his mouth over the wound. The smoke is in contact with Byron’s broken skin. And Ellis will hold his position there for as long as he can and then, when he releases . . .” At that, El-lis lifted his head, blood on his lips and cheek, and Byron held his hand out. There was blood around the wound, but the cut itself was already healed and scarred over.
The lords murmured to one another and passed around the bottle, all wanting to feel its strange heat and weight.
“How much of this do the Brigantines have?” someone asked.
“I don’t know exactly,” Edyon replied. “But that’s the smoke of just one demon and, as you can see, it can provide enough for many inhalations. There are many demons in the demon world. If Aloysius can capture and kill them all, he’d have enough smoke to fuel a huge boy army. They’d have the strength to take over the world.”
“And he’ll try, if I know my brother,” Thelonius said. “He’s a threat to us and to the Pitorians.”
Edyon was so heartened by this response to the demonstration that he went one step further and added, “This is why King Tzsayn asked that Calidor join with Pitoria to work as one. Together we have a better chance of standing against the Brigantines.”
“Together?” Lord Hunt asked. “With Pitorians?” He looked around at the other lords with an exaggerated expression of disgust on his face.
“Yes, together,” Edyon said. “Working with others who are threatened by Aloysius.”
“We don’t need to work with them. We can defend ourselves.”
“Not against an army fueled by smoke,” Edyon replied.
Thelonius stepped to Edyon’s side. “I fear my son is right. Against a conventional army, even the Brigantine army, I believe we can hold firm. We’ve done it before. But this demon smoke changes things.”
“But, Your Highness, we’ve spent the last decade build-ing our defenses.” Hunt turned to Edyon. “The demon smoke gives strength and speed, but does it protect from fire?”
“Um . . . I don’t think so. I’ve not actually tried that.”
“We need to see it. That is a key part of our wall defense strategy.”
“And that is what I will now demonstrate,” Regan said, striding forward.
“But we didn’t agree to this, Lord Regan,” Edyon said.
Regan ignored him and addressed Thelonius and the lords. “It’s all very well seeing Ellis and Byron run after horses, but I’ve set up an example of what invaders will have to overcome at our wall. This will be a truer test of the power of the smoke.”
Regan led the group over to his soldiers, who were stand-ing by two stone walls divided by a wide ditch. The ditch was full of broken wood that was being lit, and there must have been pitch or oil in with the wood, because the flames were soon leaping high. Edyon had heard much about the huge defense wall along the northern border of Calidor, which had been built since the last war. This appeared to be of the same design, and though not as big, it still looked formidable. Clearly Regan had spent some time putting this together, and clearly he had avoided telling Edyon anything about it.
“All Byron and Ellis have to do is cross from that side—Brigant—to this side—Calidor,” Regan said.
“No,” Edyon replied, looking at the flames. “It’s too dangerous, and we shouldn’t ask them to try.”
“The walls here are far lower than those on the border and the ditch isn’t as wide or deep, and you’re already saying this is too formidable?” Regan scoffed. “Suddenly this all-powerful smoke is not so powerful.”
Ellis, however, was eyeing the flames. “I can make it.”
“No, you can’t,” Edyon said, moving to block Ellis’s path. “This is what happens: the smoke makes you feel invincible, but you’re not.”
Regan smiled. “Interesting. Now we’re learning some-thing useful.”
“I can do it!” Ellis said, and he nimbly ran round Edyon and sprinted toward the wall.
“No! Ellis. Stop! I order it!” Edyon shouted after him. But it was too late. Ellis was already bouldering on to the first wall, from which he made a huge leap up and over the flames. Edyon held his breath as Ellis flew through the air. It seemed for a moment like he would make it the whole way across. He reached close to the far wall—but not close enough, and he came down into the ditch with a crash of splintering wood.
The flames rose around Ellis. He was up to his thighs in burning timber and yet somehow, thanks