Sunlight slanted across the bed. Alton blinked, and then blinked again when a dog barked nearby. Slowly he sat up in bed. Ginny slept soundly beside him, but the sun was high in the sky and if the clock was right, it was almost noon. He shook his head and looked again.

Definitely almost noon. He leaned over and kissed Ginny’s shoulder. She twitched, as if she was trying to dislodge a fly. He kissed her again and she opened one bleary eye. “It’s almost noon, my love. We need to get moving.”

She popped up and shook her head. “Noon? When are we supposed to meet Dax and Eddy?”

There was a loud knock on the bedroom door and it swung open. Without waiting, Dax stuck his head in. Ginny shrieked and pulled the sheet up over her bare breasts. Alton made sure he was properly covered just before Eddy popped into the room. “You were supposed to meet Dax and Eddy around noon,” she said, laughing. “It’s noon and we’re here.”

There was a mad scramble behind them and BumperWillow came flying into the bedroom and jumped up on the bed. Ginny shrieked again and pulled a pillow over her face. The dog wriggled and barked and licked Alton and her tail was going a million miles a minute.

Ginny poked her nose out from under the pillow. “I thought you set DarkFire and HellFire up as sentries. How’d these guys get in?” BumperWillow turned and gave Ginny’s face a big lick. Ginny screamed and ducked back under the pillow and the dog went back to work on Alton.

Laughing, he finally grabbed her by the shoulders and held her back from his face. “I’m glad to see you, too, beast, but settle down!”

BumperWillow barked again. I missed you, Alton. I missed you a lot. We both did.

Alton hugged the dog. “I missed you, too, Willow. And Bumper. So how’d you guys get here? And how’d you get past our sentries?”

Dax laughed. “You mean your swords? We’re the good guys, remember? HellFire and DarkFire both wished us a good morning when we arrived.”

“Great.” Alton rolled his eyes at Ginny.

She giggled. “Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time.”

Eddy sat on the foot of the bed and pulled Dax down beside her. Dax said, “We came back earlier than planned and popped out in the middle of your New Age meditation group, or one just like it. Anyway, they were just finishing up and gave us a lift here in a really cool bus.”

Alton laughed. “I think I know the one you mean.”

Eddy could hardly talk through her giggles. “We’re talking psychedelic mid-sixties art and clothing—and people—but they were really nice and didn’t seem the least bit surprised when we stepped right out of the rock. We’re invited to a craft and music fair they’re putting on this afternoon. It’s just down the road, across from that ranch where the Spanish fighting bulls are pastured.”

“Okay.” Alton glanced at Ginny. “Those bulls remind me. I have a theory about the demons…”

Ginny frowned. “We haven’t seen any since Dax and Eddy left. I know that doesn’t mean they’re all gone, but…”

Eddy and Dax immediately sobered. Dax wrapped his arm around Eddy’s waist. “You probably haven’t seen them because I think I’m their target at this point. The demon king has done all he can with the demons he brought with him. We talked it over with Ed last night and he agrees. The demon king needs me now, if he’s going to get any stronger. Since it’s my old demon body he’s using, we think he’s able to capture my energy and siphon it from this form into the one it’s familiar with. At this point, we need to be alert, but we agreed—there’s no need to hunt the demon king. Not when he’s going to be hunting me.”

“There’s only one problem.” Alton caught everyone’s attention. “I think the demons are hiding out in the fighting bulls during the day. At least, I think that’s where the demon king goes. If we go to that craft fair, we’re going to be heading straight for the demon. He won’t need to hunt very far.”

 

Eddy fixed bacon and eggs in the small kitchen while Ginny and Alton showered. When Alton finally got to the kitchen, Dax handed him a cup of coffee and they wandered out to the back deck with BumperWillow right behind. Alton sipped his coffee and stared out over the desert. It was another warm, sunny day. Yesterday’s threatening storm had never materialized. Today’s blue sky created a perfect backdrop for the red rock formations.

