Thorn Queen (Dark Swan, #2)(84)

Gasping and woozy, I looked around, realizing there were no more demons left-well, no fire demons at least. The water demons, victorious, were still there-and they were charging toward us. Shit. I realized then what I'd potentially unleashed. I cuffed Jasmine on the shoulder, nearly knocking her over, and reached for my gun.

"I warned you not to try anything," I cried, pointing the gun at her. "Send them away!"

"It's not me," she exclaimed back. "I can't control them!"

Stepping forward, I got a good look at her face. She was covered in sweat, skin pale. Dorian had said demon summoning was hard, and the full weight of what I'd done hit me. She'd summoned them but no longer had the power to control them. I had no more strength left for banishing, but I could feel Jasmine still trying to work her magic, weak as it now was. It was impossible to sense every part of what someone else was doing with their magic, but I got a strong feel for hers. These creatures were bound to water. They were part of my domain. Doing my best to mimic her, I joined my strength to hers, sending commands through my magic, willing them to leave this world.

They were nearly on us, and I almost laughed at the irony as my own death approached. Then, suddenly, I felt my magic sync up perfectly with Jasmine's. Control of the demons slipped into place, and they froze. Together, she and I ordered them back, and there was a tear in the fabric of space, an opening to the Underworld. It was almost like a banishing, but not quite. The demons were willingly-well, with our urging-returning, and our magic helped them with the passage. A moment later, they dissolved from our world.

After that, I felt like I'd run a marathon. Every part of me ached and was wearied. Yet, as bad as I was, Jasmine was worse. "I guess blood really is thicker than water," she whispered in a very bad attempt at a joke. She swayed on her feet, eyes rolling back in her head, and then she collapsed. I barely managed to catch her in my own weakened state, but then stronger arms took hold. Kiyo.

He barely had a scratch, and relief poured through me. "Thanks."

He lifted her easily into his arms. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," I said, looking down at my sister-who hadn't betrayed me after all. "She's bad, though. Get her to a healer."

Kiyo hesitated, not wanting to leave me. Then, he gave a quick nod and loped off in that way that was half-human and half-wild animal. Looking around, I saw that the others were rounding up the remaining rabble. My losses looked light. Rurik was leading a man who seemed to be in the same shape as Jasmine. The demon summoner. Dorian was with Rurik and gave me a quick glance. I knew what was in the look. Kill the summoner or not? I gave a sharp shake of my head. Dorian grimaced and then turned back to help Rurik with his prisoner.

No one seemed to notice or need me, and I sank gratefully to the ground, waiting for my strength to return. I wondered if I'd be able to call up the magic again that I had used with Jasmine. Trying to piece it together seemed like too much work now, and I contented myself with watching my people work.

Then, out of my peripheral vision, I saw movement. I stood up and looked far to my side, toward a stony bluff covered in cacti. A face peered out at me and then ducked back. I knew the face. It was the scarred gentry who'd come to my house the other night. With no further thought, I started to hurry after him. Then, to my astonishment, I paused and did what Rurik would have wanted. A couple of my soldiers were lingering nearby. "Hey, come here," I called, gesturing. They immediately followed as I set off at a brisk pace, moving as fast as I could to reach the bluff. When I turned around the side of it, I saw no sign of the gentry warrior I sought.

The ground rose sharply here, beginning to turn into foothills reminiscent of the ones near my house in Tucson. The vegetation was thicker, though still a far cry from a true forest. It was mostly cacti, shrubs, and scraggly trees. Going up the small hill was a narrow path, and on impulse, I headed up it in search of my prey. The footsteps of my soldiers sounded behind me, their boots crunching in the gravel.

Who was that guy? And why was he here now? Was he one of the bandits? I hadn't seen him in the fight. Was he some sort of spy, perhaps, which was why he'd come to my house and-

Snick. Snick. Two arrows came out of nowhere as we reached the crest of a hill. Each one hit one of my soldiers in the chest, dropping them to the ground. I came to a screeching halt, waiting for my arrow, peering around the trees for the mystery gentry to reveal himself.

But he didn't.

Art did.

He smiled, stepping forward. "Eugenie, nice to see you again. You've been very busy around here, I hear." He waved vaguely toward where I'd come from, though my people were nowhere in sight. Eugenie, I thought, you are a f*cking moron. Beyond Art, I saw the gentry I'd chased emerge from the cover, along with two others-all wearing leather armor like Jasmine had described. They carried bows and wore red shirts under the armor.

"Roland called me last night and nearly bit my head off about getting you involved in gentry politics." Art shook his head, amused. "I wonder what he'd say if he only knew just how involved you were-your majesty."

I was exhausted as hell and devoid of magic. But-I was still human and not without human implements. The gun was still in my hand, and I jerked it up toward him. I needed to distract him until some of my own people came. Fuck. I shouldn't have come rushing up this hill, even if I had had the sense to bring some backup. The question now was, would the rest of my people notice I was gone? Usually, I could hardly step outside the castle's door without a dozen people in tow.