“But how? What can we do?”

“I don’t know,” said Donal.

“I knew how to fight you.

I have no idea how to fight this.”

They stood, silent,

by the dry fountain

at the center of what

had once been a town.

NECROMANCER

Ven spoke and dead men heard him.

Ven spoke and rich men paid.

Silver to pass the dead a message;

gold to know what they replied.

Ven feasted, drank, fucked girls

before an audience of ghosts.

A year, two years, and then it palled;

he tired of gold, of limber flesh.

He cut girls, cut boys, killed.

Nothing answered, nothing thrilled.

He corrupted scholars, raised bones,

demanded: “What pleasured you?”

In the tombs of a fallen empire,

the dust whispered: Demon fire.

∗

The darkness striding through the town

was once a man, but now is not.

Afire, each man, each woman, each child,

each scorched scream fresh, fabulous.

Their thoughts, terrors, torments

unfolding in his mind: tangible, tasty.

A flaring feast that briefly fills

the darkness striding through the town.

RANK AND FILE

To not show his despair,

his fear, his helplessness.

To be what they need him

to be.

At night, on sentry duty,

every shifting shadow

speaks of demons

until the king makes his rounds.

Stops by each sentry,

hears their reports,

remembers their names,

the fragments of their lives

they shared on other nights.

The darkness lifted.

Rice gruel for breakfast

every day for a month

but the soldiers don’t complain,

King Xau eating the same.

Only colder.

He and his guards the last

to serve themselves.

To worry about them all—

their boots, blankets, food,

how long it’s been since

they last heard from home.

LINNY

“It’s only for one night!”

Linny glared at Tirron,

who sat on their bed,

scratching his feet.

“Go if you’re scared. I’m staying.”

“Of course I’m scared—it’s moon dark.

What are you planning to do?

Fight demons?”

“Nope. I’ll cook porridge and go to bed.”

Linny so furious she wanted to shake him.

Instead she squashed a blanket into her pack,

fastened the straps, said, her voice level,

“Everyone’s to leave. King Donal’s orders.

The mayor set up a guarded area north of town.”

“Not everyone’ll go, and some that stay

will be looting. I’ll protect our things.”

“So you’re not planning to fight demons,

just ruffians. That’s smart, really smart.”

A bell tolled in the distance,

followed by a chorus of other bells,

the chimes overlaying each other

in the dwindling afternoon light,

the last warning to leave.

Linny hoisted her pack.

At the door, her back to him,

she said, “I love you.”

Afterward, she clung to that fact,

that she’d told him she loved him.

NIGHT ATTACK

The king away at war—

The palace sentries oblivious

to the enemy infiltration

of his bedchamber—

A feline operative

thwarted the incursion:

the intruder captured, released,

captured, released, recaptured.

Remains deposited on the queen’s slippers—

Next assignment: The Pigeon Problem.

ANGSHAN

Safe, they thought they were safe,