“It looks so beautiful, doesn’t it? Peaceful and absolutely perfect.” He turned to Dax and grinned. “Have you thought of how we’re going to stop this bastard?”

Dax shook his head. “It’s going to take all of us. Ginny’s DarkFire appears to be the most powerful weapon we’ve got, but it’s stronger in tandem with another sword. It’s almost as if her blade can focus the energy from ours. Eddy and I brought Willow along because she can sense demons before the rest of us. Maybe if we get a jump on this guy…” He shrugged.

Alton glanced at Dax and then returned his gaze to the desert. “I’m convinced he’s spending his days inside the lead bull in that pasture just down the road. I’m not sure about the other bulls, but the big one there seems much too aware of us every time we drive by. Plus, it’s like I’m drawn to him for some reason. HellFire can’t tell for sure if he’s there, but I have a feeling the demons are getting better at masking their presence.”

Dax nodded. “If we go to that fair, it’ll give us a chance to check and see if you’re right. Let’s assume you are. I’ll feel better if we’re all together, but we need to be prepared.”

Eddy stuck her head out the door. “Come and eat. Breakfast is ready.”

Alton followed Dax back into the kitchen. He felt a strange prickling along his spine, as if his senses had suddenly gone on alert. He glanced at BumperWillow. The dog didn’t seem to notice a thing, so he relaxed and joined the others in the kitchen.

Still, he’d been feeling more suspicious of that bull since the first time he saw it. If the demon king was using it as an avatar during the day, could it somehow give him the strength to roam in his demon form at night? Maybe the fact it had taken on Dax’s old body gave it an added boost of energy. It wasn’t a true avatar because it was a wraith like the other demons, but it also had physical properties the others lacked.

It was so hard to know, especially since the rules of engagement seemed to change by the day. Alton glanced up as Ginny entered the kitchen. She grabbed a cup of coffee and took the seat beside him. When he took her hand in his, he felt her tension all the way through his body.

Something was going to happen today. He wasn’t sure what and didn’t know how he knew what he knew, but the sense of dread that cloaked him suddenly had all of Alton’s senses on alert.

Last night when they’d made love, he’d realized how very much he now had to lose. Of course, that was also more incentive to fight harder and smarter.

Come hell or demons, he was not going to lose Ginny.

 

Dax and Alton cleared the dishes away and Eddy wiped the table down. Ginny brought fresh coffee for all of them and took her seat beside Alton. “Do you realize this is the first time we’re actually going on the offense?” Her gaze slipped from Eddy to Dax to Alton. “We’ve fought a defensive fight every time with the demons, at least since I’ve been involved. What do we need to do to be ready?”

Alton took her hand. “We have to find the bastards first. I’m guessing they’re in the bulls. I could be wrong.”

“Let’s assume you’re right,” Eddy said. “We can’t just go on someone’s property and attack the livestock. How do we draw the demons to us?”

“If we go to the craft fair, it might bring the demon king out of hiding,” Dax said.

“But then you’re putting innocent people at risk.” Alton shook his head. “We can’t endanger innocent lives.”

“Let’s go to the fair, walk across the road to check out the fancy cattle, and see if we feel the demons’ presence.” Ginny squeezed Alton’s hand. “Then if there’s no sense of them, we can go to the fair and enjoy ourselves, and figure the demon king will find us here tonight.”

“And if they’re in the cattle?” Alton raised an eyebrow.

Ginny grinned. “We go to plan B.”

“Which is?” He grinned back.

“You hit the entire fair with a compulsion while we kill off the demon king and end the threat to all humanity. Seems like a simple enough plan to me.”

“Oh, yeah,” Alton muttered. “Real simple.”

Dax pushed his chair away from the table. “Unfortunately, Ginny’s idea is about the best we’ve got. I say we go and see what happens.”

 

It seemed as if Ginny and Eddy had spent hours in the bedroom getting themselves ready for the fair. Alton sat next to Dax on the back deck and stared at the door to the casita, willing the women to finish up whatever they were doing so they could get this over with.

