Liam went to the ground, hoping to draw Raw in close. He let out a whimper and lowered his head, panting. But from the corner of his eye, he watched the ogre approach.
Raw lifted his hands, talking to his minions. “Orion will rule this land, it is said in the book of prophecy that the great wolf would bend knee to a demon, and here it is.” He pointed at Liam with the hand holding the copper knife. Better yet, he looked away from the wolf at his feet.
Liam exploded from the ground, his teeth snapping down over Raw’s wrist, taking the ogre’s hand off. He spit it out without pause, not even giving Raw time to be surprised by what had just happened.
Digging his claws in, he drove himself up Raw’s body until he could get his teeth around the green neck that beckoned him. This demon would go after Rylee, and that alone was reason enough to kill him. One less enemy for her to face once he was no longer able to protect her.
Bones and skin burst under the pressure of his jaws, the hot blood spurting out and steaming in the night air. With his back turned, he heard the approaching ogres, but he couldn’t get out of the way. Three blades drove through him at the same time, cutting deep into his body and neck, but none were the copper blade. That was likely his only saving grace.
A gurgled whimper rolled out of him as Raw’s body fell and he went with it. They hit the ground hard, but Raw didn’t move. Liam crawled on his belly to the hand he’d removed. The copper blade still sat inside the now limp fingers. That knife was deadly, and the demons couldn’t have it. The other ogres laughed behind him and one called out, “No, don’t finish him. Let him suffer, let him see his people cut down as they try to rescue him.”
With the last ounce of his strength, he lay down by the hand and scooped the handle of the copper knife gingerly in his mouth.
He closed his eyes, praying that he was right, that this wasn’t his time.
And that Rylee would come for him.
We were fucking surrounded. Erik was on foot, and wherever he went, the demons were driven out of the ogres’ bodies. The ogres didn’t survive the expulsion, but it still wasn’t enough. We’d taken out at least two dozen of the hundred or so in the gang.
I trusted Nikko to keep me safe and finally Tracked Liam. Everything in me froze. He was hurt bad, his heart beating so slowly I wasn’t sure we’d make it in time.
“BLAZ!” Fuck them all, they could roast, but not until Liam was out of the way.
The dragon had been waiting for me and dropped from the sky like an avenging big ass angel. He swooped low, teeth and claws snapping ogres in half, following the thread I’d tied to Liam. When he launched back into the air, I could see the limp form of a black wolf in his claws. “Get him help!”
Pamela can help him?
I nodded, knowing Blaz could sense my intent as well as words unspoken. Liam was out of the way, but we were still in trouble. A flash of light drew my eye and I turned to find Erik had worked his way back to my side.
“Rylee, you truly have a knack for diving in, don’t you?”
Erik parried with a green ogre who was small, at least as ogres went. Erik ducked inside of the ogre’s guard and put his hand against the skin over his heart. The ogre fell, screaming as the demon ripped free of its body. Twenty-five down, seventy-five or so to go.
Piece of cake. Perhaps not so much.
Three arrows shot through the air, two driving through Nikko’s side, and one through the red unicorn’s neck. The red unicorn went down with a gurgling cry, his eyes rolling up and showing the whites as a group of ogres leapt forward, slashing and hacking him. Nikko let out a piercing scream that ripped through the night. I looked down and realized one of my legs was pierced through with the arrow, sealing my fate with Nikko’s.
It has been an honor to know you, Tracker. Blood of the Lost, you will save us all.
His head whipped around and, with a sharp yank, he grabbed the arrow pinning us together, then gave a mighty buck, sending me flying through the air.
“That won’t save us!” I yelled as I fell from the sky, only to be snatched up before I hit the ground by a familiar set of talons.
“Rylee, I see your lizard has left you alone again,” Eve said as she tightened her grip on me. I twisted in her claws.
“Erik, we can’t leave him!”
“We won’t,” she said, flipping me into the air and then diving underneath me so I landed on her back.
“Slick moves,” I gasped out as I clung to her back.
“They have to be, to keep up with you.”
I turned to see a blur of grayish silver wings dive and scoop Erik out of the melee, much to the roaring and consternation of the ogres. I couldn’t see Nikko any more and my heart tore at the loss of such a pure spirit and a great ally. But like every other loss in my life, there was no time to dwell on it.