I glanced at Trent, thinking I’d rather have him as an enemy than a friend if this was his idea of helping. Trent’s head was down, and it ticked me off that I was the reason he was safe and the rest of us weren’t. God! I was a fool. Al had been right.

Vivian was staring, slack-jawed, at the approaching form, and Jenks hovered at the edge of the bubble, hands on his hips as he assessed the new threat. Ivy was scared but trying not to show it as the demon came to a halt before us, looking stronger and more certain of himself. He looked young, even with the silver hair, and I squirmed when his goat-slitted eyes moved from Vivian to me.

“But it’s daylight!” Vivian whispered, and Ku’Sox smiled in delight, his attention leaving me to touch upon Trent and slide away. Can’t touch this. His look at me had been one of casual disinterest. Bet it wouldn’t stay that way.

“It’s the Ku’Sox!” the pixies shouted from the car, and Ivy waved at them to go away as they swarmed her. “The Ku’Sox Sha-Ku’Ru!”

“I’m the eater,” the narrow-faced man said, and I breathed. Crap, his voice was as gray as he was. Silver and gray, with a weird accent I’d heard only once. It was Newt’s.

Ku’Sox squinted at my bubble, making me even more nervous as he leaned one way, then the next, evaluating its size and the black haze of demon smut crawling over it. I blanched when I realized the smut crawling over my bubble was being attracted to him, congregating where he was, looking like it was trying to get to him. “Guys,” I said, wishing I could back up even more. “I don’t think I can hold a drawn circle this size against him.”

“No, you can’t,” Ku’Sox said, his eyes landing on me. “Aren’t you an odd sort of witch.” He breathed deep, surprise cascading through his expression. “Wearing a man’s clothes,” he added, his bloodred eyes shifting to a pale blue. “How curious. You’re female.”

“Look out!” Jenks shrilled, but I was suddenly gagging, my hands digging at Ku’Sox’s fingers gripping my throat. He had me, his hands lightly around my neck as my feet dangled. Somehow he had yanked me out of my circle, broken it without a thought. It was too large for me to hold against him, and he’d taken it.

From Ivy’s and Jenks’s shouts of protest, I guessed that Vivian had reset the circle. She wouldn’t have a chance of holding it, either, except Ku’Sox didn’t seem to care about them anymore. No, I was freaking demon candy. It must be the red hair.

“Wait!” I choked out, still able to breathe and feeling his fingers firm around my neck. He didn’t stink like a demon. And his eyes, though still slitted like a goat’s, had become a pale blue with a thin rim of slate gray on the edges. His lips were thin, and his chin was narrow. Al had once said he could change his eyes if he made the effort. Had Ku’Sox made the effort, or were his eyes naturally blue?