“No.” Korlak seemed quite sure, and Abi was inclined to trust his judgment. She got Belle up at the same time as the other two hinnies, and with Jicks leading the way, they limped, stiff and sore, to the encampment.

As they got to the halfway point, she thought the wagon looked a bit odd. As they reached the three-quarter mark, she realized why. The canvas and wood had been splashed with red.

But it wasn’t until they got right to the encampment itself that she understood that red was blood.

It looked as if the demons had scoured the area in a clearly defined circle and slaughtered every single animal within that circle. Blood was everywhere, and bits of fur and skin. Poor hares. And—was that a hoof?

“As I said,” Stev said, with unnerving calm, “Demons aren’t too smart.”

“Bloody hell,” Jicks muttered, looking at the trampled and torn up campsite, the blood, the sheer carnage, she shook her head, then hung it. “This is . . .”

“The Karsite way. So I’m told, anyway.” Stev held his hinny’s bridle loosely and looked from Jicks to Korlak and back again. “Now what? We didn’t move as you’d planned while we were still under the cover of the darkness. If we move now, all they have to do is scry this spot to know we escaped. Wagons don’t move by themselves.”

“Maybe we can use that to our advantage,” Abi said into the silence. “They probably will scry this spot soon.”

“Not soon; calling up demons and controlling them takes a lot out of you.” This was the first thing Korlak had said since they’d left the camp in the night. “But you’re right, Abi, they will scry this spot to see what the demons did.”

“I think they’ll want to make sure,” Abi continued, trying to think what she would do, if she were in their shoes, as Mags had taught her. “How good is scrying, Korlak? I mean, what can you actually see?”

“If these priests can control demons, they can see very clearly.” Poor Korlak chewed his lip, and the crow nodded as if it understood.

“So we need to clean up the bits so all they see is blood,” Abi decided. “If we do that, I think they’ll scry first, then come in person to look for body parts.” I cannot believe I just said that. . . . “Can we set up an ambush?”

Jicks’s head came up. “That’s the best idea I’ve heard in two days,” she replied, eyes alight. “Stev, can they invoke demons in the daylight?”

“I—” He paused. “I’ve never heard of them doing that.”

“Well, that’s good, if it’s true. Do you have any idea how these priests dress?”