"'The witch will burn.' Ravenna Chastain could hear the chanting in the adjacent chamber. It was growing louder and more intense. The members of the witch hunter cult were working themselves up into a frenzy. 'The witch will burn. The witch will burn. The witch will burn.' Until a few minutes ago she had kept panic at bay by telling herself that help was on the way. All she had to do was stall for time. She had done her best but the trial that had condemned her had lasted less than twenty minutes and had consisted primarily of a lengthy reading of the charges against her. 'You have been accused of practicing witchcraft. You have presented no evidence to the contrary. You must be cleansed.' At the end the Master had pronounced the verdict which had never been in doubt. Guilty. She and the dust bunny were on their own. The cult's head enforcer appeared in the arched doorway. He gripped a flamer in one hand. The weapons were among the few that functioned in the heavy paranormal energy that circulated in the ancient ruins of the Underworld. 'Time to meet the cold fire, Witch.' He selected a key from the metal chatelaine around his waist. 'The Master and the Acolyte are waiting. The Guardians have gathered to witness the destruction of your powers'"--