Pel flinches, but that steeling of herself is what makes the blow less effective. And if there was a time for Sina to reveal herself, it should not have been now, when this blow meant Pel was victorious in keeping harm from coming to Herian. And now Sina is doubly in danger, from the threat of Aithne and from Sina's magic. She feels a pull, a scream from something so visceral she can barely discern it from herself--a rage of fear, an understanding of the inevitability of the death of elves at the hands of violence, hysteria that elves are doing the Child's work. She can see the black creeping in on the edges of her sight, the inevitability that she must do whatever she can to protect those who Mythal would protect, and the promise that it will all be taken care of if she surrenders to--

The easy way. Cynicism and fear, the acceptance that only the worst is what is possible. If nothing can be done, then she doesn't have to do anything. Something else must.

The Child, that amalgam she created as a child for anything that kills elves--disease, hunger, hatred from humans, suicide, sheer accident--it roars in her ear, tells her she is helpless without it. And she remembers what her Keeper taught her. She is, and must be, a force of nature for Mythal, a hurricane of her own making, free of outside influence. Free of possession.

And that is why, for just a moment, she pretends to be subdued. Pretends to be overcome with pain, so that their attention can be divided, and she can pull herself together and come up with a plan to keep them from hurting Sina for this. They will see Sina, complete their thoughts that she must be punished, and Pel will give them a reason to punish her instead. No demon is necessary. A demon would only hold her back.