“Sorry. I know that there are no other Guardians who are demon lords, but there was nothing in the rules that said one can’t be, so if you’ll check the records, I think you’ll find that I am, in fact, a member of the Guardians’ Guild, and thus, a Guardian.”

“I am aware of the rules, and of your status,” the man answered politely. “But you seem to be missing the pertinent issue: a demon lord, as you said, was not excluded from membership when you applied and were accepted. However, proscripted individuals, no matter who or what they are, are not allowed. The moment you became proscribed, Aisling Grey, you ceased being a member of this Guild, and thus are not entitled to any protection or benefits therein.”

I looked around at all the faces watching me. Every single one of them was hostile, warily waiting for me to do…what?

“Kincsem,” Drake said softly, his fingers brushing the back of my neck. “Let me take it from here.”

“No. This is my problem, Drake. I can handle it. But thank you for offering,” I answered, taking his hand for a moment.

He frowned but nodded, his fingers tightening around mine in a little squeeze of support.

I released his hand and stepped forward, looking again at the people around me, wondering what I’d done to screw up one of the most important things in my life.

You did not use me when you had the chance…but all is not yet lost.

My teeth ground at the voice in my head. It was the dark power’s fault. It seduced me. It had persuaded me to use it when I had no idea of what it was. It had used me for its own purpose and destroyed part of my life without any qualms whatsoever.

Rage crashed through me, fury at the dark power for using me, which spilled over into anger at the crowd of people who circled me. “You’re so quick to judge, so quick to condemn,” I ground out, the hot, thick power seeping into me. “Is your world so black and white that you can’t see shades of gray any longer?”

“Aisling,” Drake said at the same time that Jim, looking worried, whispered, “Ash, that’s not a good idea.”

I allowed the dark power to fill me, ignoring the smugly satisfied sense of triumph that went with it. “No? What do I have to lose? I’m proscribed already, remember? It doesn’t matter to these people, these fellow Guardians sworn to protect people, that I was tricked into the proscription. They don’t care to even try to understand my position, let alone to find out the least little thing about me. Rather than work with me, help me, let Nora train me, they’ve done everything they can to keep me from fulfilling my destiny.”

Power crackled off of me like black static electricity. Instantly, a good dozen wards were drawn, binding me with invisible chains.

“Do not make matters worse by doing something that will make your path irreversible,” Drake warned, stepping close to me.

I laughed as I opened the little door in my head that allowed me to use my Otherworld powers. “They’re afraid of me, Drake. Can you feel it? Fear is thick in the air around us.”

“Seriously, Drake is right. You really don’t want to go there,” Jim said, touching its wet nose to the back of my hand.

The dark power seeped into every pore, a blackish blue corona surrounding me, as if I was standing in the middle of a plasma ball. It wasn’t the burning power of Drake’s fire, but much, much more insidious…and stronger.

“I could wipe you all out,” I mused out loud, watching with a wicked sort of amusement as the wary expressions turned to fear as the people gathered together in the room realized the truth in my statement. Over their heads, I could see people packing the hallway, all eyes on me. “I could wave one hand, and destroy you all, destroy everyone in this building.”

“Aisling, you must not do this.”

I ignored Drake, smiling as I allowed a little tendril of power to snap at the nearest person. He leaped backwards, his eyes black with fear.

“Jeez, Ash, you can’t—”

“Silence!” I roared, silencing Jim with the wave of a hand. Rene stepped forward, his eyes dark and unreadable.

I shot him a look that knocked him backwards three steps. Drake stood silent next to me, his face an impassive mask, his eyes dragonish as they watched me carefully.

The air flashed bright with the wards that were drawn on me, layer upon layer of binding holding me into place where I stood until I felt as if I was buried beneath tons of concrete. Several of the Guardians glanced at the small man in the business suit. He shook his head, his eyes curious as they watched me.

I flung wide my arms, smashing the wards bound to me, startling the Guardians into cries of surprise.

“No more would you trouble me with your petty policies and intolerance!” I yelled, my voice taking on a timbre I’d never heard. “You would be under my rule, my dominion! And the torment I could bring upon you would encompass a level of suffering unimaginable to your pitiful minds! You would worship me even as I destroyed the very fiber of your beings!”

The building shook as I closed my eyes and imagined the possibilities. Darkness seeped out of me and filled the room, dimming the lights as if a haze of dense black smoke obscured the vision. The people in the room held their collective breaths as the walls seemed to tremble and lean inward, the building itself poised on the verge of imploding.

“Yes,” the man in the suit finally said. “I believe that you could do that. But will you?”

Triumph sang in my veins. With one sweep of my hands, I could take charge of my life again. I could eliminate those who opposed me, and right every wrong ever done. I could fulfill the destiny that lay before me like a glittering, tempting smorgasbord of power.

Now you’re singing my song!

A slow smile curled my lips as I let my arms drop, releasing the dark power. It ebbed from me slowly, leaving me weak and shaking. The thick blackness of the air dissipated as everyone breathed once again.

Noooo! echoed in my head.

“No,” I said, meeting the gaze of the man before me. “You’re quite right. I wouldn’t.”

He nodded and turned, the people in the hallway parting behind him as he left the room. “I believe I will make time in my schedule to speak with you.”

“Thank you,” I said politely, more than a little amused by the stunned expressions surrounding us. “Oh, sorry, Jim. You can talk.”

“Fires of Abaddon, Aisling! You could have given me a heart attack!” Jim sputtered. “Why don’t you warn me when you’re about to pull something like that?”