Chapter 5

"The flames came first but had no effect," Lhynette said in a feeble voice. Pain distorted her features. Like Qelharre, she was reliving the incident. "They pointed at me. They both pointed at me. Then I threw the vial at them. I knew it was my only chance to recite the spell, but I could not. I was so scared. They began to take me. It felt like they were tearing my Soul right out of my body. Goddess, I felt so… violated!"

Lhynette's body shuddered from her violent sobs. Khyrhyelle and Arhyvhynne quickly got up and moved to Lhynette to try to comfort her. Qelharre pushed herself away from the great table. She tore the moons amulet, the sacred symbol of the witches, from her neck and threw it across the room in anger, cursing her inability to stop the SoulSlayers. Dhynelle got up and retrieved the dark elf's amulet. She hugged Qelharre and refastened the amulet around her neck. A few moments passed while the witches in the Chamber collected themselves.

Lhynette assured everyone she was fine and once again continued the retelling of their encounter. "While the SoulSlayers were… while they were… I was paralyzed with fear. Just as I felt myself slipping away, FireQueen entered my mind and cleared away the fright. I immediately began reciting the Words. But before I could finish, everything went dark. I awoke here."

"However did you manage to escape?" asked Eyrmysse, toying with a curl.

"Only by the blessing of the Goddess," replied Qelharre. "When the Slayers heard the beginning of the Spell of Releasing, they were very much shaken. Their mounts reared back and they both departed hastily—just before Lhynette collapsed. I have questioned it many times in my mind since then. The only reasonable theory I can come up with is that although they knew the spell could only affect one of them, neither wished to be the one."