Rage, confusion, and shock coursed through her as she begged for a plan, an instinct, a piece of training or knowledge that might help her, but no. Amaris had gone from ready to take down an enemy with an arrow to utterly powerless in the breadth of a second. She didn’t even have the time necessary to experience panic. She was barely able to process the change as power shifted. She’d been rendered utterly helpless. She still held her bow aloft, but releasing her arrow would be assured destruction. The moment her hand let go, her throat would be slit.

“Put it down,” the voice snarled into her ear with low, dark authority. The sound of his voice flooded her with adrenaline while her other senses were assaulted by leather, pepper, and something like black cherries. His lips had nearly grazed her hair as he spoke. The assailant’s breath on her ear sent a chill down her spine.

Amaris raced through her options. The stranger was too close for her to throw a punch, especially as both of her hands had been occupied with the bow. If she created the noise necessary to wrestle away, the demon who crouched at the pond would surely be upon them in a second, giving her not one enemy but two. She couldn’t fight.

She had no choice. Her heart thundered under her breast as she slowly complied, lowering the bow.

The far-off demon continued filling his waterskin, completely unaware as to what transpired in the trees. He didn’t look up from its place near the pond.

“There’s a good girl,” her assailant murmured somewhat dismissively, as if speaking to himself more than her in the same dark voice. He wrapped a large hand around the knife on her leg to pluck her remaining weapon from her grasp. He urged her forward with a step, forcing Amaris into the clearing. With the man still at her back, she became fully vulnerable as they abandoned the cover of the trees and moved toward the lip of the water. The demon looked up at them then, wingspan flaring behind him.