Killian had never seen anything like it. The creature was shaped like a dog but the size of a horse. Each enormous paw had four claws as thick as knives. Its fur was tattered and matted, patchy along its whole body, as though it had been torn apart and sewn back together. And its eyes blazed red with unnerving bloodlust.
“Hellhounds,” Elyse declared in a chilling voice.
Five, ten, twenty of them spilled out of the portal, each as horrifying as the last. Streaks of gray flew through the stands as the Hellhounds pounced, pointed teeth gnashing with feral delight. Most of the citizens had already fled the area, but the few who had stayed and were now being stalked as prey.
“Zubir!” Killian called out.
Zubir was beside him in an instant. His black hair was pulled back into a tight bun, and his expression was one of brave determination. As he stood straight with his chest out and his shoulders back, he could easily have been mistaken for an official member of the Guard.
They only had to exchange a look before Zubir nodded once. “We’ll handle the Hellhounds,” he said. As he turned to face his cousins, he was already shifting. His hands and feet morphed into enormous paws tipped in sharp nails. He fell forward onto all fours as a snout overtook his human face.
At the same time, his cousins transformed as well. The sound of ripping fabric occluded everything else for a brief moment before howls filled the air. In a matter of seconds, a herd of formidable black wolves filled the cramped space. As Killian took in their muscled bodies and piercing teeth, he was glad they were on his side.
Zubir charged through the group and leapt over the banister, down to the arena floor. His cousins followed, howling their enthusiasm. Zubir shot one last look over his furry shoulder, his gray eyes glittering with something remarkable.
Freedom—that’s what Killian saw in his eyes.
“That’s everything,” Killian said as he pulled Elyse, Manny, and Sera into a huddle. “We let them handle the rest, and we go after Lazarus.”
He reached for the Blade of Hanael at his belt, ready to dive into the fray, when Sera said, “No.”
“No?” Killian's brows pressed together. He took in Sera’s posture. Her chin was high, her expression resolute. But her hands wrung together with worry.
“The portal is still open,” she declared.
“Lazarus is the priority,” Manny said. “The Hellhounds have stopped coming through.” He shook his head, like he was confused by Sera’s words.
“There’s something else,” Sera urged with chilling certainty. “Something far worse is coming. A monster with wings that breathes fire.” Her gaze fell, settling on her feet. “I’ve seen it.”
Manny swore.
Killian frowned. If she’d had visions of whatever they were about to face, why hadn’t she told anyone until now? Frustration seeped into his voice as he asked, “How much time do we have?”
“Not much,” Sera answered in a grave voice. Her purple eyes flicked to Manny for a fraction of a second, terror in her expression. That one tiny movement said it all: whatever monster was coming from the portal, it was going to attack Manny.
“Fuck.” Killian breathed the word out hard. He looked to Lazarus, who was slashing his shadowy sword at fleeing civilians, and laughing all the while. “What else did you see?” he asked. He pointed his finger at Lazarus. “If we close the portal, do we stop him?”
“I don’t know.” Sera's chin wobbled, but she didn’t cower. Killian could see her fighting back the tears welling in her eyes.
Manny nodded. “Okay, my love. We’ll close the portal.”
Killian agreed. He would do whatever it took to keep Manny safe. “How do we close it?”
Sera’s nostrils flared—almost imperceptibly. Her voice wavered slightly as she said, “It will take two of us. One on each side.”
The two men stared at the seer, not fully registering her words—or not wanting to.
“Absolutely not,” Manny declared. “No one is going through there.”
“Not no one,” Sera told him. She swallowed and added, “Me. I’m going.”
“But you’ll be trapped—” Manny began.
Sera cut him off, a fervor in her voice. “If thatthingcomes through, it will kill you. I have seen you die a hundred times. I have envisioned every possible outcome, studied every scenario over and over again. They have all ended with your death. All but one. We must close the portal.Imust close the portal.”
Killian stared at Sera, at the determination on her face, and he understood. He remembered their conversation in the library, when he had found her studying portals in secret. He thought of her sullen disposition over the last few weeks, the sudden outburst of tears at the mention of building a family with Manny. It had all been leading up to this.
She knew she would be trapped on the other side. Her decision was made. She would give up her life in this world in exchange for the chance for Manny to live.
