14
Jaxson
The lion clamped its jaw around my forearm, and bones cracked. His immense weight pinned me the ground, but my rage and pain and fear for Savy sent new strength surging through me.
With a roar, I braced my free hand against its snout and pulled down with my trapped arm, slowly levering its jaws apart. Its teeth sank into my flesh, hitting bone, but my boiling adrenaline dulled the pain. With a gasp and a swift movement, I ripped my arm free, and its jaws snapped shut on thin air. Rolling out of the way of its savage claws, I jumped to my feet and stumbled over to a large block of stone.
Time to end this.
A stabbing pain shot through my forearm as I grabbed the stone block and pulled it from the dirt, but I fought through and heaved the block into the air.
The creature lunged, but I was ready. At the last second, I shifted right and brought the slab down on its head. Chips of rock sprayed, and the feline bellowed as a thin crack appeared along its neck.
It stumbled, and I took my shot again, bringing the stone down onto its skull. Gasping for breath, I struck over and over until its neck finally snapped, and the possessed thing crumbled.
I spun, searching for Savannah.
The last lion had her pinned beneath it and was about to sink its fangs into her throat.
Terror seized me, and I raced toward her, even though I knew it would be too late.
“Use your magic!” I roared.
The beast lunged for her neck, then exploded into a cloud of shrapnel. I shielded my face as rock fragments tore into my chest and arms, but I didn’t stop running.
I dropped to my knees beside my mate, who was staring up at the starlit sky and trying to roll over. Her body was tattered and torn with fresh cuts from the shrapnel, but the wounds were already beginning to heal.
“Sam and the loremaster…” she wheezed.
I stood and shouted for them.
Sam clambered over a pile of rubble. “Alive, mostly. Also pissed.”
Myrto appeared from behind a broken wall and helped the loremaster to her feet. “We’re over here and unharmed, thanks to Savannah.”
I turned back to my mate and slipped my hand beneath her to help her sit up. “Where are you hurt? You look like you got hit by a bomb blast.”
“Pretty much, but I think I’m okay,” she grumbled. “That was a little close for comfort.”
I brushed a loose strand of her hair behind her ear, unable to help myself. “Too close. Next time, blow up the monster before it gets on top of you.”
She grasped my shirt as I helped her up and met my eyes. “It wasn’t me, Jaxson. It must have been the Dark God.”
“That blew the lion up? I don’t understand—I thought those were his creatures.”
She bent her head close to mine. “He’s obviously trying to stop us from calling the Moon, but I think he’s trying keep me alive at the same time. Because of the prophecy, and what I’m supposed to do on his behalf.”
Bile burned my throat. He wanted her for himself.
“Are you guys okay?” Myrto asked, her face wrought with confusion and panic.
“A little worse for wear, but alive,” Savannah said as she stepped back quickly. Then her face went pale at the sight of my wounded forearm. I could sense her discomfort and the instant desire to heal me as her eyes flicked up to mine. “That looks bad.”
It was a wicked sight, with bloody fang marks. The bone was cracked, but it would mend.
I shook my head. “I think we need to get to the temple.”
Sam limped over. We’d tag-teamed the second cat, but it had shattered her collarbone and left a deep gash in her thigh. I gave her an appreciative nod. “You saved my ass back there. Thanks.”
The loremaster dug her walking stick into the dirt and hobbled over. “It seems the Dark God is trying to dissuade us from calling the Moon.”
Savy nodded. “You’re all targets when you’re with me. Are you sure you want to carry on?”
“You’re stuck with us.” Sam dusted the dirt from her jeans. “But that Dark God is really starting to piss me off.”
Savy grunted. “Starting?”
Myrto had gone white as a sheet. “I don’t know who you’re talking about, but I’d like to get you off this island as soon as possible, for your sake and mine.”
“You do not need to worry, child. The moon mother watches over us,” the loremaster said, and pointed with her cane. “Lead the way to the temple. We’ve got work to do.”
Mytro swallowed and, after a moment of hesitation, led us on. We followed her past the time-worn vestiges of buildings that no doubt had been dedicated to many different gods. Ancient magic thrummed off the stones and columns that littered the ground, attesting to the sacredness of the place.
We were all on high alert. With Savy drained and Sam and me busted up, we were in no shape to weather another ambush.
Finally, we stopped in front of a raised rectangular structure. About the only things still standing were three columns in various states of collapse. “This is it,” Myrto said. “The Temple of Artemis.”
The ground around us was strewn with architectural pieces organized in rows. In the dim light, I could just make out a honeycomb decoration carved into the faces of the stone blocks nearby.
It was entirely unimpressive.
“This is it?” Savannah asked, bewildered.