Letting out a big breath, Drew forced himself up, and he staggered upright. He turned to follow Zach, but before he even got another step, he was being tackled to the ground. The breath he’d only just recovered was forced from him as he and Andras rolled across the ground. A dark blur flew over them, and Drew heard Zach cry out in surprise and pain. Panicked, Drew fought to untangle himself from Andras so he could see what was happening, only to feel his stomach clench with fear as he saw that the urco had found them and had Zach pinned to the ground, its jaws locked around his throat.
Chapter 7
Release the hound
Zach had the briefest moment of panic as he saw the urco lunge for Drew, and then Andras was there, shoving him to safety. The fact that this put him in the path of the gaping maw and snapping teeth of the beast instead was of no consequence. Zach would gladly be the one in harm’s way if it meant Drew was safe.
He hit the ground with a thump, the weight of the massive hound pinning him. Before he could even get an arm up in defence, the urco had locked its jaw around his throat. There was no way Zach could pry the teeth from his flesh before it snapped his neck, so he did the only thing he could think of. Grabbing the beast with both hands, he channelled every iota of power he had and sent it coursing into the urco in one powerful blast.
With a yelp of pain, the hound staggered back, and Zach immediately rolled out of its reach and onto his feet. His wings snapped open, and he took up a defensive stance, even as the great beast staggered backwards, shaking its head. While technically a hound, it didn’t bear aclose resemblance to the canines on Earth. It was much larger, for one, easily as big as a lion or pony. The massive head was furless, the skin stretched thin over a bony skull. Two pointed, leathery ears sat atop its head, one of which had been torn sometime in the past. Above its squat muzzle were two black eyes, and its jaw was akin to that of a thylacine, able to open much wider than usual for a canine. The body was solid muscle, covered by short, coarse black fur.
Zach glanced to his right, happy to see that Andras had ushered Drew away from the urco and was standing in front of him. It went a long way in restoring the demon to Zach’s good graces. The urco chose that moment to attack, and one thrust of Zach’s powerful wings had him shooting into the air to avoid the lunge. The urco skidded to a halt and spun around, a deadly growl tearing from its throat. It didn’t hesitate to charge again, but this time, Zach wasn’t quite quick enough to get off the ground, and it took hold of his boot. With a single shake of its head, the urco slammed Zach onto the ground, leaving him dazed.
With a shout, Andras jumped into the fray, distracting the urco with a kick to its head. Zach climbed to his feet, clutching at his side, pretty sure he’d cracked at least one rib. He winced as he caught his breath, the sharp pain lancing through him as his lungs expanded, but as much as it hurt, he had to ignore it for now, otherwise they’d end up as a three course meal for the urco. He’d suffered unimaginable torture for centuries after he was first banished to Hell. A cracked rib was nothing in comparison.
Joining Andras, they attacked the urco with renewed vigor. They simply couldn’t allow it to gain the upper hand or it would be all over, red rover. Using every bit of strength he had, Zach punched, kicked, and jabbed at the beast. Andras pulled free the knife he’d stolen from Lucifer, the bespelled blade glowing faintly in the darkness. As the beast turned to snap at Zach, he slid it between two of its ribs. The urco howled, and Zach rushed in to press their advantage. “Andras!” he called, holding out his hand.
Immediately, Andras flipped him the knife. Zach caught the hilt, then spun on his feet to get into a position where he could deliver a fatal blow. Andras wrestled the urco from behind, drawing its attention once again away from Zach and he lunged.
Only to find himself missing entirely.
“No!” Drew cried out, the urco staggering to the side as the concussive force of his magic hit it. “Don’t kill it!”
“What the fuck?” Andras asked, looking over at where the deadly hound had dropped to its belly and was whining up at Drew.
Drew approached the urco, his hand held out in front of him. “Hey there, buddy,” he said in a soft voice. “It’s okay. I’m not gonna hurt you.” He made some cooing noises as he slowly got closer, and although the urco looked wary, it didn’t retreat or attack.
“Drew, sweetness. What are you doing?” Zach asked, trying to keep any judgement out of his voice. He loved that his boyfriend was such a softie, but at times such as this, it could be detrimental to his health.
“It’s just hungry,” Drew said quietly, not taking his eyes off the beast. “There’s no need to kill the poor thing because it’s doing what hungry animals do best.”
“Last I checked, we haven’t got any food to give it,” Zach pointed out. “So, this isn’t really solving anything.”
“Then I’ll convince it to go and find food elsewhere,” Drew replied nonchalantly, as if that was the easiest thing in the world. Zach wondered if he could respectfully explain to Drew that if it was possible to make the urco hunt something else instead of them, he would have done that himself hours ago when the hunt began. He had a feeling Drew wouldn’t take too kindly to that, though, so he stayed silent.
To Zach’s immense surprise, Drew wasn’t eaten in one gulp when he reached the urco, and he placed his hand gently on its head. “Shhh, it’s okay,” Drew crooned to the urco, who allowed him to scratch around itsears. “We’re gonna get you fixed up and then let you be on your way, okay? No one is going to die today.”
“I wouldn’t be too fucking sure of that,” Andras muttered. Luckily, Drew didn’t hear him.
There was a fluttering of wings and Leila landed on Drew’s shoulder. Her feathers were ruffled, and she was growling low in her throat at the urco, but she seemed content to let Drew handle matters. Familiar or not, Zach didn’t think she’d be much of a match for the hound, so it was the best outcome for all.
The urco had cocked its head to one side and was now drooling as Drew scratched all over its neck and shoulders. “Who’s a good doggie?” Drew asked in the babyish tone most people took when speaking to animals. It normally annoyed the shit out of Zach, but when Drew did it, he just found it adorable. “You are! Yes you are! Oh, does that feel good? Does it? Are you having a nice scratch?”
Andras came and stood next to Zach. “Is he . . . is hereallytaming a fucking urco?” he asked.
“It appears so.”
Drew dropped to his knees, putting Leila at muzzle height with the urco, but it didn’t seem at all interested in snacking now, enjoying the petting too much. Drew continued to stroke the beast with one hand, and cupped the other over the wound on its ribs. Zach’s ears popped as Drew accessed his magic, whispering quietly as he activated it.
“He can heal?” Andras asked, surprised.
“Um, I don’t think he’s done it before,” Zach admitted. Healing was extremely advanced magic, only something that some upper-management angels and very powerful magic users, such as the Grand Masters of old, were known for. Zach had never heard of a demon, even one as powerful as Lucifer, being able to wield such magic. It certainly wasn’t somethinghecould do, nor Kensington. Though they had speculated it would possibly be within Drew’s capabilities when fully trained, Kensington only knewof one person in the world who could do it, and that Grand Master was in New Zealand. Getting them together would take some planning.
Andras gaped at him. “He’swingingit?”
“Looks like.”
“But that’s impossible!” Andras objected. “I’ve heard that for those with the ability it takes years of training just to heal a paper cut!”
