16

When the sounds of battle come to a stop and you lift your head, at first you think the sky has gone dark again, like in Pasema. But it's still only mid-morning—the darkness in the sky is coming from the black smoke that rises from the demonic corpses strewn all around Elith. Remembering your own connection to these creatures, you can't help but shudder, imagining that smoke rising from your own body.

Focusing on the demons is easier than trying to count the bodies of the guards who fell during the fight, several of whom you recognize from three years ago. The survivors are stunned, unmoving, several seated with their heads in their hands. Although the fighting appears to be over, you swear you can still hear the demonic screeching in your head. You don't know where Verity's assistant Sophia ended up.

In the midst of the mass of demonic bodies, Verity is standing and shuddering, arms limp at her sides. You can't tell if she's looking at anything.

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