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My hands clenched into fists on my knees "What are you?"

"I am a demon," he said "And so are you"

I fell silent, more in confusion than in shock That would coods killed thehten children"

Dateh patted ht it was a cluesture felt aard and forced Then I realized he didn’t like touching ic use," Dateh said "Have you never wondered why?"

Actually, I had not I’d thought it was just another way for the Order to control who had power and who didn’t But I said what the priests had taught ic, but only scriveners should, because they have the training to keep it safe Write even one line of a sigil wrong and the ground could open up, lightning could strike, anything h that isn’t the only reason The edict against wildart that ta aze So erous "The Gods’ War was not the first war a theht their own children--the half-breed ones they’d borne with mortal men and women"

All of a sudden, inexplicably, I thought of entle wavelets of his song as they rode the air

Serymn’s voice: there had been rumors about him

"The demons lost that war," Dateh said He spoke softly, for which I was grateful, because all at once I felt unsteady Chilled, as if the rooht, really, given the gods’ power Some of the demons no doubt realized this, and hid instead"

I closed ain

"Those demons survived," I said My voice shook "That’s what you’re saying Not h" My father His father, too, he’d told randmother, and an uncle, and more Generations of us in the Maroland, the world’s heart Hidden aht Lord’s most devout people

"Yes," said Dateh "They survived And so ods’ blood in their veins--ods’ language to facilitate even siacy is what turned the key in huic, but in most mortals that door is barely ajar