He’d never been to a craft fair, had no idea what one was, and was certain he wasn’t going to enjoy it, but if it was being held near the bulls and if his theory about the demons using the bulls to hide during daylight was right, he wanted to go now, before it got dark.

“What do women do that takes them so long?” Dax glanced at Alton and shook his head. “They’re both beautiful. What are they doing in there?”

Alton rolled his eyes and sighed. “I have no idea, but trust me. It’ll be worth it. Ginny informed me that even though our main goal is hunting demons, this is still the first real date for either of them with either of us. They want to make it special.”

“Hunting demons is a date?” Dax shook his head. “I don’t get it. Even BumperWillow’s been in there forever.”

“Relax, Dax. They’re all women. They seem to work on a different timetable than we do.”

The door slowly opened. BumperWillow walked out and posed. She had red bows in her curly blond topknot and another one tied to her tail. Alton slapped Dax on the back and laughed. “See? What’d I tell you? She’s gorgeous, don’t you think?”

Ginny stepped through the door next. She wore the same outfit she’d had on the night before, but now her hair lay close to her scalp, braided in tiny dark rows and caught at the nape of her neck with red ribbon and white beads. With her dark eyes accented with a touch of makeup, she looked both exotic and mysterious.

Alton didn’t even realize he’d stood up until he had her hand in his and had pulled her close for a kiss. “Breathtaking,” he said. And she was. Absolutely stunning.

Dax’s sharp indrawn breath had both Alton and Ginny turning to look at Eddy. Almost always dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, she was hardly recognizable in a flowing, gauzy dress that clung to her slim frame. Barely touching the tops of her knees, it shimmered in shades of dark blue, purple, and black. She wore strappy sandals that added to her height and made her long legs look even longer.

Ginny giggled. “My shopping trip in Phoenix paid off.”

Eddy blushed and did a slow pirouette. “It’s not really me, but…”

“You look amazing.” Dax walked toward her, moving almost like a man in a trance. “Absolutely amazing.” He glanced at Ginny. “What have you done to her? I can’t take her out in public like this.”

Eddy frowned. “Why not?”

Dax took her hands in his and slowly shook his head. “Because every man there will want you for himself.”

Eddy self-consciously tugged one hand loose and touched her short, tousled hair. That was the only thing about her that really seemed familiar. Then, before the moment could grow uncomfortable, Ginny leaned past Alton and high-fived Eddy. “Looks like we did okay, eh, girls?” BumperWillow barked and the spell was broken.

Alton checked out their long legs and the sandals both women wore. “Can you fight in those shoes?”

Ginny scowled. “Better than you can in those pointy-toed boots, buster.”

Eddy crossed her arms over her chest and leveled a long glare at both men. Alton held his hands up in defeat. They grabbed their swords, added a fresh compulsion to hide them, and climbed into the Yukon. Alton took the wheel and dangled the keys in front of Dax. “If you’re good to me, I’ll give you lessons one of these days.”

Dax reached for the keys but Alton snatched them out of the way. Laughing, teasing, almost as if they were a pair of normal couples going off on a regular date with the dog sitting in the back, Alton headed for the craft fair.

A steady stream of cars pulled into a long driveway just across the road from the pasture where the bulls quietly grazed. Alton stared at the big animals as he pulled the Yukon into line. They looked just like what they were: big animals grazing in the sunshine. Nothing about them appeared at all threatening.

He turned his attention back to the fair. Multicolored flags flew along the drive. Dozens of people dressed in colorful costumes wandered about, selling everything from hand-carved toys to mysterious-looking foods that smelled absolutely mouthwatering.

Alton parked the Yukon in a big field that had been marked in neat rows, and they all got out. Ginny had tied a long red ribbon to BumperWillow’s collar so that there wouldn’t be any complaints about a dog roaming free.

“First let’s check the bulls.” Alton tugged Ginny’s hand. Dax and Eddy followed and they walked across the two-lane highway, just another group of tourists curious about the huge bulls grazing so peacefully in the pasture.

