“I doubt it. That looks like a diversion—and an attempt to divide us,” I grate out.
We weren’t exactly discreet arriving in Porthwood, and I feared it might scare raiders off if they got wind of our presence. Now I think it did the opposite. They’ve used the cover of the tunnels to quickly gather a significant force from up and down the border and organize a raid of unprecedented proportions. Divide us? Or kill us? Something tells me the people they must’ve taken from Draywood aren’t even the real targets tonight.
Kellan’s Grambolt flies toward us along with Maia’s Cinderblaze and Arran’s Glimmerwing. All three of them glow, their heated bodies outlined by the light of the blaze consuming Draywood.
Grambolt banks around to fly with me. “Kellan, Maia, Arran, and their other wing guards are helping the townsfolk and local soldiers contain the fire. Wade and Danica went to cut off the vampires with their warbirds. The bloodsuckers set the fire to distract the Draywood soldiers and then took off with their spoils.”
“How many vampires?” The movement I saw from above looked like a considerable group—too many for only two dragon shifters and their phoenixes. The vampires will be protected by Rannigan’s sorcerers and employ their usual tactics to make our fire and flight terrible options. And just like Idallia, Danica is down a young bird back at Drayke Mountain.
“Forty?” Grambolt answers. “Not an exact count.”
My insides twist sharply. “You three stay with us,” I order the newcomers. “We head for the vampires.”
“What about the fire?” Idallia shouts above the wind of our breakneck pace toward the woods between Draywood and the border. “More people are in danger from that inferno than however many the vampires took.”
“Three of the Elite Wing, half their wing guards, and the local soldiers are already on it.” I angle toward where I know the woods thin and then taper off entirely—just a stone’s throw from the border and those damn tunnels. The thick canopy is still all I see for now, but my guess is that the open field is where Wade and Danica will make their stand against the vampires. I hope this guess is better than my last one. “If the bloodsuckers get away again, anyone who dies in that fire will have died in vain. We need to stop them before they cross the border.”
Idallia looks like she might argue. Finally, she settles on, “Can I send Rim to help in town with the fire?”
My lips thin, pulling over my fangs. I can’t reasonably deny her. “Rimblaze can go into town. He’s big enough to help lift smaller people to safety.”
“Go, Rim!” She points him toward Draywood. “Be careful!”
Rimblaze doesn’t look as pleased with this outcome as Idallia, but he goes without argument, peeling off to head dead south to Draywood.
“Where are they? Can you hear anything?” Idallia peers into the woods.
“I don’t hear fighting yet. Just wagon wheels and people calling for help. I think Wade and Danica are waiting for them to emerge from the woods and hoping we’ll get there quickly.”
A roar of firebreath hits my ears, followed by the clash of metal.
“They’ll be forced to go straight to skin and swords.” Fyrestar accelerates, his burst of speed leaving the other wing guards behind.
Idallia and I barrel past the woods side by side and come out above the border clearing. My eyes widen. It’s hard to get an instant count, but there are more vampires than I’ve ever seen making a blood raid. It’s a fucking army.
“Bloodpit,” Idallia curses under her breath. She whips her head toward me, her expression worried and questioning.
Wade, Danica, and their three wing guards form a small blockade on the border side, but the vampire horde will quickly overwhelm them. Rage fills me, along with a violent firebreath I wish could still burn these bloodsuckers to a crisp. “Let’s hit them from the back and make them fight on two fronts.”
We fly lower, faster. The screams from the captives in the wagon cages and the harsh clanging of swords fill my ears as the first arrows whistle past us. We evade the volley. Another one comes, and Cinderblaze screeches. I turn, dread seizing me. She wobbles, then rights herself. The arrow tore straight through her wing, but she keeps flying.
We’re nearly on top of the vampires when they start launching spears at us. Fyrestar banks hard, narrowly avoiding a skewering. I glance over my shoulder. The other four wing guards are still out of reach of the throwing lances, but won’t be for long. Cinderblaze takes up the rear now, her expression pained but determined.
Arrows fly at us again. I expel a furious firebreath, burning the bolts before they can hit us or the wing guards. My fire also coats a good many of the closest vampires. Another round of spears surges out of what should be a deadly inferno. One comes straight at me.
“Bale!” Idallia’s shout garbles in my ears as I shift in flight, rapidly decreasing my body size.
The spear whistles past me, tearing through shadow remnants instead of hitting my fleshy underbelly. I shift again, pumping my wings hard to keep from crashing as the ground comes up to meet me. I land running and instantly transform into skin as more spears fly past. I whip out my swords and deflect the lance about to pierce my chest, then charge straight into the vampires.
Idallia swoops in just behind me with Fyrestar. I fight my way forward, hearing Wade and Danica doing the same from the other side of the battle with new vigor. They’re not alone anymore against what must be at least sixty enemies. There are four of us now, several wing guards, and Fyrestar. If we can meet in the middle, we’ll crush them.
The wing guards attack from above, plunging down to claw, peck, and burn. Their talons tear through scalps and eyes and throats. They wreak havoc on the middle of the vampire horde, but they’re vulnerable to spears and arrows. I hear a pained caw and glance up to see a long slice bleeding along Glimmerwing’s side. Cinderblaze is already injured. I call them both to me.
“Find the prisoners. Start working on opening the cages. Burn through them if you have to, then get those people back to Draywood.” I use mind-to-mind speech despite my common form, keeping my words from vampire ears.
“We can fight.” Glimmerwing’s blood hisses and steams where it hits his burning feathers.
“This is what I need.” I never slow my swords and bring my full attention back to the vampires.
