Likh had the runic wards wrapped around herself again as she bustled about, dressing as many of the soldiers’ wounds as she was able to. She, Khalad, and I all knelt side by side, tending to patients as Kalen and Kance remained deep in conversation, planning their next move. General Lode was coordinating transport to send the wounded back to Odalia, where they would receive better treatment in better facilities.

Althy had helped arrange most of those travel details. Now she was on the other side of the camp, healing other wounded. The older asha had taken great pains to avoid me since she’d arrived with her circle of asha, and the snub added to my worry, unsure if I would be arrested and if she would be doing the arresting.

Sadly, I wove another set of Compulsion, giving my patient a small measure of peace in his final moments, and tearfully closed his eyes after he had passed, mercifully, without pain. I gave quiet instructions for his body to be carried to Althy, and turned to Knox, who suffered from a broken arm.

“We were careless,” Knox said hoarsely, watching the other Kion asha remove the body. “Didn’t have much experience with daeva beyond the nanghait, and to see that black poison spurting out of that creature was a nightmare.”

“I’m sorry for your losses, milord.”

“No sorrier than I am. We ought to eliminate these bloody-assed demons, Lady Tea. We can’t live in the same world as they. If one of us’s gotta go, I’d rather it be them.”

“The daeva was being controlled by a Faceless. I doubt it would attack on its own.”

“The fact that it can be controlled makes it a danger. Begging your pardon, milady,” he added, with a nervous glance at the azi flying overhead, who patrolled against any unexpected assaults. “I know you’re fond of them. Or one of them.”

“No offense taken, milord. I can understand the fear.”

He’s right, I thought, setting his splint, I cannot keep resurrecting and killing daeva. Fighting the indar with the azi had already made me more exhausted than I remembered being in the past. But what could I do? Now that we’d learned that I cannot create shadowglass, bonding them to trustworthy Dark asha seemed the next best thing.

Likh and Khalad spoke quietly, the former’s eyes red. “Why not?” I overheard her ask. “I’m as much in danger of dying here with the runic wards as without them.” The soldier she was ministering to had sustained a severe head wound but was not in any mortal danger.

“You have a higher chance of dying without the wards as with them,” Khalad corrected. “We’ve had this discussion before, Likh. I’m not going to lose you on a maybe.”