Just as I imagine it, silver mage flame erupts across my chest and snaps into a solid breastplate to block the uchel’s attack.

Its eyes go wide. “Legendborn!” In a flash, it strikes again. And again, beating me back with each blow even as its claws scrape down the armor. With every strike, the armor begins to crack. It flickers beneath two particularly strong blows, then returns and holds. I trip on a root and hit the ground.

From twenty feet away, Sel’s scythe comes swinging overhead, neatly decapitating the uchel in one blow.

Across the clearing, Valec looks down at one of the piles of dust with a considering expression. “You know,” Valec pants, pulling out a handkerchief to wipe his palms, “I think one of those demons was a customer of mine.”

I fall back against a tree, suddenly unable to stand. The world blurs. I don’t know why. “Sel…”

Sel is at my side, eyes searching, his nostrils flaring. “No…”

I start to slide. He catches me, and I hiss at the contact. “Easy…” Valec’s voice at my side. They’re both lowering me onto the ground, Sel’s palm cupped under my head.

Arthur’s gleaming armor lights both of their faces in faint blue. Valec’s eyes flash between us in confusion. “This armor… you’re not casting it.”

“No.” Sel shifts closer, nose to my chest. Searching for the wound. “She is.”

Valec shakes his head. “How?”

“The armor is covering your wounds. A demon must have gotten to you, sliced it open before you could recast. I can’t see what’s happened.” Sel’s eyes find mine. “Bree, relax. Release the armor.”

I try to release Arthur’s armor, but I don’t know how.

Valec gapes. “She your king’s Squire, is that it?”

“Not his Squire,” Sel mutters. “My king.”

“Your king?!” Valec cries. “If that’s true, then—” His eyes grow wide.

“Sel—”

“Take a deep breath,” Sel says to me. The hand at my temple is gentle, but his voice and body are tight as a piano wire. “Imagine the armor fading.”

I take a deep breath. Try again. I know when it goes, because he and Valec go stock-still.

“Jesus Christ.” Valec rocks back on his heels to standing. Pulls out his phone with trembling hands.

“Is it… bad?” I croak.

Sel doesn’t answer me. “Who are you calling?” he barks to Valec.

“An ambulance, who do you think?”

“No!” Sel shakes his head. “We can’t take her to a hospital. They’ll ask too many questions. She doesn’t even have an ID.”

Valec thrusts a hand toward me. “She’s been clawed open, man!”

“Sel—”

“You are going to be all right. Be still,” he says shakily. I shift, try to look down at my chest and he pushes my head back, hand gentle on my chin. “Valec, call Hazel’s place, ask for William, he can help her.”