“What? How can you say that? And going back to the Black Forest would be—”

“Don’t be a coward, boy. You’re going back.”

“Two of us against all those . . . those black beasts! It’s suicide.”

“Well, no one said it would be easy,” Gabil snapped, feeling just a bit put off by the boy.

“Easy? We would be marching to our deaths!”

Gabil decided he’d had enough of this. They were out of time, and he hadn’t yet demonstrated this move of his. “Now you listen to me, human. You were dead already. Your life isn’t yours to decide any longer. You were saved by Johnis, for Elyon’s love! Are you so thickheaded?”

Billos stood shivering as the water cooled on his skin.

Gabil pushed while he had the boy on his heels. “And let me tell you something else. If you hadn’t been so stubborn in the beginning, none of you would be in this mess right now. Both of you should be ashamed.”

“He’s right!” Darsal cried, running for her horse. “We have to save Johnis and Silvie!”

Billos stood flat-footed, unsure.

Gabil hurried toward Darsal, nearly tripping over his own feet. “Wait, I haven’t shown you what you’ll need.” He slid to a stop and threw out his wings for balance. “Watch.” He ducked an imaginary punch, rolled right, and simultaneously threw his leg out in a kick.

But at the last moment he lost his balance and crashed on his rear end.

“Keep your tricks, white bat,” she said. “Just tell me where the Black Forest is.”

He jumped up, stunned by her audacity. “Keep my . . . ? You have almost no chance of surviving, and you still stick your nose in the air like you’re the master of it? My karate could save your skinny neck, thank you very much!”

“I’ve seen your karate. It’s cute. But—”

“I don’t fight on the ground, you fool.” He jumped into the air and executed the same move, ducking and rolling and kicking with perfect precision this time. “Hayaa!” he yelled, and dropped onto the ground, crouched for another attack.

Darsal’s jaw gaped. “Wow.”

“Yes, wow. They don’t call me the king of the skies for nothing. Now I suggest you learn that move. As I was saying, the Shataiki attack the same way every time: fangs and claws first. Dodge those and you’ll have an easy angle for their soft underbellies.”

“I still don’t see how we can fight off a hundred, much less ten thousand,” Billos said, walking up.

“You can’t,” Gabil said.

“We can’t? Then what’s the point?”

“The point is, Johnis saved us,” Darsal said. “Mount up, Billos.”