The Fiend's gaze rested on Noah for a long, quiet moment.
He smiled a little, and turned back to the Thinker's burning bead, as though he had decided to save Noah for later.
The Hound had decided otherwise!
It came again, harder, and this time the Gilt Heir tore himself free of the Thinker's bead and came with it, gold blazing, sword drawn, a young lord's face twisted with the humiliaton of having laughed too soon. Two Immense Ones, coming for Noah at once!
Noah opened his dream.
Ling came out of it!
She burst from the blue-gold light like a thrown spear, white eyes blazing, legs lit from hip to heel with dream-light, purple fire roaring off her shoulders. The Gilt Heir saw her a heartbeat too late.
Her kick took him across the chest!
BOOM!
He flew across the cavern and slammed into the far wall, and the wall held, because it was the Thinker's wall. The Gilt Heir peeled himself off it, gold armor dented, his face white with calm shock.
