The younger students still lurched, saliva drooling from their lips along with bile as their backs shuddered. Even the oldest ones' faces were contorted where they stood—at the edge of the stone platform—as if stepping back would have protected them from the demon.
Adam didn't doubt a few would have jumped had Haldris not recalled the demon inside the talisman. Then he saw Quintella lying on the ground, gasping for air. She clung to Sarah and two other girls, sobbing in wordless horror as her whole body trembled.
The horned demon's exposed fangs, jagged like throwing knives, when it had threatened Haldris. To Quintella, it must have looked like her worst nightmare given flesh.
He wanted to comfort her, but before he could take a step, Nadia raised her hand. Her conversational tone contrasted with the general dread when she asked, "How many will I be able to summon after mastering this technique?"
