he shouted over the roar of battle. “Let none escape!” In the name of Aerete the Golden, kill them all!

TEN:
FOR ALL THE MARBLES
“Well, what do you know?” Eric muttered under his breath.
The summons was coming from within the Park.
He’d had the brainstorm to summon Lady Day as he jogged uptown, and so had managed the rest of the trip quickly. At the edge of the park he’d dismounted.
“Go home,” Eric said firmly.
The elvensteed quivered, her lights flashing in disapproval. She wanted to go with him. “Home!” Eric repeated firmly. “I’ll call you when I need you.”
It had taken a moment to force his will on the elvensteed, but at last she’d submitted, turning in the direction of home. The good thing about elvensteeds was that they followed orders, most of the time. And at least he wouldn’t have to worry about anything happening to her.
Hostages to fortune. . . . Something Jimmie had said, about keeping innocents off the fire-line, came back to him now, and he smiled grimly. Now more than ever, he understood what she meant. He was prepared to risk his own life, but not anyone else’s.
He turned back to the park. It was fully dark now, and the streetlights in the park cast faint cones of illumination around themselves. He wasn’t sure what time it was, but the streets had fewer people on them than before, and the park itself was deserted.
And something was waiting for him there.
Eric thought again about turning back, catching a cab and just going home, but sheer stubbornness egged him on. The Guardians didn’t want his help. Ria didn’t want to help him. Underhill didn’t want to get into