The Scrivener s Tale - By Fiona McIntosh Page 0,85

the first time with Romaine. We are family now, she had said, as she'd led him away from Loup's pain and he had found solace in the nave of the cathedral he could conjure in his mind's eye.

She never mentioned his creature. Never asked.

In this spiritual place he could endure Loup's punishments while sitting at the feet of Lupus. Never the Dragon, although he felt its pull. So it was to the huge form of Lupus that he fled in his mind now as Murdo walked back toward him holding a glowing iron.

'I wish this had my family's sigil on its tip so I could burn it into your flesh for taking our name in vain,' he growled. 'Now you will scream your penance to my father ... to me.'

Cassien stared at him, the notion that Romaine walked alongside providing comfort. 'You'll hear no sound of capitulation, or anything else, from me. You clearly feel that you are a disappointment to your father or you wouldn't be so touchy about me mentioning Metheven. I certainly took no-one's name in vain but if that's how you see it ...' He shrugged.

Murdo's face darkened still further. 'You really are a cocky bastard.'

'I am a bastard, yes, but I simply say the truth.'

'Stop talking or I'll close your mouth properly,' Murdo said, bringing the glowing white-hot tip close to Cassien's lips.

Cassien sensibly remained still but he refused to shrink back as the hot iron came closer. He met Murdo's angry gaze steadily, daring him to use the weapon.

Murdo did just that, lowering the iron before it cooled and touching it against the bared flesh of Cassien's upper chest, where it crackled and hissed, blackening and blistering the skin, laying it open raw. He smiled as he pressed on the iron, but faltered in surprise as Cassien's expression did not change. It was Murdo who flinched as if burned when he realised that Cassien was pushing back against the iron, defying Murdo further.

The Razor warrior ripped the iron back, tearing flesh and even then the newcomer to Orkyld showed no emotion, not even a spark in his eye of the pain he was surely experiencing. Murdo flung the iron and grabbed at Cassien's shirt.

'What in hell's flames are you?' he growled into his face.

'Your conscience.'

'Take back what you said and I'll let you go.'

'Words can't be removed.'

'Then apologise,' Murdo yelled.

He shook his head. 'Not for speaking the truth.'

'Murdo!' came a new voice, breathy and angry. They all looked up to see Vivienne pushing into the barn with Ham at her side.

'You stupid, stupid oaf. What have you done?' she shrieked, eyeing the seeping wound in Cassien's chest. 'Aren't your big bludgeoning fists enough for you?'

Vivienne rushed towards them, but Murdo was now caught in his shame and he struck out as any cornered animal might. His backhanded blow connected horribly with Vivienne, who was sent tumbling backwards, her head knocking against a low beam. She crumpled like a half-empty sack of corn. Hamelyn was equally enraged and leapt onto Murdo's back, pulling at his hair and face, raining down ineffectual blows.

'You're just a big, useless, drunken bully, Murdo,' he railed.

Murdo flicked him away and Hamelyn soon joined Vivienne on the floor. He wasn't stunned as she had been but he was nursing a bruised rib.

Murdo turned back to Cassien but was confronted by a new expression. Gone were the calmness and the almost mocking look. Now his features appeared shrouded in anger; his eyes seemed to lighten from dark green to yellow and in a heartbeat he'd shrugged off his surprised minders, twisting out of their loosened hold and bounding into space.

'Oh, so now you want to fight, do you?' Murdo taunted.

'Anyone who beats up women and children needs to be taught a lesson. And it won't be a fight.'

Murdo howled with contrived glee. 'It won't be fair, I'll give you that.'

'No, it won't. But you won't land a blow.'

Murdo grimaced. 'Take your best shot, pretty boy.'

Cassien jumped into the air. No-one saw the terrible blow coming - least of all Murdo - as Cassien's foot shot out in a powerful, sweeping horizontal kick from head height that connected with Murdo's imposing chin. Murdo's head snapped helplessly to one side, exactly as Cassien had anticipated. He knew the force of the blow, the shock it imposed on the neck and the head, the air that was cut off within that terrible moment of impact, would all conspire to drop Murdo