My magic swelled, like rivers of ice water spreading through my veins. Charged near to exploding, I released my magic in a torrent. “Stay back!”
Dark tendrils streamed from my palms, and as if obeying my command, they wound around the creature, ensnaring it in a cage of shadows. The stone monster leapt but slammed into the cage as if was made of iron. The creature roared from within, but my shadows muffled its bellows.
I’d never used my magic this way before, but desperate for any form of control, I imagined the shadows closing in like a vise. My pulse quickened and delight sang through me as I felt the beast being crushed beneath the force of my shadows.
When at last I released them, there was nothing left of the creature but a mountain of rock chips. For a second, I thought I heard the voice of the Dark God: Good. You see there is strength in shadow.
“Fuck you, and fuck your magic beasts!” I shouted, my chest heaving with anger and exhilaration.
Grunting, Sam pushed herself up from the rubble. “Thanks for stepping in.”
Her shoulder drooped strangely, and blood seeped from a gash on her thigh. She was wounded but okay.
I spun to find Jaxson as dread flashed through me.
I started running as soon as I spotted him on the path about a hundred feet away.
Somehow, he’d managed to pin the first stone lion. While its jaws snapped inches from his face, Jaxson seized its head and mandible and twisted.
He couldn’t be serious.
His eyes flashed gold, and his muscles corded as he strained against the stone beast. Suddenly, a crack of rock split the air, and then, with the grating of stone and a primal snarl, Jaxson shattered its neck. In seconds, the whole thing disintegrated into dust in his hands.
My jaw dropped as I stumbled to a halt. He’d just snapped the head off a stone lion.
I knew he was strong, but holy shit.
I sucked in a breath of relief, but it was instantly extinguished by a warning shout from Sam. Three more shapes bounded through the ruins on our right, straight for Myrto and the loremaster.
Jaxson was already moving to cut them off, but the cats were fast, and he wouldn’t intercept them in time. I could.
As I darted forward and leapt over the low wall, I threw up a billowing barrier of shadows between my friends and the beasts. “Run!”
Myrto grabbed the loremaster’s shoulder and ushered her down the path. Although they were hidden from view, if the beasts had decent senses, the veil wouldn’t do my friends any good.
It was up to me.
“Savy, get out of there!” Jaxson roared.
Anger coursed under my skin, dispelling my fear. I had to protect the loremaster. She was part of the pack and our key to summoning the Moon.
I moved without fear or hesitation. The Dark God had made it clear he wanted me alive and planned on making me watch him kill my friends and allies.
Screwthat.
The beast at the front bounded over a series of ruins opposite the path, heading for the shadow veil. My heart thudded in my ears as I flung my hands forward and released the last of my pent-up magic. A ball of crackling wild energy pummeled into the airborne monster. The thing snarled as the force knocked it onto the path. Chips of stone scattered in the air, but the shot hadn’t been enough to kill it.
The remaining two beasts broke off after Sam and Jaxson, and protectiveness surged through me. But the creature I’d blasted was up on its feet again, and its attention was now solely on me.
Minor miscalculation. The Dark God needed me alive, but not unharmed.
The lion growled as it circled around me, its lips curled back, revealing a set of unnaturally long marble fangs.
Stone crashed behind me, and it was all I could do not to be blinded by the urge to go to Jaxson.
Protect the others,I thought I heard him say in my mind.
My muscles throbbed. It was taking everything I had to keep the veil of shadows up—and it was weakening. I’d spent too much of my magic. Fear crawled over my skin.
Wolfie, I could use some strength.
But she didn’t answer. I was on my own.
The feline took a step forward, but then, as if an invisible leash pulled it back, it tensed and stopped. It released a ferocious growl and tried to move, but again, it couldn’t. Something was wrong. The thing looked confused or conflicted.
It wanted to kill me, but the Dark God had put it on a leash.
This was my chance. I just needed to hulk out and rip its head off like Jaxson had done.
Fat chance without a boost from my wolf—or even with it. But I had to do something.
I spotted a column chunk five feet away. It would be heavy, but I could probably lift it and bash its head in, as long as the lion stayed on its tether.
Still wary of the beast, I extended my claws and slowly crept forward. The beast thundered and struggled against its invisible bonds.
Then suddenly, it was free.
In a flash, its front paws rammed me, sending me flying backward. I hit the dirt hard, and the air left my lungs in a gasp of pain. I struggled, and horror rocked me as the creature stepped over me and pressed down on my chest with its paw. Its breath was hot and pungent as it curled its marble lips and growled.
Was this how I would die? Death by a mythological lion beast?
Fucking fates.
I called my magic, but my veil of shadows had already dropped, and my stores were spent. I dug my claws into its stone leg and tried to heave, but I couldn’t budge it an inch.
The lion spread its jaws wide and reared back to strike. But just before its teeth grazed my skin, a detonation of rock shards burst above me.
Choking on dust, and with pain screaming from a thousand places on my body, I rolled to my side and flopped onto my back, totally spent. What the hell just happened?