The tips of the waves ignited with flames. My eyes widened, and I was blinded once more as something I never thought possible took form before my eyes.
The demons raised their hands and pointed at the rising plume. Erratic bolts of white light shot out from this infernal vortex and fired with a glowing streak across the night sky until they faded and fell into the ocean. Could it be some sort of dark matter or energy propelled from the center of this funnel? Whatever this magic was, it was immense, unlike any I’d ever seen. No wonder the sirens and demons teamed up. Their combined magic was formidable.
And then it got worse. It wasn’t just strange bolts of light but a creature. A winged being the size of a medium dog flew out of the vortex shrieking in a high, almost unbearable pitch that I heard despite covering my ears.
The portal. This had to be the one we’d been seeking. No wonder we never got close. In all our searches and all our research, we never thought it could happen likethis.
Another one followed. Were these more demons? How many would come through? My throat tightened and mouth turned parched. We were screwed.
I had to let the Network know. Bracing myself for some sort of magical impact, I pulled my hands away from my ears. Fortunately, the sirens had stopped singing. Their damage was done. I quickly texted the situation as concisely as possible.
Movement in the sky from my peripheral vision caught hold. I jerked toward it. It was a being flying in this direction.
Oh, no, not another demon. Didn’t we have enough evil already overwhelming us?
I blinked to adjust my vision. The creature had tremendous wings that sliced through the sky and a long tail. The graceful movement was familiar. Oh my, it couldn’t—could it?
As it flew closer to the moon, the glow revealed more detail—the shape of the head, the long muscular body, the forked tail.
My heart swelled in jubilation. Lucas came!
Then icy fear tightened over my ribs, and my breath turned to rough pants. He was headed right into danger. Vastly outnumbered, he’d be annihilated.
Chapter 17
Lucas
What the Hades’ crazies was going on in the ocean?
A churning mass of water rose, and strange beings flew out of it. Several figures bobbed around the circular funnel, chanting in a low tone. As I flew closer, a woman’s voice shouted from below.
“Lucas, turn back!” It was Zoe. She ran in my direction across the beach. “They’ve opened the portal. It’s too dangerous.”
Shit. That meant…
I slowed the beat of my wings, but it was too late. The horrid little creatures spotted me, and worse, they spotted Zoe. After assessing us both, they dove toward her. Holy hellburgers.
We must save her, my dragon said.
We sure the hell did. I changed the trajectory, heading inland, as they raced to get to Zoe, and I flew to stop them.
They were closer, and those little bastards flew fast. Still, I flapped my wings harder. I had to reach her in time. Had to.
Zoe pulled out one of her weapons from beneath her coat. “Go back to hell.” She blasted the closest one in the face. The creature shrieked and fell, circling in the air. I caught up and opened my mouth, releasing a gust of pure flame at the treacherous monster. As it fell to the sand, it disintegrated to sand. The satisfying odor of its burning body reached my nostrils.
She stared up at me with eyes wide. I wanted to go to her and wrap her in the safety of my arms, but there were more—so many more. Whatever these little buggers were looked evil, like elongated, brick-red gremlins. Judging by the beings responsible, I guessed these were demons slipping through the portal.
And it was just the two of us.
Great, just peachy.
At least the little demon freaks abandoned their quest to attack Zoe after seeing one of them pulverized to ashes. But they were pissed. And the focal point of their fury was scaly, fire-breathing me.
Screw it, they might outnumber me, but I outsized them all. If they wanted a gust of dragon breath, they’d learn I wasn’t playing. That was my mate down there, and I’d do anything to protect her.
I assessed the scene—me against close to a dozen of them right now.
Ready?I asked my dragon.
