Why would you give it to me?

Why would you come here if you did not seek it?

An accident, Jez said. We were trying to find a way into the library. When I sensed this wasnt a normal fire, I investigated. What could someone do with the rune to the Keep of the Hosts?

They could reach the Keep or affect all its inhabitants.

The pharim?

Yes. All of them, if there is enough power and if the mage is skilled enough to craft the proper working.

A chill ran through Jezs body. By the seven, Sharim summoned Aniel into the world six months ago, and because of that, all of the pharim retreated to the Keep and refused to answer any summons. He could call them all. This was what he wanted from the beginning. Thats why he wanted to bring the library here. He didnt just want a way out of the abyss. Hes going to strike back at them.

The image of the guard flickered, and his eyes went wide. Something is wrong. The flames are dissipating.

What do you mean?

Something is putting them out. Theyre not even trying to take the knowledge. Theyre trying to destroy it. You must take the rune.

No, I cant. That will leave it vulnerable to Sharim.

My charge is to make sure the knowledge survives. You are a pharim. Guard it well.

The man extended a hand, and pain blossomed in Jezs head. He screamed as the guardian faded and the librarys tower came into view. His head was pounding, and it took a second for his vision to clear. Creatures that looked like living statues held Lina and Osmund. Mirel stood over the flames, and as she finished chanting, the fire puffed out without leaving so much as a wisp of smoke in the air. The former Lightgiver met Jezs gaze and smiled.

I have to admit, she said, I did not expect you to fall into this trap so easily. Now, you will give me what you learned.

Jez drew deeply of Luntayarys power, but before he transformed, one of the rock creatures. .h.i.t him in the back of the head. He lost his concentration as the blow sent him to the ground, but Jez was no longer the newly raised adept he had been the last time Sharim had been active in the world. Hed had half a year to train. As soon as he hit the ground, he sent a wave of terra magic into the stone. The ground shook, and while the stone demons didnt falter, Mirel did. She stumbled, and immediately, Jez threw himself at her.

The demons struck again while he was in the air, but this time, Jez was ready. They were stone enough to be affected by his power. The heavy fist crumpled to dust, and though it got into Jezs eyes, it didnt bother him. He crashed into Mirel, once again drawing on the power he had within. The demons werent close enough this time, and Luntayarys form flared into existence. Rather than attack the afur, Jez rolled off of her and threw himself into the air. He flew several yards away from the tower before turning and launching a banishing at the nearest stone demon, the one with only one remaining hand. A distortion of air rushed toward the creature. Power washed over it, and rock collapsed to powder. Jez destroyed the other demon a second later.

Ziary replaced Osmund, and his burning blade tore through the air toward Mirel, but she stepped off the tower. Shed fallen nearly halfway down before she spread her wings and flew toward Jez, her shining blade in her hand. Before she reached him, a blast of wind knocked her aside, and Ziary flew up next to Jez. Mirel caught herself and hovered several yards below them.

Two against one, she said. Thats hardly fair.

Jez sneered. As if you cared about fair.

No, a voice said from behind, but you do.

Jez turned, and rage and fear mingled within him. The being had bat-like wings, and snake scales covered his body, the result of a transformation meant to neutralize the poison of the snake man who had bitten him when he had summoned the high lord of the Beastwalkers. Only the faintest trace of humanity remained in his features, not that he had ever truly been human. Not on the inside. This was a being who possessed all the knowledge and experience of a powerful demon but with the freedom to act that had only been granted to humans. Jez hissed the name.

Sharim.

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR.

Take care of Mirel, Jez shouted to Ziary as he dove toward Sharim.

Jezs crystal blade shimmered far brighter than the dim sun could account for. Sharim called a weapon of his own, a sword of liquid flame. Their two swords crashed against each other with a sound that wouldve made thunder seem like a whisper. The impact ran down Jezs arms, but he barely felt it. Again and again, he struck. Sharim didnt return the attacks, though he had no trouble turning aside Jezs blows. Another Jez appeared next to Sharim, but the demon ignored the illusion. Sharim gave him a smile that made Jezs blood run cold.

He batted aside a stroke of Jezs sword. I owe you a thanks. The guardian would never have given me the rune.

He didnt give it to me.

Jez struck again, but Sharims burning blade deflected the attack. You always were a poor liar.

Suddenly, Mirel rushed past them. Her robes were on fire, and she wasnt moving as she fell. In the next instant, Ziary hovered behind Sharim. The human-form demon threw a casual glance over his shoulder before turning back to Jez with a look of bored indifference.

Are you sure you want to be doing this?

He flew up just as Ziarys sword tore through the spot hed been in. Jez followed him up and struck from below, but Sharim avoided the attack.

You cant keep this up forever, Jez cried out.

Certainly not, Sharim said as he moved aside to dodge a ball of fire that Osmund has shot at him. Long before you cut me down, however, your friend will be dead.

Lina screamed, and Jezs eyes darted to her. More of the rock demons were on the tower, and two of them held Lina between them, pulling her in opposite directions. It was an obvious trap. Those demons could have ripped her apart before shed had a chance to cry out. Still, he couldnt just leave her.

