“Maybe not,” I whispered, wide-eyed, and I pulled harder on the ley line, shoring my wobbly circle up. “Al!” I shouted, wondering where he was. I hadn’t wanted to admit defeat, but hell’s bells, I needed some help.

The surface demons barreling toward me suddenly skidded to a stop, their black eyes wide as they tasted the night. “Now you’re going to get it,” I said, guessing Al was coming when the ones in the back scattered. “You should have been nice.”

With a weird cry, the closest surface demon fell back, but it was too late. A flash of red light exploded overhead, smashing the buildings away as if I were at the center of an atomic explosion. The surface demons scattered like brown leaves, the remnants of their clothes and auras fluttering. It was Al, and he burst into existence in a grand mood, an old-fashioned lantern in his hand and a walking cane at his side.

“Rachel Mariana Morgan!” he shouted enthusiastically, raising the lantern high, and I painfully rose from my crouch, breaking my bubble with a small thought. “I’ve come to save you, love!”

I winced, even as I was glad to see him. He’d won, and with a cheerfulness that made me sick, he strode over the rubble between us, kicking rock and rebar out of the way. I couldn’t help but notice that the buildings he had destroyed with his entrance were back again. This was unreal. No wonder the surface demons were crazy.

“Done already?” he said, his mood expansive. “From witch to demon in less than an hour. It must be a record. And what are you doing in the badlands? They’re somewhat…unnerving, are they not? Especially now.”

I was scanning the edges of the ragged horizon, looking for heads, sticks, rocks, whatever. “Yes. I’m done. You were right. Oliver lied. Pierce is an idiot. They should all eat toads and die. Can we go home?”

Oh God. The ever-after was my home.

Al blinked, tucking his cane under an arm and a white-gloved hand turning my chin to him as he peered into my eyes. “Rachel, love, what did they do to you?”

I blinked, shocked to find that tears suddenly threatened. “Nothing.”

“They cursed you…,” he whispered, flinging his walking cane at a surface demon. The creature squealed, and a putrid puff of green smoke was torn apart by the gritty wind. “It was that elf, wasn’t it?” Al said. “I smell the stink of wild magic on you. You can’t go back unless summoned.”

“No, I can’t,” I admitted, feeling stupid. “But Trent has a plan…” My words trailed off and I felt even more like an idiot. What was the point? I was here. Even if I cursed Ku’Sox, I was still shunned, a virtual exile.

“I told you to take that piece of elf crap firmly in hand,” Al said, pulling himself to his full height and frowning sternly at me. “Now look what he’s done. You were a day-walking demon, free to come and go as you please, and now you’re chained like the rest of us. What a waste. Stupid girl.”