Yennefer to the rescue.

But they never came, instead, a warm light flickered against her eyes.

Hoat stood over her, torch in hand, waving it down slightly. The goblins were afraid of it and had huddled away to a dark corner of the theatre.

Ciri looked up with unfocused eyes, Hoat was grinning down at her.

"Nice try," he looked back to the theatre.

Many were dead in the crowded theatre, but more were alive. The centipede was cut near in half, a few ghoul corpses lay in the aisles. The guards had managed to take back control.

"You can't stop this," Hoat said, "you dumb whore. You thought before was bad, I am going to destroy your mind and soul. This was what you were meant to be--"

He paused, then gasped, and reached for his side.

Yennefer fell down beside him, to weak to stand. Hoat stumbled away, clutching at the dagger in his side.

"Fuck," he cried. "Get her," he ordered one of his guards.

He pulled on the blade and it came out red, "fucking bitch," he stumbled again and snarled. "I'll kill you. Guard!" he cried.