He dropped his prey and screamed, pressing his hands against his face, before letting go and screaming again.

‘Ahh! What’s this? Ahhhhh!’ A fire was starting in Crunch’s mouth. ‘ Now for the grinding and the hurting and the chewing and the savouring.’ Where the fragments of tanzanite had embedded themselves in Crunch’s gums and lips, thin plumes of smoke began to appear. Crunch coughed and then pulled Sa-at close. The gemstone struck the demon square in the teeth and shattered, the larger chunks spraying in all directions, the smaller ones expanding out in a shimmering cloud. He pulled back his arm and then swung the shard towards Crunch’s face. The tanzanite shard was still in his hand, still glowing. ‘Got you!’ The demon stood again, taking Sa-at with him. Then, Crunch’s hand moved swiftly, unerringly, to find Sa-at’s throat. The demon’s tongue flapped in front of him, tasting and probing, spattering Sa-at’s cheeks with flecks of heavy phlegm. He turned his head towards Sa-at who kept very still, not even daring to breathe, though the air was starting to burn in his lungs. ‘ What’s this?’ rasped Crunch as the light from the gem hissed on his skin. The top of the Tanzanite was visible now as it slid free. Are you going to tell them?’ ‘That depends on you.’ Satyendra fell to his knees at Vasin’s feet. ‘ Do you know what they would do to you if they found out?’ ‘I can guess. Satyendra’s tears had started to dribble down his fingers. One that my mother or Pari would not pass up.

There was a chance Vasin’s crimes against the house would stay secret! Moreover, Yadavendra was without support. If Lord Rochant were still in the Wild, there was a chance they could catch him before he returned.

‘ How did you pass their test?’ ‘I used my knowledge of Lord Rochant and I … got lucky.’ ‘Lucky? By the Thrice Blessed Suns I should kill you.’ But he was starting to think this might be good news after all. Satyendra is pathetic but he’s no abomination, there would have been no demon for the Bringers to find. The ritual must have failed because Rochant’s soul is still in this world. Everything was such a mess, he just wanted to lash out. Please, my lord, I’ll do anything, but please, don’t kill me.’ He realized that he’d been digging his fingers in again. They were so happy I didn’t know what to do.

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