Ill get her, Ziary said as he shot pa.s.sed them.

Sharim spread his hands, and a net of darkness fell over Ziary, tangling his wings and sending him plummeting to the ground. Jez turned to watch him fall, and in the next instant, Sharims sword bit into his wing. Jez cried out as he tried to remain aloft, but the injured wing struggled to support him. He started to fall, but Sharim caught him.

Oh no. I dont want you dead just yet. Not while you still have information I need.

Sharim gripped Jezs face in one hand, spreading his fingers. Power pulsed in Jezs mind as Sharim ran up against the wards Jez had set around his thoughts.

Impressive, Sharims thin voice said, but its not good enough.

The pressure on Jezs mind increased, and he felt his wards begin to crack. Sharims presence leaked into his mind. He shivered as the demon rifled through his thoughts. Jez had never trained in mental magic, and aside from his wards, he had no defense. Sharim would find the rune. He had to do something. Anything.

Jez reached inside himself, not to draw more deeply on Luntayarys power, but to the shadow imprisoned in his mind. Whether Luntayary sensed his purpose or Jez somehow did it on his own, the wards around the shadow shattered. Free of its restraints, it attacked his memories, but it sensed another presence in Jezs mind, one new to the shadow who craved nothing so much as new experiences. Under ordinary circ.u.mstances, Sharim wouldve been able to defeat, or even control, such a creature easily, but by coming into Jezs thoughts, he had made himself vulnerable. Sharim screamed, and they were both drawn into the demons memories.

Andera drew his twin blades as a legion of pharim came against him. Shadowguards and Shadeslayers attacked him, but he was more powerful by far than any one of them. One slash of his ma.s.sive blades dispatched a dozen of his foes. They didnt retreat, though. It was not in the nature of pharim to run. Then, a stronger foe appeared. Andera was mightier, but he didnt outcla.s.s this one by nearly as much as he did the others. Fighting so many lesser pharim at the same time might well be enough to overcome him, but just like the pharim, it wasnt in Andera to turn back. He held both of his swords ready.

I have always wanted to see one of the greatest of you in battle, Luntayary.

Jez gasped, and he and Sharim flew apart from each other. They hovered in the air and stared into each others eyes. Jezs mouth was dry, and he could barely keep himself up. Aside from the memories dredged up by the shadows, he had no knowledge of Andera, but even the sc.r.a.ps he knew were enough to put together a frightening picture. Andera was one of the greatest demons, greater even than Marrowit. He had to at least be of the second order, maybe even of the first. Even at his full power, Luntayary could not fight Andera in face to face combat. Not alone.

A ball of fire slammed into Sharim from behind. He arched his back as Ziarys hand lit up behind him, though Jez had no idea how hed freed himself of his restraints. He held Lina in one arm and used the other to fling another fire ball at Sharim. This time, Sharim turned and caught it on his blade. The sword absorbed the fire and grew brighter for a second. Jez threw a band of light that encircled Sharim. The demon began to fall, but Jez knew his binding wouldnt hold.

Lets go!

What? Osmund asked. We have him on the run.

No, we dont. Were not ready for this.

But"

The binding shattered before Sharim had come even close to the ground. Jez flapped his wings and pushed himself pa.s.sed Ziary. He briefly stopped at the tower and used terra magic to pull out large pieces of stone and sent them sailing toward Sharim. The demon avoided them but didnt follow. Jez took a few head-sized stones with him in case they were pursued. They wouldnt do much good, but they were better than nothing.

Follow me if you want to live. Well come back, but for now, were not ready.

Ziary only hesitated for a second before following, leaving Sharim behind them.

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE.

While they were in the air, Lina scattered more false images attached to the link in Jezs mind. Osmund called wind to help Jezs struggling flight. They landed in the same cave they had hidden in before. They found no signs of the demons that had been there earlier. Even the ashes of the phobos were gone. They entered and explored the cave a thousand yards back. Jez collapsed the back to give them additional protection, though the effort left him breathing heavily.

Do you really think he wont find us here?

Eventually, he will, Jez said. We dont have to stay here long, though, and I think well be hidden for a little while at least. It should give me time to craft a circle to call Shamarion.

Out of what? Lina asked. Youre not going to use demonic earth to summon the pharim, are you? This has to be too big for a walking circle.

Jez held up a pair of large stones he still had from the library. He sent a wave of power into one, and it crumbled into fine sand. Jez formed a wide circle with it. It would be a slow process. He didnt want to draw in the dust with his fingers, afraid that would mix dust from the cave floor with the sand and thus corrupt the summoning. Normally, it would take a great deal of extra material to affect a circle, but normally the extra material wasnt from the abyss, and he had no idea what that could do. Instead, he drew with the sand, drawing the runes by drizzling it down in the appropriate place.

Ill be outside in case anyone comes, Osmund said. Lina, will you hide me?

