"This is delicious, Telara. Thank you again," he said, and she looked up at him and smiled a little."I am glad you like it, Captain." She looked like she was about to say more when there was a knock at the door. She quickly rose from the table and went to see who it was. "Captain Johnson ," she said, her smile a little bigger, "there is someone here who wants to talk to you." She moved aside, and Frank saw Sophyra in the doorway.He wiped his mouth and stood. Burning pinpricks, different from the prickling of the Azazil, began to cover his skin, and as he walked to the door, he noticed that Sophyra was practically scowling. He frowned and stepped outside, closing the door behind him."What is wrong?""I have been looking for you everywhere, Frank ," she said, and the burning intensified."Why? You told me to stay out of your way, and that is what I am doing.""I did not mean for you to do it in another woman's house!"Frank pressed his lips together in an attempt not to laugh at he

“Come on,” Telara said with a smile. “Daline needs you to make sure the dress fits.”The next several hours were spent in a flurry of activity. So much so that Sophyra almost missed it when Frank entered the square nearly three hours later. His torso was still bare, but his sword was sheathed, and the menacing look was gone from his face. He ignored everyone’s stares and disappeared into the house. Sophyra took one step in that same direction but stopped when Tero put his hand on her shoulder.“Let him go, Sophyra. Let him come to you.”“Why?”“He said he needed some time to himself. Give it to him.”Sophyra’s shoulders slumped, but she nodded and returned her attention to the preparations.Minutes before last light, everything was finished, and Sophyra was in Daline’s house with Nayna, Wamil, and Heena. The dresses that Daline had sewn were beautiful. Sophyra’s was a pale pink linen with white lace around the wrists, neckline, and hem, and it hugged her curves from her neck to her w

Ma′ikel had spent the moons since the boy had left researching Sainika, and what he had found he had kept to himself. There was no reason to give Jarda and Elise more worry than they already had. The Anmah had read in the ancient books and scrolls about Daitya and Azazil and Mandae and Sarpa and Takosa and a dozen other types of demons that served the Evil One. He now knew that Daitya could kill Anmah, which had surprised him, and that Azazil possessed people and forced them to do unspeakably evil acts. Mandae were imps who tormented their victims with visions of whatever their worst fear was, Sarpa were giant serpents, more than five paces long, whose venom could melt stone, and Takosa drank human blood, draining their victims of life within minutes. Other evils he had found were beast and spirit, some made flesh and some not. He had not a clue how Ga′briyel was supposed to fight spirits, but Yisu knew best, and He would protect His champion and give him the necessary skills."Ma′ike

"I know," Frank said with a sigh that came from his toes. "I made my way over these mountains alone when I was six years old."Manali's white eyes went wide. "Holy Yisu! Six years old! Why?"With a shrug, the Anmah answered, "My people were dead, I was Anmah, and I knew Torkeln lay on the other side of the mountains. I died nine times during that voyage, but I made it through the Parbatas by myself. Then my father found me and took me to Ma'ikel.""Nine times? How long did it take you to cross the mountains?""About four moons." When Manali opened her mouth, Frank quickly said, "Please, Manali, don't say it.""Say what, Sainika?""How amazed you are that I made it or how impressed or whatever other word you were going to use to describe how incredible it was that I survived with my mind intact. I have heard it all before.""That is not what I was going to say, boy.""No? Then what?""I was going to ask how old you are now."Frank frowned. "Twenty-one."The old woman's eyebrows rose. "

"Well, whatever it is, I am sure the men of Mirstone have encountered it before. Have you told Rewis what you are feeling?""No. What good would it do? He does not know what Luten or Idajo or Sisuvu feel like. He might know what they look like or sound like, but he cannot tell me what it is by the sensation I have." His hand tightened on the hilt of his sword. "I cannot fight what I do not understand, Tero.""Yes, you can. You did it in Difeld, and you did it in Grama. You will figure out a way to do it again."Frank said nothing more, and Tero slowly walked back to camp. Only moments passed before another man spoke."You should not be away from the camp, Anmah." Rewis sounded worried, and that was verified when the serpent slithered around Ga'briyel. "There are dangers here that you do not understand.""I know I do not understand them, Rewis, but there is only one way to understand them. I must encounter them, and I must do it alone." Frank drew his sword, and it slid silently out of