As he moved toward the circle, where Zylas was still crouched, he waved at the impatiently waiting twins. “She’s all yours. Just don’t kill her yet.”

Grinning, Jaden strode around the perimeter of the room, Braden following a step behind. Their gazes raked over me, anticipation burning in their faces and madness burning in their twisted souls.

“I hope you appreciate the lenient contract I gave you, Zylas,” Claude murmured, stopping at the circle’s edge. “I didn’t bind your voice or magic. If you cooperate, you won’t find service to me terrible.”

Zylas slowly lifted his head, his glowing stare flat.

Holding the dangling infernus, Claude thrust his hand into the circle. “Daimon, hesychaze.”

Zylas dissolved into crimson power. The light leaped into the infernus.

As Claude pulled his infernus out of the circle and settled the chain around his neck, Jaden and Braden crouched on either side of my chair. I flinched, but I had no escape—no way to avoid their hands as they reached for me. Touching my arms. Squeezing my thighs. Jaden stroking my cheek as he whispered his sick fantasies in my ear.

Red light flashed. Zylas took shape again, standing obediently beside Claude.

The summoner tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Well, Zylas? Tell me where Robin hid the grim—”

A flash of claws, swift and deadly.

Blood sprayed from Claude’s chest. He fell backward, shock blanking his face, mouth gaping.

Zylas sprang like a panther, canines bared. Jaden and Braden slammed into the walls on either side of me. The chair beneath me shattered. Then Zylas was sweeping me against him. Crimson power blazed over his arm as he stretched it toward the ceiling, palm turned up, fingers spread. A huge spell formed above his palm.

“Ori quinque!”

Saul’s spell hurled Zylas into the wall, the cinderblock shattering from the impact—but the demon’s cast didn’t falter.

Magic detonated like a bomb.

The blast tore the ceiling off the basement—tore right through the garage above. Debris tumbled down, and Zylas smashed a beam aside as he leaped upward.

Saul was shouting Claude’s name. He was shouting at his sons for help.

Zylas caught the broken edge of the floor and sprang again, soaring over the wreckage of the garage. Wind rushed past, streetlights gleaming brightly. He landed in the alley and whirled so fast my head snapped sideways.

Crimson flashed, Zylas leaped, and a blow like a speeding car hit us.

Everything spun, and we crashed to the ground. My arms wrenched painfully, still tied behind my back. Zylas rolled over and lurched up, standing over me in a protective crouch. Dust roiled through the air, a swath of pavement disintegrated from the attack.

Wings spread, Nazhivēr dropped through the haze and landed on the road. He bared his teeth in a vicious grin as he extended his clawed fingers toward us for another strike. Spells flashed up his arm, pulsing with power.

Somewhere behind us, an engine roared.

Zylas thrust out both hands, magic blazing up his wrists, but he’d never defeated Nazhivēr in combat. Had never even come close.

The roaring grew louder—and Nazhivēr unleashed his attack. An incomprehensible beam of pure destructive power rocketed toward us, and Zylas’s counterspell wasn’t ready, runes still forming, a second too slow.

Crimson lines flashed across the ground beneath me—magic that hadn’t come from Zylas.

A wall of red light appeared inches from my face. Nazhivēr’s blast struck it and deflected upward, the screaming power surging into the sky. The shield shattered, and a shockwave of power thudded into me. Zylas staggered, then slashed his hands down.

Red blades whipped at Nazhivēr. The unprepared demon shielded his head with his arms, the cutting attack scoring his armor and slicing his flesh. His blood splattered the asphalt.

The roaring sound grew louder, then tires squealed. The stench of burning rubber hit my nose—and someone grabbed my jacket.

“Come on!”

I was unceremoniously thrown across the front of a motorcycle, the air punched from my stomach.

“Zylas!”

A hand roughly grabbed mine, and a cold metal disc was shoved against my palm. My fingers closed over it, instinctive, reflexive, my grip so tight it hurt. Light blazed and the infernus vibrated as Zylas’s spirit filled it.

Tires screaming against the pavement, the motorcycle took off. I twisted, squinting past my rescuer. A gritty dust cloud hung over the street, and Nazhivēr was no more than a shadow with dark wings and crimson claws glowing through the haze.

“Robin? Robin, talk to me.”

I blinked slowly. A face came into focus—bronze skin, a white scar, a pale eye that burned scarlet deep in its center.

“Ezra?” I mumbled.

“Are you hurt?”

Struggling to focus, I mentally catalogued my aches and pains. Nothing seemed too terrible. The worst pain came from my fingers, where I was clutching my infernus so tightly my skin had rubbed raw. My wrists were no longer bound, but I didn’t remember who’d freed me or when.

I glanced around. I was sitting on the back of an idling motorcycle in an unfamiliar downtown alley, and I didn’t remember getting here either.

Ezra stood beside me, frowning worriedly. He squeezed my shoulder. “I’ll take you to a healer and—”

“Home,” I croaked.

His frown deepened. “We should at least go to the guild so—”

“Home. Please.”

“Where do you live? The address in the guild database is wrong.”

Later, I would be annoyed that he’d tried to stalk me at my home. I told him my real address, too exhausted and shaky to worry about whether that was a good idea. He swung onto the bike in front of me and instructed me to hold on to him.

As I looped the infernus chain over my neck, I muttered, “I didn’t know you drove a motorcycle.”

“It’s not mine. I borrowed it.” He glanced over his shoulder. “And it’s not my favorite mode of transportation, so you really should hold on.”

That was reassuring. I gripped his jacket tightly.

The ride to my apartment was cold and terrifying, partly because neither Ezra nor I had helmets, and partly because he didn’t take a direct route. He cut through alleys, zigzagged along the downtown streets, and circled several blocks. I understood why but I didn’t enjoy it.