That night Entreri wrote in his journal:

I am certain of only four friends in my life. Everyone else, I do not know. Friendship is too odd a power to understand. Love is stranger.

Nova just came and kissed me. Jori was similar. Why did these two women choose that approach? Jori I knew well. She wanted to help, and she did. Nova though, I know nothing of. At least I know nothing that really matters. Or is there something? She was a friend to Aramil. That is what I know. I just hope that was the remnant of some spell.

With that he described what had happened that day and went to bed.

55

"Why did you do that?" Wraith asked of Nova harshly. They had separated from the rest of the group, including Nightwing.

"I saw Aramil," she responded happily.

"That does not make him Aramil," Wraith replied, still severe in her tone.

Nova looked at her. The ghost rarely said anything harshly to Nova, and when she did it was important.

"But I saw it," she argued. It was the only way to get Wraith to explain what she meant.

"He is Artemis Entreri," the ghost answered.

"I saw Aramil!" Nova nearly screamed. She didn't care that the surface was Artemis Entreri. Aramil was beneath that, and she wanted her lover back!

"We need Artemis Entreri, not Aramil," Wraith said gently. She was treading on dangerous ground.

"I need Aramil back," Nova cried. "You don't understand what a lover is! You don't even understand what love is! You are drow! You can't understand!" Blood-red tears trickled down her face.

Wraith just stood there, then looked at Nova. Nova felt Wraith's sorrow and anger at the insult engulf her.

"I'm sorry," Nova said meekly, turning to leave. Wraith would never forgive her after that.

555

Jarlaxle had taken first watch as usual and was completely taken off guard when, on his survey to make sure Sahide wasn't doing anything, he saw Nova beside the sleeping assassin, too.

The drow didn't like what she had done. He had met Nova, and he had met Aramil. He knew what they had meant to each other, and she had betrayed that. Jarlaxle didn't really know why it bothered him, it just did. The two had been passionate lovers. Not only that, but Entreri didn't want her company anyway.

"If I give the boy any more poison it may kill him," the drow stated.

"Then gag and blindfold him!" Ali ordered.

Marilak nodded and did as he was told. Artemis was barely aware of anything as he woke up, but he was aware of the blindfold coming to cover his eyes. He tried to scream out, to get help, but the gag had already been put in place. Kicking and trying to scream, he was hauled off.

Sahide roared. Jarlaxle and Nova turned quickly to regard him. He also woke up the rest of the group with a start. "Something's wrong with Artemis!"

Indeed as the group looked at him they saw him thrashing and turning in his bedroll. Something was definitely wrong.

The blindfold was taken off of him, then the gag. Artemis tried to scream in that second he had, but his captor's hand was too quick and had covered his mouth before a sound was uttered. Ali walked in front of Artemis a ceremonial dagger of Shar in hand.

Shar! His father followed Tyr, not that foul deity. Well, that's what the Tyrists thought, anyway. One of Artemis's hands was jerked free from the rope and held before his father. He cut it. Then, Artemis's other hand was cut, followed by his cheeks and knees.

He was thrown into a bow that had been carved into the alter. It was just large enough for him and, conceivably, one other person. It was also stained in blood.

Artemis's own blood now added into it.

"Why can't we wake him?" cried Callahan distressed. Nova and Jarlaxle were pacing franticly. Avariel kept an eye out. This left Sahide and Callahan to watch the distressed Entreri.

"He's in so much pain, and he's so afraid," Nova said quietly. Jarlaxle looked up at her. He was clearly as distressed as anyone else.

"What can we do?"

His father sliced his own hand. The black-skinned elf did the same. All around Artemis people were cutting their hands and holding them over the altar, over him.

He screamed as loud as he could; no one seemed to care. A boy's screams were nothing to pay attention to. The first prisoner was brought out.

He was even more scared now. Nova felt Artemis's panic rise into her. Wraith and Nightwing were off into the forest. She needed them.

Jarlaxle couldn't think of anything to do. Why wouldn't the human wake up? Why did he care? Jarlaxle stopped as that thought crossed his mind. He cared a lot. He cared because Artemis Entreri had saved his life, or at least that's what he told himself.

Without a word Jarlaxle removed his eye patch and put it upon Entreri.

Drip! Drip! The blood dripped from their hands. The prisoner, a bare woman with black hair and pale skin, was being manacled to a set of four rings. She screamed and screamed and screamed…….

Entreri awoke, completing her scream. He looked around. Everyone was looking at him. There was quite an amount of relief spread upon their faces. For the first time in years, Artemis Entreri cried. The dream had been so painful. The dream had been such a painful… memory. There was no denying it that had really happened.