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Hurt it Crush it Destroy it

My demon mark blazed with hellfire I used its flaes off Mab’s trunk

"Victory, don’t!" Mab shouted Her voice sounded like her own again

I ignored her and ripped off the lid, then tossed it aside I seized the hilt of a steel-bladed sword Steel--perfect The hag was a spirit, not a deony

And feel it she would Over and over, before I destroyed her

I laughed

I hefted the sword, looking forward to feeling her flesh give way as I drove the blade into her body

But the hag, still atop her huge steed, was too high All right First the horse, and then the rider I aimed for the beast’s massive chest

"No, child!"

I charged

Somy cheek Another sliced into my sword arm The sas snatched from my hand

I stopped, confused My vision cleared My aunt stood between e reddened ht, we’d see on My aunt or not, I’d had enough of the bossy old lady and her Mab-always-knows-best attitude She needed to get the hell out of eyser of flame A flick of my arm, and I’d burn her to ashes But no What I really wanted was to beat her at swordplay I reached into the trunk for a weapon Another sharp pain bitwith you?" The question buzzed close to my ear "Have some respect for your elders, why don’t you?"

So that was the black shape that had flown into my eyes

"Get out of my way, Butterfly," I snarled "Or you’re next"

"Okay, sure Go ahead Kill your conscience Then this"--the black butterfly flew through the jet of flame and landed on my demon mark--"will take over co on thefuriously It tickled--but it also soothed and cooled The red haze of anger cleared a little The fla for a weapon to do battle with my aunt, one of the people I loved , I let ood one: What rong with me?

The answer, of course, was in the faint redout the last sparks The Eidolon looked up at me and winked "Listen to me, kid I may be a pain in the ass, but I’ll keep us both out of trouble" Its sharp black wings lifted it into the air, and then it dive-bout

Oof That never felt pleasant

But it wasif I’d attacked Mab

I raised iveness there, but also a wariness that made me want to curl up in a ball and weep My aunt didn’t trust roaned He lay on his side, panting, his ashen skin slick with sweat I leaned over him His eyes flickered open "I didn’t kneel," he whispered "I couldn’t stand, but I didn’t kneel"

I reached out a hand--my non–demon marked hand--and smoothed back his beautiful silver hair

"You aresaid She was old again, pinched and wrinkled, her voice shrill "And your precious Victory doesn’t care She has the means to release you, and yet she refuses" She cackled evilly "She would rather see you suffer And oh, you will I willyou’ve endured Your will is strong; it will be aze to o, I offered her a bargain Your freedoe for the falcon My falcon Clearly, she has made her choice, hound And she has not chosen you"

"Leave us, Mallt-y-Nos" Mab’s voice had again faded to a whisper She’d fitted the lid back on the trunk and she sat on it now, her shoulders slumped The steel sword lay on the floor beside her "You have no business here"

"Oh, but I have There is a soul here for estured with her chin toward the spot where the male zombie had fallen before the Morfran blasted hiether They grew to foran to take on the shape of a love in that trunk The gauntlet I know its purpose, to call the falcon If you give it to ain But if you do not--" Her youthful features were anything but innocent "If you do not, I will obtain it some other way And then I will have both my falcon andto their feet The horse let out a terrifying whinny as she reared it back The blue mist of the dead zombie’s soul, now a transparent forht Hag blew her hunting horn Her hounds barked frantically and charged the zombie’s shade He screamed--a thin, --and ran, the hounds at his heels Mallt-y-Nos dug sharp spurs into the sides of her steed and took off in pursuit Her hunting horn blared furiously