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Silver-white filigree sprang into glowing life within the circle. A multitude of Mzatal’s sigils and . . .
I scrambled to my feet for a better vantage. Barely discernible contours of a human figure spread-eagled like Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man—except with the curves of a woman. The interweave of a different sigil defined her subtle shape. As I took it in, her sigils shimmered brighter. Her sigils. My sigil. I honed in on one, followed its lines with my eyes, felt it resonate with my essence.
Laughter. Mine.
I stepped into the circle, lay on my back, aligned with the figure. Arms stretched out to my sides, hands at the level of my crown. Legs straight, feet wide apart.
The starry canopy of the night sky swam above, and the nexus floated me in its lustrous glow. The weariness of the day slipped away. The vibration in my bones eased to a soft hum. Rhyzkahl’s scar at the top of my sternum cooled. A tingle rose from below, surged through me, and the world burst into colors too vivid to be real. Potency flows like rivers of subtle light. Energy that flickered through the treetops and swirled in the air.
Sitting up, I stared in wonder as every plant, every insect, every creature
—everything shone with its own signature of potency.
Rhyzkahl cursed in demon. I grinned and called potency to my hand, gathered it into a searing ball on my palm. I understood the first layer of what Mzatal had wrought. On the nexus, the arcane was mine. And more than othersight—lordsight. A lord’s powers, with Rhyzkahl as my battery. An ingenious ritual tethered him to me, and I laughed in delight as I took in the whole of it. Rhyzkahl had insisted on connecting with his sigil scar while in dreamspace, and now he was bound to that very sigil.
Mzatal had more use for him. I could feeeeel it, but the reason evaded me. Revenge with purpose.
Rhyzkahl stood in his orbit, posture rigid, and wearing his best pissed-off face. I spun the potency in my hand and smiled at him. “It must kill you that Mzatal outwitted you to this extent.”
He drew breath to respond, but I raised a barrier of potency between us and cut him off. My own brand of privacy fence. I dissipated the charge in my hand into a thousand iridescent sparks, then eased onto my back again and gazed up at the night sky. It didn’t bother me one bit that I had the arcane only on the nexus. I’d take it as the precious gift it was.
And, off the nexus, I’d kick ass in all other ways. Kara Gillian style.
The moon skimmed the trees, full save for a slim crescent of shadow. To the north, stars shimmered through the muggy night in defiance of the moon’s intrusion. Lightning flashed to the south and rumbled the promise of a coming storm. My gaze drifted between stars and moon, to the potency that danced through the atmosphere, and I reveled in the moment.
A meteor speared across the sky and vaporized in a flash above me. In the shadow of its absence, a trick of light and imagination floated for a heartbeat—a dragon black as the void, with wings outstretched and eyes of silver starlight.
Glossary
Terms Related to the Demonic Lords
Demon Realm and demon language: The world of the demons and demonic lords. The demon language has never been fully mastered by a human because of the verbal complexity and telepathic component. The same sound may have a multitude of different meaning depending on the telepathic pattern behind it. The demon word for their world is heavily telepathic and seventeen syllables.
Demahnk Council/Demon Council: Comprised of the demahnk ptarl/advisors of the lords. Holds power and influence that Kara is still discovering. Enforcers of Szerain’s exile.
Eleven: A significant number in the demon realm in rituals, architecture, and managing potency. Also, the number of demonic lords.
Manipulation: The altering of memories or controlling of actions through telepathic means. Utilized by demonic lords and demahnk.
Mraztur: Derogatory demon word used by Kara and her allies to refer to the demonic lords unified against her personal interests and those of Earth. Rhyzkahl, Jesral, Amkir, and Kadir. Rough translation: motherfucking asshole dickwad defilers.
Nexus: A confluence of potency streams harnessed as a focal point of power in each lord’s realm. Universally marked by a platform of stone, wood, or crystal surrounded by eleven columns. Foundation for the most powerful rituals.
Plexus: The chamber in each lord’s realm where the arcane potency flows of the planet can be monitored, manipulated, and adjusted by a demonic lord. Used daily, often for many hours at a time. Most are furnished for comfort during long work sessions. Kara’s rough translation: a demonic lord’s man-cave.
Ptarl: The demahnk counselor/advisor of a demonic lord.
Qaztahl: Demon word for demonic lord. Both singular and plural. The lords are human in general appearance, but have a palpable energy aura and are able to shape and wield potency. Mind readers. Fully responsible for maintaining the potency stability of the planet. It is the one matter they agree on without question.
The Conclave: An annual meeting of all qaztahl where global issues are addressed and plexus schedules for the upcoming year are confirmed. Outward hostility is frowned upon. Intrigue is rife.
The Groves: Clusters of white-trunked trees that form a network of organic teleportation nodes, with one in each realm of the eleven qaztahl and a dozen or so more scattered across the planet. Animate and sentient. Kara has a unique relationship with the groves. Teleportation can only be activated by a lord, demahnk, or Kara. Each grove has a mehnta as its caretaker—a lifelong commitment.
The Demonic Lords—The Qaztahl
Names of ptarl and other details are included if they have been revealed to Kara through Vengeance of the Demon.
Amkir (AHM-keer) One of the Mraztur. Light olive complexion, short dark hair. Anger issues. Unsmiling. Asshole. Got totally punched out by Kara.
