It took longer than she’d expected to lay out the bare facts. The Khandarai campaign, her own unwilling promotion, the Battle of the Road, and her chance discovery of Feor in the aftermath. Bobby’s nearly fatal wounding and her miraculous recovery. The fire that had consumed Ashe-Katarion, and their confrontation with Onvidaer and Mother. And, finally, the night that still lived in Winter’s nightmare, trapped in an underground temple full of walking corpses with glowing green eyes. How, with Feor’s guidance, she’d read the naath, or the name, or whatever it was that had invoked the Infernivore, and how she’d used it to defeat Jen Alhundt.

“She worked for them. The Priests of the Black,” Winter said.

“There aren’t any Priests of the Black,” Jane said.

“There used to be,” Cyte said, “but they were disbanded nearly a hundred years ago. And the Priests of the Black were devoted to destroying the supernatural in all its forms. How could someone like that be one of them?”

“Janus only explained a little,” Winter said. “He said the Priests still operate, but they do it in secret, because nobody believes in magic these days. They have these . . . agents, who call themselves the Penitent Damned. They believe that anyone who uses a demon is condemned to hell, but they do it anyway, because it helps to advance the cause.”

“That,” Jane said, “is fucked up. This is why I never paid attention in church.”

“Those three yesterday were Penitent Damned?” Cyte said.

Winter nodded. “I think so. I can sense them, when they get close enough. The Infernivore gets . . . restless.”

“You can feel what the demon is thinking?” Jane said.

“Not exactly.” Winter sighed. “It’s hard to explain. It feels like it’s this thing, living inside my mind. Like it’s part of me, but it’s not me, if that makes any sense. I don’t think it’s very smart, but I can tell when it gets hungry.”

“Yuck,” Jane said. “No offense. That sounds awful.”

“Apparently, I’m lucky to be alive,” Winter said. “Janus told me most people who try to bind to a demon die in the attempt. I suppose I didn’t have much of a choice at the time.”

“So that’s why he brought you with him from Khandar?” Jane said. “Because you had this thing he wanted to use?”

“That’s one of the reasons,” Winter said, a little embarrassed. “It’s always hard to tell with Janus.”

“What about you?” Cyte said to Bobby. “Can you feel your demon?”

Bobby shook her head. “Feor tried to explain it to me. She’s got the demon, but she can’t use its power herself. She granted the power to me, but I don’t get the demon. If I died, she could give it to someone else.”

“And it makes you . . . what? Invulnerable?” Jane said.