Ash

The fires raged high, burning the flesh and fur of the Yeti. A flash of movement drew my eyes to Norm as he fought to get a wounded Yeti away from . . . from what was it? My eyes struggled to comprehend what I was seeing. What was killing the huge supernatural creatures.

The rakshasa demon.

It stood in front of us, whispering dark incantations as it swept its huge horned head from side to side. Its face was nothing but eyes, there was not even a mouth or a nose to break up the hundreds of tiny blinking orbs.

Norm waved at me, his eyes wide. “Rakshasa isn’t helping; he’s hurting the Yeti!”

I had a choice. Either I trusted what I’d heard in the mystic’s cave, along with my memories, or I let myself believe that I was only meant to kill Cassava. That path would lead to my death, I knew that now. That was why Talan had set me on it. Cassava didn’t want to kill me, but she would not allow me to kill her. He’d been forcing her hand.

I tugged her up so we were nose to nose. “If you truly don’t wish to kill me, then help me stop the demon.”

Her eyes flickered and she nodded. “How?”

I let her go and tapped into the earth, recalling clearly what Granite had said. “Sandlings.”

With a flick of my hand, I created ten Sandlings at once. Cassava gasped. “You are not that strong.”

I didn’t look at her. It wasn’t just strength; it was the time I’d spent practicing creating them between the Veil while I rotted in the dungeon.

Cassava stepped beside me and called four more Sandlings. The rakshasa tipped its head to one side and swiped a clawed hand at one of them. The Sandling fell apart, and then came back together on the other side of the demon.

The beast roared and spun. I snapped my fingers and my Sandlings rushed it, attacking with weapons hewn of rock and stone. Cassava flexed her hand and sent her four Sandlings.

But the demon was no stupid creature. “I see you, elementals.”

He leapt up and over the Sandlings, landing in front of Cassava.

She screamed and the demon caught her up in his one hand as the Sandlings beat at its back.

“Ash!”

I did not want to save her . . . but I could not yet be sure she wasn’t on my side. Which meant I had to do something. The rakshasa spun and danced with her high above its head as it continued to battle with the Sandlings. They would buy me the time I would need.

I spun and bolted back the way we’d come from the mystic’s cave.

“You coward!” she screamed after me.

I ignored her.

I burst back into Miko’s home. Talan was gone. If there was ever a coward, it was him, manipulating people from the shadows. I dropped to my knees and dug through the clothes until I found the chakram. Gripping it in one hand, I raced toward the fires. If I could get rid of the demon, we could find Peta. I was sure of it. I snapped my fingers and the Sandlings fell around the rakshasa. Slowly, the demon turned to face me.

I held up my hand. “I can send you anywhere in the world you choose, demon. Tell me where the snow leopard is and I will let you take the woman with you.”

Its eyes focused on me and it spoke from its belly. “I like that deal.”

“No, Ash! You can’t. I am your queen!” The panic in Cassava’s voice made me smile.

“I can, and I will.”

“Prove it,” the demon said.

I touched the blade to my forehead, thinking of the ocean. I swept the blade downward, touched the earth with it and then brought it back up. The Veil opened into the middle of the ocean, the sound of lapping waves and cries of gulls floating through to us. “Anywhere you choose.”

“The deal is done.” The demon strode forward. “The cat is under all the Yetis.”

From behind him, I saw movement. Norm. I shook my head ever so slightly. “Well,” I said, “this will be a lovely prank, don’t you think? Can you imagine if someone were to push you through the opening, causing you to stumble and fall?”

The rakshasa tipped his head. “You elementals are a strange bunch.”

Only one thing left to do. I thought about the seventh level of the Veil. I’d never been there, but I knew it was the deepest level, the one where the demons were kept away from the world. Only fools and power-mad rulers drew them through, thinking they could use their powers for their own. What had Miko been thinking?

“Ash, do not do this. All I’ve done, all the pain I’ve caused has been to help Lark. She needed to be strong.” Cassava was limp in his grip. “Lark and Raven are the only hope this world has of surviving what is to come. I had to make her strong enough. This was the only way. Remember that.”

Her words held a ring of truth I did not like. The demon spoke. “I want to go to Paris.”

That was a bit of a surprise. “It will be dark there, yet.”

The rakshasa snorted. “You think I’m afraid of the dark?”

I shrugged, sweating despite the cold. “No. But put the woman down first. I’ll push her through after you.”

With a grunt, the demon dropped her and I swept the blade through the air, opening the Veil perfectly . . . straight into the seventh level of the Veil.

“That is not Paris,” the demon snarled.

“Norm!” I yelled.

Norm rushed forward and shoved the demon hard, sending him flying through the cut in the Veil. The demon roared, its hands reaching for me. I stepped out of the way, but somehow it managed to get one of its tongues wrapped around Cassava’s legs.