His hand tightened on his staff, and he stepped into the clearing.

The witch sprang to her feet, snatching up the cloak, throwing it around herself and drawing up the hood to hide her face with its incriminating witch’s mark.

“Who’s there?”

Her voice was soft, like her music, and a shiver of sensation slithered down Tallon’s spine. He caught the faint thread of fear and was almost overwhelmed by a need to comfort her. To tell her everything would be all right, but of course, that would be a lie.

“Who’s…?” She paused. “Oh, it’s—” Her hand flew to her face, pressing against her lips, as though to stop the words tumbling out. Had she recognized him? But that was unlikely. Again, he found himself wanting to explain, wanting to tell her why she had to die, why he had to kill her.

He raised his staff high above his head and began the spell that would destroy her magic forever, and with it, the fragile vessel of her human body.

She flung back her cloak, and he hesitated. This close, she was the most exquisite thing he had ever seen. Her huge eyes glowed like emeralds in her small, pointed face. The hesitation was his undoing. Faster than he could follow, she whirled, kicking out. The heel of her foot slammed into his chest, and he stumbled in shock. Righting himself, he watched cautiously as she took up a fighting stance. She was so small, so defiant, like a spitting cat, and he smiled. But the expression soon faded. In truth, there was nothing to smile at here, only a job that needed to be done. He raised his staff again and murmured the opening words of the spell.

She stared at him, the recognition of her own death reflected in her eyes. Then they narrowed. The nostrils of her small, straight nose flared. Plucking a pin from her cloak, she slashed across her palm and raised her hand high. Drops of blood splattered across the clearing. Then she opened her mouth and threw a Word of Power into the night.

Tallon gasped. The Words of Power were forbidden. Even as the knowledge filled his mind, the edges of his world began to blur. Above him, a huge rent severed the night sky. White light streamed through, bathing them both, and in a flash, the notion came to him that they had been right to fear the power of witches.

Without conscious thought, he reached for the girl. She seemed shocked and didn’t fight as he pulled her into the shelter of his body, instinct taking over as he sought to protect the one he had come to destroy.

The light flared brighter, until the darkness swallowed them both.