BumperWillow stuck her nose under the fence and sniffed. The big bull stared at them, slowly chewing his cud. Some of the animals slept in the shade of a cottonwood tree, while the rest munched on the lush, green grass.

Alton shook his head. “No sense of demonkind at all. I was so sure they’d be here.” He glanced at the dog. “Willow? Do you or Bumper sense anything at all?”

The dog barked. One of the bulls ambled close and sniffed noses with her beneath the bottom rail of the fence. Ginny reached over the top and touched the rough, black coat. A fly buzzed and landed on the bull. Muscles twitched and the fly took off. Nothing, Alton. No lingering sulfur, no sense of demon.

“HellFire? What about you?”

“Cattle. Nothing more, nothing less.”

Shrugging off his disappointment, Alton tightened his grasp on Ginny’s hand and turned away. “That’s it, I guess. We might as well check out the fair.” He’d been so sure.

They crossed the road and wandered through the tents and booths set up over an area that was even larger than the central plaza in Lemuria, which Ginny had already told Alton equaled the size of a football field.

He was still trying to figure out how football was played, though the sheer brute force of the game was enough to keep him interested.

Wonderful smells rose from a number of the booths and there was even a large, open pit with what looked like an entire pig spinning slowly on a spit over a fire. The event had the feel of a historical reenactment, with old-fashioned crafts and various art forms on display. Lots of the visitors and all of the participants wore brightly colored costumes.

None, however, were even remotely as beautiful as either Ginny or Eddy. Alton caught Dax’s eye and the two men grinned at each other. Dax’s thoughts slipped into Alton’s mind.

You were right. It was worth the wait. I’m glad there were no demons here to spoil our date.

Alton couldn’t recall when he’d had a more relaxing time with Ginny. Since he’d known her, there’d been one crisis after another. They’d either been in fear for their lives or trying to escape from or kill demons, and while the risk still existed, for this moment in time it was good to merely enjoy the company of the woman he loved.

Alton sniffed the air. There was no scent of sulfur, no sense of demonkind. Even Dax appeared to have relaxed enough to actually enjoy himself with Eddy. The two of them held hands and wandered from booth to booth with the silly-looking curly blond dog trotting along beside them. If there’d been any risk of demons at all, BumperWillow would be the first to notice, but she held her head high with her tail curled over her back.

All was well. He glanced at Ginny and she smiled at him. Better than well. Damn. She was so perfect it almost hurt to look at her. He swore to himself she’d always have a closet filled with red dresses and skirts and anything else that women liked—as long as everything was red.

Ginny in red stirred his senses. She took his breath with her beauty and dazzled him with her smile. He had to look away before he lost his composure altogether. He’d never, not in his wildest dreams, imagined feeling this way about a woman. Never dreamed he’d fall in love—or have that love returned.

Ginny squeezed his fingers and tugged him toward the next booth. Like a well-trained puppy, he followed. Dax and Eddy were just across the aisle from them. Eddy held up a beautiful scarf and draped it across her face so that she looked like a mysterious Eastern princess.

Dax tugged it down and kissed her. Ginny watched the two of them and laughed.

BumperWillow’s hackles went up. Her lips curled back in a snarl. Demon. I sense demonkind. I don’t know where they are, but they’re coming closer.

Dax grabbed Eddy’s hand and tugged her through the moving bodies. They worked their way across the flow, toward Alton and Ginny.

Alton turned to Ginny. “Did you hear BumperWillow?”

“I did.” She set down the wood carving she’d been admiring and stood on her toes, searching over the crowd. Just then Eddy and Dax broke through and joined them.

“Any idea where?”

Alton shook his head. “No, but I’m still betting on those bulls. Let’s move back the way we came in, toward the front of the fair.”

They threaded their way through the crowds of fairgoers, moving against the flow of bodies. Music was playing behind them at the far end of the fair, drawing the crowd toward a stage at the back side of the gathering. BumperWillow yipped when someone stepped on her toes. Dax leaned over and picked her up in his powerful arms, holding the fifty-pound dog as if she weighed nothing at all. Now they could move more quickly and BumperWillow had a better view above the crowd.