She nodded and followed him out. Before long, Jez had used up the rock dust from the first stone, and he crushed the second one. Slowly, the summoning circle took shape. Limited by his inability to draw in the sand, he couldnt make a circle nearly as complex as he wouldve liked, and many of the runes were clumsy and poorly drawn. Any creature with even the slightest bit of power would have no problem breaking out. He would never attempt to use such a circle if there was even the slightest chance the summoned being would be hostile. He didnt even like using it for this situation, but it would have to do.

Jez, Osmunds voice said. A second later, he and Lina appeared out of nowhere. Theyre coming. There are dozens of them.

Jez sputtered. He still held a double handful of dust, and the circle wasnt anywhere close to what hed been intending to craft.

It hasnt been half a day yet, Jez said. I dont think its been six hours.

We can leave and try from somewhere else, or you can do it now, Osmund said.

I cant take the dust somewhere else. Itll get mixed with the earth here.

Cant you use terra magic?

Jez shook his head. Its bad enough I had to use terra magic to crush the stones. If I have to use it to move the dust, itll interfere with the summoning.

Osmund glanced out of the cave. Theyre coming, Jez. What do we do?

Jez drew one more quick rune before standing. He raised his hands and began to chant. Outside, he could hear the demonic force approaching. The ground shook as they neared, and Jez poured power into the circle. It pulsed several times, and Jez could feel it echoing in a place far away.

Pharim.

The word echoed several times. Osmund backed up from the cave mouth. Just as a chezamut stepped into the cave, there was a flash of light, and a woman in scarlet robes appeared in the center of Jezs circle. Wings seemingly made of fire rose from her back. At her hip hung a blade that looked similar to Ziarys, but it seemed somehow more. The fire burned brighter, and the metal within gleamed silver, though there was no way Jez shouldve been able to see that through the flames. This was what Ziarys blade wished it could be. She smiled and threw her hands forward. A ball of liquid red flame shot at the demon. The flames distorted the air, and though they flew away from Jez, he could still feel their heat. The fire engulfed the demon, and when it had pa.s.sed, it didnt leave so much as a pile of ash. Other demons cried out as the fire went into them.

The woman spread her wings and flew out of the circle. As soon as shed pa.s.sed over its borders, there was another flash of light as a second Shadeslayer appeared. He too flew off to battle the demons, making way for a Shadowguard who quickly stepped out of the way. Pharim poured out of the circle. Most wore blue or red robes, but there was the occasional green-robed Beastwalker looking like a cross between an animal and a man. An orange-robed Lifebringer landed next to Jez. She looked him up and down and placed a hand on his forehead. Almost instantly, all the wounds hed suffered over the past couple of days vanished, and strength returned to his body. The damage done by his transformation remained, but without all the other wounds, it was much more bearable. She smiled and did the same for Osmund and Lina. As soon as she finished, Shamarion landed next to her. His eyes focused on Jez.

I asked for half a day.

Sorry, Jez said. He waved his hand toward the entrance to the cave. The sounds of battle filled the air. We wouldnt have survived half a day.

The Shadowguard eyed the cave mouth for a second before nodding. So it would seem. If youll excuse me, I should join the battle.

Jez grabbed the sleeve of his robe. Just a second. Theres something you should know.

Shamarion glanced at the cave mouth. Pharim warriors still poured through it. He sighed and turned to Jez. Yes, what is it? I shouldnt keep myself from the battle too long.

Jez started to speak but stopped. He stared at the pharim for a second. Youre afraid youll miss all the excitement.

Shamarion looked like he was trying to appear emotionless, but the edges of his mouth turned up. What did you want?

Jez grinned, but the sense of amus.e.m.e.nt only lasted for a second. Sharim, the one I was worried about. His demonic name is Andera.

Shamarions smile faded, and his face took on a deadly serious expression. Oh, well that does change things. I didnt bring nearly enough warriors for this.

Jez gave Osmund a pointed glance before turning back to Shamarion. Hes bound by human flesh just like I am, Jez said. He wont have access to his full power.

Unless he decides to destroy his body and become Andera in full.

I dont think he would do that. With a demon as powerful as Andera, there have to be some pretty elaborate protections to keep him from getting out of the abyss.

Shamarion nodded. Placed by Sariel himself, though I doubt even Sariel considered human flesh.

Then, being human is the only way he can get out again. Thats an advantage, at least.

Not so much an advantage for us as it is less of an advantage for them.

Still, Jez said, its enough that we wont automatically lose. I dont know what youre complaining about. Its not like youre at risk here.

Not in any lasting way, but if this form is destroyed, it will take time for me to recover. I brought three hundred warriors with me. Can you imagine what would happen to the world if three hundred pharim suddenly ceased to exist for a year? Andera could do it.

Jez rolled his eyes. Its not like it would make any difference. The pharim have all retreated from the world anyway.

Shamarion gave him a hard stare before letting out a long breath and nodding, but he still didnt seem sure.

Look at it this way, Jez said. If Andera destroys you, that will probably mean hes no longer Sharim. h.e.l.l be trapped here, and youll only be gone for a year. The pharim will be safe to come back into the world. Otherwise, who knows how long the high lords will keep them away.