From where I wait in the stairwell I can hear their voices. His, smug and gloating, sending chills down my spine. And hers'; the voice I would have given my life to hear any time but here and now. Then his voice raises, "Come here, my little Destroyer, come here, my wolf." His mind tightens on mine and, feet dragging, I am drawn into the room.

My eyes go immediately to Elspeth where she stands, staring at me in horrified recognition. Calling my name, she steps towards me, reaching out. A familiar spear of pain lances through my mind, and I double over, clutching my head. Dimly, I hear Elspeth's horrified gasp and Ariel's calm response.

"I would advise you not to come any closer. It would be ... unpleasant ... for your dear Rushton."

Hastily she steps back again and a small sigh of relief escapes me as the pain fades. Ariel gives a satisfied smile, obviously enjoying how his power over me gives him power over her.

"I must say, I'm impressed by how you well you fixed him after last time. To get him here, I had the pleasure of breaking him all over again. Not that it was really any challenge. Poor Rushton, still so unsure, still can't believe that you really love him. After all, you never told him your big secret, did you? Never told him that after few short years together, you would be leaving him for this oh-so-important quest. You could even say that you are as responsible for what he will do as I am."

I let his voice fade from my attention. Everything he has said is painfully true, yet something in it strikes a dissonance. Focusing on it I find myself drawn down through the layers of my mind to the final cavern of my Talent. There I see an unsettlingly familiar brown bear, weighed down with black chains. I look into its green eyes, identical to my own, and the chains melt, the bear fading away. A dark, alien power floods through my mind, giving me the strength to break his command of silence.

"You lie."

Ariel breaks off what he is saying and turns to face me, his gloating smile slipping as he takes in my expression. "What did you just say?"

Freed suddenly from his restriction, the words pour out, bringing with them the memories that she had hidden inside me. "You lie. Elspeth loves me and she told me about the quest. You couldn't get deep enough this time to find it, but she showed me everything."

Ariel's eyes widen slightly as he reads all this from my mind, then narrow again. "Enough of this. You are the Destroyer and you have a task to fulfil."

Then I am walking forwards, Ariel's grip on my mind forcing me towards one of the benches. I try to resist, but his grip is too strong and I stumble on. I can feel Elspeth beating at the surface of my mind, unable to get past the barriers he has placed. The bench is before me now, the surface dominated by two buttons, one white and one green. Somehow, I recognise them; one to save and one to kill. Yet the choice of which to use has been taken from me and inexorably, my hand rises above the white button. Three sets of breathing echoing loudly in the final seconds of the world.

Suddenly, another memory fills my mind, borne on a tide of golden warmth. We are linked, whether together or apart. Draw on that link and its strength will save you. I fill myself with the strength of the golden link, feeding on memories of Obernewtyn and friends... and Elspeth. My hand stops, trembling, as I struggle for control of my mind, body and destiny. Words force themselves from my lips.

"I Am The Destroyer!"

Then my hand comes down, pressing the button flat to the bench; and the lights go black.