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But I bit back my next words, freezing in Beric’s arms as the light revealed the demon. Still at a distance, but far closer and far larger than I could have ever imagined—it must have been at least two stories tall, its antlers climbing into the sky like the branches of a great oak, its body an alarming combination of gorilla and deer, its jaw dripping black saliva as it stood over Anise.

Oh God. She doesn’t see it. She doesn’t know.

But the lightning strikes were coming every three seconds now, and when Ann looked in our direction, she ran toward us. Beric released me and I didn’t pause to think. Instead, I ran to meet her, thankful that Beric didn’t hesitate to join me. I thew up a shield to block the demon’s approach. But that was a mistake—it seemed it had only been following her out of curiosity, and now it was angered by the barrier, its eyes lighting up like an ember igniting a flame. It stood on its back legs, slamming its antlers and clawed hooves against my shield, and I felt the relief and increase in my power as Beric amplified my efforts. At the sound of its roar Ann tripped to the ground, finally looking back to see the demon.

She shrieked. I didn’t blame her, but it wasn’t helping.

Use a shield! I wanted to scream at her. But she knew as well as I that her magic wasn’t strong enough to fend off this beast.

“Keep your distance,” Beric said, as we ran. “Cut off its left leg at the hip. I’ll take the right.”

He broke away from matching my pace to sprint ahead, drawing his sword, and I felt my heart drop. I had never expected my position as knight to involve enacting violence, and it made me a little sick to think of. I had amputated only a couple of times, during surgeries. But not on something so big. And with Beric about to be so close to it, without a shield, I feared more for his safety than my cousin’s.

Still, it was a demon, not human. Far easier to stomach.

And still, Anise cowered.

I’d used quite a bit of magic for the shield, but I took a deep breath and shifted it toward my next task. The demon roared again as my magic sliced into its hip right at the joint, the thick bone only interrupting briefly before Beric gave me another boost and it slid through the rest of the limb like a hot knife through butter. The pain I’d inflicted distracted it enough that Beric was able to leap up onto it, though even with his extraordinary sword it took three chops to remove the other leg.

No blood exited its wounds as it fell, nothing but black smoke, as if there was a fire lit within and we’d opened the flues. It felt cursed to even witness, as if that smoke in itself was what had destroyed the land more than the darkness.

This was clearly why the king fought The Dark and we defended. Even with his magic-forged sword and my magic amplified by his, we were still no match for this beast. I shuddered to imagine what horrors awaited us if we ever ventured farther inside.

But for now, Beric had the demon well distracted, so I tripped to a stop and grabbed my foolish cousin, attempting to drag her to her feet. The demon was pulling closer to us, dragging itself with its claws, swinging those horrifying antlers to defend from Beric’s attacks. Its movements were terrifying in the white flashes, as it crept ever closer in the moments I couldn’t see.

“Get up!” I cried, tugging on Ann, but she remained on her knees, and I suddenly had an evil wish to leave her there, to just run away and let the demon destroy her.

You’ll be rid of her, then … you can finally have the life you want.…

I shook away the thought and summoned another shield, and not a moment too soon. The demon’s antlers were coming down, again and again, ready to strike me dead, held at bay only by my magic. Beric had removed the demon’s remaining limbs and was in the process of beheading it, but still the beast didn’t stop. I could feel Beric trying to help me, but at this point his strength had to be dedicated to amplifying my magic or beheading the demon, and I was more than happy for him to prioritize the demon’s demise.

I felt myself growing weaker by the second with the strike. Ann, help me! I wanted to shout, but couldn’t afford to stop singing, to drop my shield. She was standing now, finally. Horrified, but no longer frozen. I heard her singing in a pathetic attempt at a shield, but if she achieved one it made little difference. Despite getting us into this predicament, she was utterly useless.

I should have left her in that alleyway when I’d had the chance.

Finally, Beric removed the head, but as it tipped forward, the last scrape of those antlers was enough to break my shield. I felt sharp pain across my leg and stumbled to the ground. The pain surged through me, all-consuming, burning.

“Beric!” I cried, grabbing my leg, the wound far too large for my hands to cover.

My vision was going in and out, and it wasn’t due to the lightning. I was going to die here, in The Dark.

And my cousin hadn’t lifted a finger to help me.

CHAPTER18BERIC

“Back to the coach!” I shouted.

Rules didn’t matter anymore—I needed to make sure Anise heard me, and we needed to get out of The Dark before that demon put itself back together; its limbs and head were slowly growing back from what was left of its dismembered body as I spoke.

Anise took off toward the edge of The Dark without hesitating, without looking to see if Cali needed any help. Absolutely not a real squire.

Priorities, Beric. This was no time to be annoyed. My knight came first, before anything—or anyone—else.

Cali was crying for me even as I lifted her in my arms, whimpering as I took off running. When we made it into the light, Anise was on the ground, gasping for breath. The swift change in air density was clearly too much for her, but I had no time for it. She could choke on the oxygen for all I cared.

I sat on the bench, laying Cali on her side, allowing her head to rest on my lap. By the time I had her relatively comfortable, the annoying cousin had caught up.

“We have to get away from here,” she cried, panting as she pulled herself into the coach and bolted the door.