Sarah turns to me, her eyes equal parts worry and apology. “Sorry about Sel. He’s… protective. You do belong here. You’re one of us now.”

I look away, because that’s just the thing. I’m not one of them.

She frowns and moves closer to examine my cheek. “You’ll get to Bree’s face, won’t you, William?”

“Of course,” William mutters, his head bent low over Evan’s forehead. “Let me triage, Squire Griffiths…” Even in chastisement, amusement colors the healer’s words.

William stands up to Sel, who somehow listens to him, and teases Sarah, who stands up for me. I decide I like them both. Too bad a pang of guilt follows: Sel is wrong about me working with the Shadowborn, but he’s not wrong about me lying.

Eager to get the attention off me, I change the subject. “What was that monster? I thought demons looked like animals, or—”

Sarah shakes her head. “If isels, the lesser demons, are strong enough to go full-corp, they look like animals or the creatures you see in the ancient texts. Imps with horns, tails. But the uchels are greater demons. Less mischief, more murder, and strong enough to go corp as soon as they cross over. They look”—she hesitates, shares a glance with William that I can’t decipher—“… more human.”

Russ leans against a wall and crosses his arms. “If you believe the old tales, the most powerful uchel, the goruchel, can even pass for human. Walk hidden among us and all that.”

A cold dagger of fear cuts through me. Sel had called me an uchel a few hours ago. He thinks I’m one of them, passing as human. Here to harm Nick and the rest of the chapter. Breath leaves my body in a silent exhale.

“Demons that pass for human.” Fitz rolls his eyes. “Scary stories to tell kids at night. Legend and lore.”

William tuts without looking up. “We are legend and lore, Scion Baldwin.” Fitz makes a rude gesture in response.

“Why did they want Nick?” I whisper.

William pauses with his hands over Evan. The four Legendborn look at me, then one another.

Russ stands up straight. “Because he’s our king, or he will be, formally. When he’s Awakened.”

“If he’s Awakened,” Sarah says.

Fitz scoffs, a red flush building at his collar. “You really think it’s an ‘if,’ Sar? We’re Called in order. Flick’s Line is fourth, which means the Scion of Kay up at Northern musta been Called recently too, and Lord Davis didn’t bother to tell us. Tor and the Line of Tristan’ll be next. Then the kid at Western and the Line of Lancelot. Then number one, Nick. And boom, Camlann.”

Russ shakes his head. “Come on, man, don’t exaggerate.”