The circular door springs to life, igniting into a ring of white flame. The Manus demon leaps out of the fire’s path. The muscles around my throat tighten. Those flames are Mom, Cissy, and Zeke, about to face a horde of demons. Hells bells.

Armageddon sneers. “At last.” His three-knuckled fingers twitch at his sides, anxious to touch his victim’s flesh and suck out their souls.

If he lays a finger on them, I’ll lose it.

The great circular door lifts from the sands. It’s a flat disc held up by four white pillars. On the floor between those columns stands my mother, Cissy, and Zeke, their bodies twitching as Armageddon’s aura slams into them. Adrenaline rockets through me. Every fiber in me wants to leap down the rock face and start kicking ass. I dig my hands and feet deeper in the warm sand, trying to root myself to the spot.

Armageddon steps to the edge of the circular platform, his nasty grin stretching wide. “Greetings, Senator.” He grins. “Come out to parlay?”

Straightening her shoulders, Mom speaks in a calm voice that echoes through the desert. “I come here today on behalf of angels, ghouls, thrax, and quasis.” She’s doing a really good job of fighting the terror of being close to a greater demon. “This unwarranted invasion of our–”

Lincoln gently sets his hand on my upper arm. “We’re on.”

I inhale a shaky breath. The distraction’s working. Now it’s all up to me. My body almost vibrates with fear. I’ve never felt this scared before.

I wiggle my body into the sand. The warm granules press comfortably against my belly. Closing my eyes, I raise my hand and call out to the igni. My heart thuds so hard, my pulse booms in my ears. Please, let the igni hear me.

Child-like laughter sounds in my head. A few tiny lightning bolts spin about my palm. My body tenses with excitement.

Lincoln’s voice rings in my ears: “Great, Myla. You’re doing it.”

The laughter grows louder. Then, it’s drowned out by Armageddon’s voice. “I have a surprise for you, Camilla.”

My eyes pop open. What’s he up to?

Mom folds her arms over her chest. “What could you possibly do to surprise me?”

The King of Hell snaps his fingers once.

Although I’m aware of my mother and Armageddon, my consciousness stays fixed on the power dancing about my hand. The igni multiply, their thin bodies tickling my skin, their voices growing louder.

A dark spot appears in the Gray Sea sky. It grows larger, turning into a massive pair of flying demons with the eagle bodies, lizard heads, and bat wings. In their claws they carry a giant metal box. With a great thud, they drop their burden onto the gray sand.