“The archdemon can keep the host moving faster than his own mental stamina would allow,” said Mondral. “But he’s still injured and encumbered. We’ll catch them.” He hesitated. “Be prepared for reinforcements.”
He left unsaid,It might already be over.
“Turil must have been inside his head for days.” Ysira could still scarcely believe it. “Just waiting for the right opportunity.”
“He had a nosebleed,” said Jacen. “The morning I saw him at the clinic, he said he’d fallen. I never suspected.” He slammed a hand against the side of the cage. “I didn’t see what was right under myfuckingnose.”
“I’m sorry,” said Mondral, “but we’ll have to put him down.” The words hit Ysira harder than she’d been prepared for. “We will do no such thing,” Jacen ground out.
You don’t have the will to kill this vessel.Even if Ysira could summon it, Jacen could not. Could Neri? She didn’t think so. The Lady of Pain could not have chosen a more perfect host than Seth Semira.
“Var Naxal is the priority,” Mondral snapped. “You have no idea what we’ve endured, you’re not one of us, and your place is to listen and obey. I have dedicated my life to this fight. I will not jeopardize our chances for anything, andyouhave no right.”
Jacen started to respond, but whatever he’d meant to say was lost in a shriek of metal as the elevator dragged to a stop.
They emerged on the long path that led to the black door. A lone figure limped toward it, someone smaller slumped motionless over his shoulder.
Before Ysira could follow Mondral, Jacen grabbed her by the arm. “We can’t kill Seth.”
“I don’t want to,” Ysira said. “But if it comes down to him or—” She stumbled over the words. “If it comes down to him or Neri, I have to save my son.”
She desperately wanted to believe she would not have to sacrifice Seth to save Neri. But the strength of her feelings—the pain of them—astonished her. After a decade of pretending he didn’t exist, she hadn’t thought herself capable of this.
“You have to let me attempt exorcism,” Jacen said. “We can incapacitate him and thenlet me try.I know you care for him too?—”
“Hurry!” Mondral shouted.
Ysira gave Jacen a sharp nod, which seemed to placate him for now. She ran after Mondral, Jacen trailing behind. Seth, or the thing inside him, heard them push through the door seconds after he had.
He set Neri down beneath a crescent of shadow cast from one of the temple mezzanines. Neri stirred and whimpered. Black blood trickled from his hairline, and Ysira’s stomach lurched when she realized Seth must have struck him.
“Reinforcements are coming,” Turil said through Seth’s mouth, with eerie calm. She raised his sword into a high hanging guard. At his back, the Gate pulsed and shimmered. Close—but not close enough. “This vessel can hold you off long enough.”
Mondral drew his own sword, steel glittering in the eerie red light from above. “We’ll see.”
Ysira sprinted toward Neri, Jacen toward Seth.
Seth attacked. He would have taken off Jacen’s arm had Jacen not dodged with a quickness only a telepath could manage. He backed away, intense focus writ across his face.
Ysira checked Neri’s pulse, found it strong, and dragged him away from the struggle. She readied her glaive, wishing she were wearing something more practical.
Mondral and Seth locked blades, straining against each other. Then Mondral let go. His sword dropped with a clang as he leaned expertly sideways and pulled another weapon from his belt. An ashek. A blade extended from the strange stone—a lightless void, outlined in brilliant gold.
Seth’s sword connected with the ashek’s glowing edge. A perfect block. It sliced his blade clean in two. He stumbled. Mondral danced behind him and sliced his heel tendon. Seth dropped to one knee.
Turil sucked air between Seth’s teeth. “Haven’t seen one of those in a century or two.” She still gripped the broken half of his sword but said, “Well played!”
Ysira had barely taken a step. It seemed, to her mild surprise, that Kanan Var Mondral was every bit as skilled as he claimed. She reached for Ogden’s syringe.
Jacen put himself between Seth and Mondral. “Wait.” “Stand aside,” said Mondral.
Jacen held his arms out toward each of them in a gesture of cautious surrender. “Fight it, Seth. You can take back control.” He did not avert his gaze from Seth as he ordered, “Mondral, get out of his head.” A pulse of extradimensional energy followed, so strong even Ysira felt it. Her demon convulsed. Agony surged in the back of her skull.
Neri cried out. Mondral doubled over and screamed, “Kheris, stop!”
Seth’s right hand trembled around the hilt of his sword. He put his left to his forehead as though in pain.
Jacen lowered his hands. “Look at me. Fight it!”
