“I know. You can’t tap a line worth the salt in your veins. I’m sorry,” he said, and then I cowered as I felt a huge tug on me and Quen’s bubble flashed into existence, glittering a fabulous green before it faded. “If we take them off now, we will die. The only reason my circle is holding him is because it’s made with both our strengths.”

Crap on toast, he was right, and I stood beside him, not knowing what I could do to make this better. I knew the demons were watching. Why didn’t they help us? “You’re insane!” I shouted, knowing they were listening. Besides, Etude was stirring, and I didn’t want him taken out before he recovered.

“My state of mind is not the issue here!” Ku’Sox shouted, his face red even in the faint light. “It is about strength!”

“It’s about adaptability and resources, and all you are is psychotic! You can’t fix psychotic!” I yelled back as Etude staggered to his feet, a low rumble of his anger flowing about me as his wings opened and funneled the sound forward. His growl resonated through me, and I swallowed hard.

With a crack of stone, Etude pulled a chunk of wall away and threw it over our heads. Ku’Sox swore, deflecting it to thud into the thick grass.

“Quen, take my ring off!” I exclaimed, tugging at Quen’s coat as I felt a huge pull through me. It was Quen, prepping a spell, and I let it flow, knowing I could do nothing wearing this stupid band of silver.

Looking magnificent, Quen threw a ball of black-hazed energy at Ku’Sox. The harried demon deflected it within a breath of contact, and it went whizzing into the river, lighting the bottom of the trees in an eerie glow. Etude was tossing great clods of earth at Ku’Sox, darting from the ground to the air to make a difficult target.

“Quen!” I shouted as the man ran for Ku’Sox, his fist swollen with a green haze. “No!” I shouted as Etude and Quen descended upon Ku’Sox together. Etude’s rock fell harmlessly to the side as Ku’Sox sidestepped it, but Quen’s blow landed, the man’s fist plowing into Ku’Sox’s face to make the demon scream and fall back.