way, giving an inappropriate wave, or saying hello. This “Meryl” had simply given Cavatina a fiat, unrecognizing stare.
Cavatina needed to actand quickly! This might be her only chance to banish Wendonai while he was still vulnerable, before he fully re-entered the high priestess. Yet she’d had no time to prepare. Wendonai was a balorthe most powerful demon of all. Cavatina would need something more than just her sword or holy symbol to …
Wait a moment! Her eyes fell on the sacred stone atop the pillar. Wendonai had been overly clever in bringing Cavatina and Leliana to the shrine. He’d placed the perfect tool for an exorcism within Cavatina’s reach.
Cavatina’s fingers flashed. Now!
Leliana swept up her sword and lunged, her weapon pealŹing its attacka feint Qilué met with a slash of the Crescent Blade. Their weapons met with a loud crash. Cavatina leaped for the sacred stone. She scooped it from the top of the pillar and hurled it, aiming at the sword in Qilué’s hand. “Begone, Wendonai!” she sang. “Return to”
Silver fire filled the air with a flash of heat. Cavatina heard a crackthe sacred stone had struck the wall. A welter of fragments pattered onto the floor. Blinded by the aftereffects of the bright flash, she leaped forward, trying to locate Qilué by feel.
A strident note wailed past her ear once, twice: Leliana’s sword blade.
Cavatina ducked. “Leliana! Hold!”
The sword’s singing halted.
Blinking against the streaks that obscured her vision, Cavatina fumbled for the door. Her hand encountered an utterly smooth surface: magic-fused stonehot enough to scorch her fingertips. She yanked her hand back and sang a hymn, one that should have sent her into the corridor beyond. But Eilistraee didn’t answer.
As the room swam into focus, she understood why. The stone door had been fused shut by Qilué’s silver fire. On top of that, the entire chamber was glowing. Bright green light sparkled from within the floor, ceiling, and walls: a magical barrier, just like the one Cavatina had seen when she’d been ethereal.
Qilué had disappeared,