“Where is the Tomb?”
Answer. Speak. But something still chained his tongue. The red flame of anger still flickered in him, fighting the brilliance of the singing stars.
He struggled but the star-song was too strong. He heard his dry lips slowly speaking. “The Tomb, the place of Rhiannon…”
“ Rhiannon! Dark Father who taught you power, thou spawn of the serpent’s egg!”
The name rang in him like a battle cry. His rage soared up. The smoky jewel in the hilt of the sword on the table seemed suddenly to call to his hand. He leaped and grasped its hilt.
Ywain sprang forward with a startled cry but was too late.
The great jewel seemed to blaze, to catch up the power of the singing, shining stars and hurl it back.
The crystal song keened and broke. The brilliance faded. He had shattered the strange hypnosis.
Blood flowed again into Carse’s veins. The sword felt alive in his hands. He shouted the name Rhiannon and plunged forward into the dark.
He heard a hissing scream as his long blade went home to the heart of the shadow.