The creature had to be fifteen feet tall. I mentally cataloged its features. Four feet. Dark fur. Three heads. Each with a mouthful of fangs, and an unmistakably canine imprint.
Cerberus. That was fucking Cerberus.
All of this, everything the underworld had shown me, had flashed through my mind within a few seconds.
Someone was roaring orders, and I spotted Bael, still swinging his swords as if he would never tire, his shield held strong against incoming arrows. He’d somehow funneled what remained of his power into that sword, and it cut through the enemy like a knife through butter.
He looked up and roared another order.
As one, every dragon dropped to the ground. Wyverns shot after them, roaring with rage.
And out of nowhere, a thick, black net appeared in the sky.
I gaped. Who was responsible…?
Hannah. The witch was smiling up at the magical net, which had likely only been possible thanks to the pain and suffering on that battlefield.
It engulfed hundreds of wyverns, holding them in the sky, frozen in place as they raged, attempting to break the net with teeth and claws. It hadn’t trapped all of them, but enough that the dragons had a fighting chance as they arrowed back into the skies, screaming their fury.
Lucifer let out a snarl on the ground next to me. We were both trapped in a limbo, somewhere between life and death. Lucifer had harnessed the Spell of Three to cause havoc, almost killing Samael. Now he was learning what it meant to love people enough that you’d do anything to see them live.
“Show me Samael,”I begged the underworld.
Oh God.
Samael was on his hands and knees, several of his demons surrounding him, keeping him safe.
But they couldn’t keep him safe from this.
The older and more powerful the demon, the more the rowan would hurt them.
The rowan was roaring through our bond now.
And Samael had no power to fight with. I was risking taking him with me.
I reached for the underworld once more.
Please, I begged, desperation clawing at my chest and tearing into my lungs, my heart.I’ll do anything. Name it.
The underworld seemed to consider it.
“He’s dying!”A sob ripped through my body as I felt Samael. Could see him, almost unconscious, still struggling to drag himself toward the palace. To me.
“I’m sorry, Samael.”
“Don’t you give up, little witch. Fight. You fight… like hell.”
Agony ripped through me. I was dimly aware of my body still writhing on the floor, as if I could claw my way out of my skin to escape the wildfire that raged through every inch of my body.
But Samael was getting weaker. And my pain, the arrow sticking out of my chest… it almost didn’t register in comparison to watching him die.
“Please,” I gasped out again as blood bubbled up between my lips.
Next to me, Lucifer let out a wet laugh.
“I knew you’d beg in the end,” he mumbled.
He was dying. I knew he was. But if anyone could shake this off, it was Lucifer. The underworld seemed to come to some decision, showing me a picture that made my mouth drop open.
