“The demons that we conjure are from what can be called the outer precinct of hell, a region of sheer chaos and confusion. There, life is a nonstop struggle for dominance.

“But, if you think of the Fifth Circle as a disk, and the outer precinct as the rim, the farther toward the center you move the more organized it gets.” He paused. “It’s hard to describe, because if I make it sound as if demonkind resembles us in any way it’s a false comparison. But we lack the understanding of their nature to truly describe their society.

“They have a King, or several, and a High King, whose name is not known, but under him reign Kings in each region. The King that we thought we faced was called Maarg, a being almost certainly gone, but whose legend someone keeps alive to keep some element of that outer precinct in a semblance of order.

“He may have been replaced by Dahun, the demon my brother and his mad followers seem to worship, or Dahun may be the ruler of a different region of hell.

“There are a thousand more questions than we have answers, but two have come to the fore: why are the demons fighting among themselves, and how can some of them exist in this realm without magic protection?”

Sandreena said, “I thought the act of summoning gave them the protection they required?”

“Yes, the circle of confinement is also a circle of protection and when they bow to our will, we protect them from quickly succumbing to this environment. But what of those demons we didn’t summon?

“Pug told me of the demon he faced, who replaced the Emerald Queen—”

Sandreena interrupted. “The temple has long had dealings with demon possessions, Amirantha.”

“Yes, discorporate demon spirits, but they are simply another type of demon, a minor creature of the mind that can take over a weak individual. But even that tenure is brief.

“No, this demon Jakan didn’t possess the Emerald Queen; he killed her and took her place, with a conjured seeming, a likeness that even those closest to her couldn’t penetrate.”

“Impressive.”

“Laromendis is considered a great Conjurer among the Star Elves and he says he could not do this for long. He said the ability to maintain the illusion for…months is a feat beyond imagining!

“Who was this Jakan? A weak spirit demon who preyed on weaker souls when he first came into this world and worked up to having the strength to do what he did? Or was he something else?”

“You love questions, don’t you?” She spoke softly and there was a resignation in her voice.

He smiled. “And you seek answers.”

There was a faint smile, then suddenly her eyes narrowed and the moment was gone. “Demons,” she insisted.

Amirantha stood up and said, “It’s easier if I show you.” He motioned for her to accompany him.