Someone screamed. The crowd surged against them. A shout echoed over the group. Another scream. “C’mon!” Alton grabbed Ginny’s hand and broke into a run. People moved aside as he raced against the surging throng, toward the growing commotion.

Dax and Eddy followed right behind.

“The bulls are out.” Eddy’s breathless comment was punctuated by Dax’s curse.

The stench of sulfur surrounded the herd of black bulls that milled about at the front of the craft fair, not far from the parking area. The biggest bull raised his head, sniffed the air and turned. He focused on Dax and bellowed out a challenge.

People screamed and ran from the area. A couple of men tried to herd the big animals back across the road, but they refused to move. Someone yelled to anyone listening to call animal control.

“No one’s controlling those suckers,” Dax said. He set BumperWillow on the ground and untied the red ribbon attached to her collar. “Stay close, my friend. Be careful.”

Alton stared at the small herd. The sense of demonkind was strong now, almost suffocating. Where had the bastards been earlier? Had they somehow managed to mask their presence?

Obviously, because they were here now. Here and seething with power. This was not how he’d wanted to make their stand against the demon king, not how any of them had planned to fight. They were surrounded by innocent bystanders, people without a clue as to the threat that faced them.

At least the sun was still fairly high in the sky. The demons weren’t at their peak strength.

BumperWillow braced her feet and stared at the bulls. First one and then another of the big animals turned to face the small group. There were at least twenty of the beasts, all of them heavily muscled with long, sharp horns. Their black coats shimmered in the sunlight. The largest animal pawed the earth and threw huge clods of dirt over his shoulders, but it was one of the smaller bulls that lowered its head and made the first rush.

Dax drew DemonFire as the bull picked up speed and raced toward him. Lightly he spun out of the way of the thundering beast, tapping the animal’s shoulder with the tip of his sword as the bull charged by. Blue fire surged from the crystal blade. The animal stopped, shook his head, and stared at Dax. Two dark shapes floated free of its back. Eddy slashed through one with DemonSlayer while Alton caught the other. The demons burst into sparks and disappeared.

The bull lowered his head. Confused now, he pawed the ground, shook his head, and then trotted back toward his pasture on the other side of the road. The few bulls that had stayed behind bellowed a welcome.

Ginny glanced at Alton. “Do you always have to be right?” At least she was grinning. She nodded toward the small group of bulls still watching them so intently. “Keep an eye on that big guy. I think he’s the demon king.”

Another bull rushed, and then another and another, three huge bulls with their heads down, charging across the open space directly toward them. The ground rumbled beneath their feet. Alton heard Ginny curse her platform sandals, but she still managed to swing her sword, slap bulls with the glowing blade, and spin out of the way with grace and good effect as demon mist poured forth. It terrified him to watch her—terrified him and turned him on.

Damn but she was amazing—and one hell of a fighter. Within a few minutes, they’d destroyed almost a dozen demons sheltering within the four bulls.

This wasn’t possession as they’d seen in the past. No glowing eyes, no demon teeth. It was almost as if the demons were merely using the bulls as places to hang out during the daylight hours. Hiding within their powerful bodies, somehow controlling them yet not taking full possession.

But why?

Alton spun to the side as more bulls charged. BumperWillow helped to keep them contained within a small area, nipping at heels and throwing her curly body beneath powerful hooves. Crystal blades flashed, and the stench of demonkind lay over the small area of ground that was now churned and carved as if it had been plowed.

A crowd had begun to gather as fairgoers filtered back toward the battle. Breathing hard, Ginny slanted a look at Alton. “They think we’re part of the program.”

“Beautiful girls and lots of action. Why shouldn’t they?” He flashed her a wink but kept his attention on the biggest bull. There were only three others besides the big one left now. He had to presume they were possessed.

Or were they?

Alton glanced toward Dax. “Have you noticed? Their eyes aren’t glowing. They haven’t got demon teeth. Those demons that attacked us were in mist form. Could they merely be using the bulls as places to hide in daylight? Are they somehow drawing strength from the animals without actually possessing them? Maybe they don’t need an avatar after dark anymore.”

