Kinzer turned back and watched as Aerysn released Treycore. Treycore’s wings pushed out from his back, stretching out as he caught the wind beneath them and soared around the tower.
Hayde dove quickly, guiding their team down alongside the tower before Yorro and Aerysn split from them and flew over the Morarke climbing the wall. They stayed just out of its reach, clearly intending to get the most attention possible from it. Once the Morarkes had a target, they would be so fixed on destroying it that they would be blinded to everything else going on around them—their great weakness—the only reason immortals stood a chance during the war.
Aerysn and Yorro managed to capture the beast’s attention. It climbed down the tower and followed after them, the other two joining it in its mission to kill them.
As Hayde and the others continued flying down alongside the tower, Kinzer noticed a nook on the eighth floor—the platform where they planned on landing.
Hayde leaned back, his wings catching the air before pulling him and Kinzer upright as he flapped repeatedly, swiftly, landing on the platform, setting Kinzer down with such care—care that reminded Kinzer of how much Hayde had been there for him through his journey. That he hadn’t been as alone as he’d believed himself to be. It was a romantic thought, and he had to remind himself that what they shared the night before may have been the last pleasure he would ever experience.
As the others landed on the platform behind them, Hayde approached what appeared to be a wall of smooth, nondescript stone, seemingly without any way inside. He set his hand against a spot on the wall and massaged his fingers against it, reminding Kinzer of his skilled touch.
A loud roar came from behind them, and Kinzer whirled around. A wolf-like creature, large, with blue eyes, exposed its fangs as it landed on the edge of the platform. This must’ve been one of those grundars. But it was different than the ones Quintz had told him about. This one had a set of large wings on its back, seemingly made of some sort of metal. It reached into the nook, snatched Lanzar by his wing, and yanked forcefully back. Lanzar and Kid, who was still attached to his waist via the bungee, fell off the ledge. The grundar turned, revealing the straps that bound the wings to it, obviously a convenient modification to help it guard Janka.
The creature leapt down after its victims, and Trey—like a fucking Olympic swimmer—dove right behind it.
“You all go in,” Fyrow said. “I’ll help them with this motherfucker.”
Kinzer was hesitant to leave his friends behind, but between Trey and Fyrow fighting off that thing, and Yorro and Aerysn distracting the Morarkes, he figured they had everything covered outside.
And they needed to move, and move fast.
Given enough time, Janka would have the opportunity to send even more obstacles to stand in their way—something they had to avoid.
Kinzer nodded before Fyrow leapt off the edge of the platform. Then Kinzer turned back to Hayde, who finished stroking the wall as the stone slid aside, revealing the pitch-black entryway. Their remaining crew—he, Eilee, Hayde, and Quintz—ventured inside.
***
Lanzar clung to Kid before he landed on his back with a THUD. He screamed, cursing as loud as he could as the grundar that had attacked them dive-bombed, its front paws scratching about as it neared, as though it was ready to shred them the fuck apart.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Kid said as Lanzar wrapped his arms around him and rolled to the side. A wave of heat rushed to Kid’s face before another pulsed through his body, forcing his dick to harden for some inexplicable reason.
As Lanzar finished rolling, the grundar landed beside them, clawing about wildly.
Fuck.
The creature raced toward them, and Kid lay on top of Lanzar, awaiting his end.
The blue in the monster’s eyes seemed to fade as it slowed its pace and lowered its head. It drew near, and Kid felt another burst of energy move through him, like when he and Lanzar had first landed. It seemed to radiate from his chest, this swell of energy. His dick shifted in his pants. He was hard, painfully so. He didn’t understand, but some instinct rose within him.
Lanzar pulled his sword from its sheath, ready for the attack, when Kid said, “No, no. Wait.”
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”
“Listen to me,” Kid said, turning to him.
Kid didn’t know why. He had this feeling. It was like being in a dream where he may have been with the image of a person he’d never met before but somehow knew their history, their story. He just knew the grundar wasn’t going to hurt him.
He noticed Treycore and Fyrow flying toward them and raised his hand to them. “Stop!” Kid called out.
Treycore, who was heading down upon the beast, sword first, looked between Kid and the grundar, confused. But as he noticed the beast wasn’t attacking, he obeyed, landing beside it.
The grundar turned and growled at Treycore.
“No, no,” Kid said softly, pulling its attention back to himself.
The creature moved close to Kid, until its face was right before his own.
Fyrow landed behind it, keeping his sword ready, as though if the thing made a wrong move, he was going to cut the damn thing’s head off. Kid knew that wasn’t necessary, though he couldn’t understand why.