“More evolution?” Ginny asked.

“Possibly. Or learned ability? I imagine it takes a certain amount of power to possess a living creature. Merely hiding within a living shell…Could they be drawing on the bulls’ life force? I need to know what their motive is.”

Ginny took up a position near him. “We didn’t sense them in the bulls. Neither did Bumper. Maybe that’s their motive—hiding in plain sight.”

Alton nodded. The explanation almost seemed too simple, but it had obviously worked. “I’m worried about the big one,” he said. “He’s waiting for something. You can almost hear him think.”

One of the three smaller bulls rushed them. It went toward Alton first, then feinted and charged Eddy. Dax was on it. He slapped his sword against the creature’s back and Eddy caught three demons with DemonSlayer as they escaped.

The crowd of onlookers cheered and applauded. Alton glanced at Dax. “Maybe you should take a bow,” he said. Dax merely grunted.

There were two smaller bulls and the one large one left. The rest had trotted peacefully back across the road to their pasture once their demons were gone. Alton glanced over his shoulder. The crowd had moved closer. Parents held their children in front so they could see. “Get back,” he said, waving his arm. “Get those kids out of the way. These things are unpredictable. They’re dangerous.”

“Great show,” one idiot yelled. Someone clapped. Someone else blew on a horn and others yelled encouragement—some for the bulls, a few for the ones fighting them.

Alton looked at Dax and they both shook their heads. Didn’t these people realize lives were in danger here? Ginny glanced his way and then turned around to the crowd. She held DarkFire high and yelled, “Get back, now. All of you.” Purple fire shot from the blade and people moved back a few steps.

With a look of disgust, she turned away and stood beside Alton once again. “Stupid jerks,” she muttered. “What now?”

Alton shook his head. “We wait and see what he does next. I’m afraid to make the first move. With three of them, we can’t control what direction they go. I don’t want anyone hurt.”

“Can you use a compulsion? Send people out of the way.”

“Yes. Why didn’t I think of that?” Disgusted with himself, Alton turned and waved his hand over the crowd. After a moment they surged back and moved closer to the tents and booths. “That’s better.” He leaned over and kissed the top of Ginny’s head. “I knew there was a reason I loved you.”

She flashed him a bright grin. “What? Because I’m smarter than you?”

“Well, I wouldn’t exactly say—”

“Alton! Look out!”

Eddy’s shout spun them around as the two smaller bulls charged directly at Alton. He twisted to one side, slapped his sword down on the first bull, and ducked out of the way of the second. Ginny caught the demons from the first one and sidestepped the second. BumperWillow charged the second bull, raced beneath its belly, and came up under its throat.

Ginny swung DarkFire and slapped the blade between the animal’s horns. The crystal flashed violet. Two demons shot out of its back, just out of reach of Alton’s sword. They swirled high overhead and then shot straight for the one huge bull standing alone in the center of the field.

It bellowed, and as it stretched its neck out and opened its mouth, both wraiths shot inside and disappeared down its throat. The smaller bull that had been their temporary home shook his head, looked around stupidly, and trotted back across the road to join the others.

The huge bull that remained pawed the earth and lowered his head. Dust flew over his back; muscles rippled across his broad shoulders. The crowed had moved closer, but now, even without Alton’s compulsion, they surged back out of the way.

The bull raised his head and his eyes glowed with an inner fire. It bellowed again, only this time there were rows of teeth, razor sharp and glinting in the sun, and the full-throated bugle was more the cry of a banshee than a fighting bull.

Alton, Ginny, Eddy, and Dax lined up and faced the creature. BumperWillow stood to one side, ears on alert, tail high. Dax looked her way. “You okay, Willow?”

I’m ready.

Dax grinned at Alton. “BumperWillow’s just too big a mouthful. They know we’re talking to both of them.”

Alton shook the tension out of his shoulders and tightened his grasp on HellFire. “Works for me. Ladies? Are you ready?”

“Definitely.” Ginny slanted him a quick look. I love you. Don’t you dare get hurt.

The same goes for you.

Silence had fallen over the crowd, standing now at a careful distance. The bull lowered his head once again and pawed the ground. Sand and rocks flew over his shoulders. His powerful muscles bunched and rippled as he started forward, slowly at first, but building up speed as he got his massive weight in motion.

Alton felt the sense of evil grow, almost as if the creature projected fear and danger ahead of him. Someone behind them screamed. He heard the sound of shuffling feet, but he couldn’t take the time to look. He had to hope people were moving back, out of the way and not into danger.

He glanced at the others. Dax and Eddy had moved to the right while he and Ginny took the left. Ginny stood bravely with her red skirt blowing against her legs and her sword held aloft. BumperWillow had moved and now stood her ground dead center between them, making herself the focus of the animal’s wrath.

The bull raced directly toward the dog and then, in a split second that caught them all off guard, he twisted his huge body faster than any creature his size should have been able to move, lowered his head, and came up beneath Dax with his deadly curved horns. Eddy screamed and lunged with DemonSlayer but the crystal blade glanced off the bull’s thick neck.

Dax grabbed the horn aimed at his belly and brought his knee up against the bull’s snout, pushed and twisted and managed an awkward flip over the animal’s head. Blood streamed from a shallow wound in his side, but he landed on his feet with DemonFire still clutched in his fist.

The bull shook his head. Thick streams of saliva dripped from his open jaws. He glared from Dax to Eddy and back at Dax once again. Alton slipped around behind the beast and BumperWillow charged the animal, barking frantically, going for his face. True to her pit bull nature, she baited the bull, teasing him with barks and growls and snapping teeth. At the last possible second, she jumped and clamped her powerful jaws down on the huge animal’s tender nose.

He bellowed and shook his head, a sharp side-to-side jerk. BumperWillow hung on. Her back legs flailed as she reached for purchase against the ground, but the bull swung his big head high and then low, battering her muscular body hard against the dirt, knocking the wind out of the tenacious dog.

Still she hung on, until he jerked his head rapidly from side to side again. The sudden change in direction tossed her a dozen feet in the air. Someone in the crowd screamed. BumperWillow landed with a thud and a puff of dust, lying there in the dirt without sound or movement.

The bull spun quickly. Blood poured from his snout and his eyes glowed red, shooting angry sparks visible even in the daytime sun. His horns had grown longer and sharper—they glinted now like polished steel in huge, sweeping curves above his broad skull. Alton saw his chance and stabbed for the bull. He was willing to risk killing the creature if only to stop the demon’s attack, but his crystal sword balked at taking an innocent life.

HellFire slipped off the thick hide in a trail of blue sparks, but a single puff of black exploded into the air.

“That’s one of the demons it just absorbed.” Dax reached high and caught the wraith with the tip of his sword. The mist exploded into stinking sparks, but his reach overhead left him exposed and vulnerable.

The bull swung its big head and caught Dax just beneath the ribs. He cried out, swinging DemonFire even as the bull gored him deep with another sharp jerk of its head. As Eddy reached for Dax, one of the bull’s hooves caught her thigh and scored a long slash beneath her skirt. She twisted away as her leg crumpled beneath her, but she still managed to pull Dax free before the bull could force the sharp horn any deeper into his side.

Alton took a running leap and jumped on the bull’s back as Eddy dragged Dax to safety. He couldn’t tell how badly his friend had been gored, but the ground was slick with blood. Clinging to the animal, Alton swung his sword beneath the beast’s throat.

The bull twisted away from the blade. It lunged and dipped, twisting like a whirling dervish, spinning faster than nature had ever intended. It was all Alton could do to hang on for the ride and try to avoid the thrashing swing of razor-sharp horns. Then the bull bucked high, came down stiff-legged, and landed hard on all four legs.

Jarred by the impact, Alton grabbed on to the horns with both hands to keep from flying off. HellFire flew from his grasp in a spinning arc and buried itself tip first into the ground.