With an earth-shaking roar, the apollyon shook its arms, flinging Brock, Ray, and the other wolf high into the air. They crashed down against the ground—hard. The thuds stole the breath from me for a moment before I remembered I didn’t have time to stop and worry. The third wolf, whose name I didn’t know, whimpered before attempting to drag himself to standing.
Holy shit.
What the apollyon lacked in intelligence, he made up for in brute strength. Resisting the urge to check on Brock, I lunged forward, awkward as I jumped over one of the submissive wolves gnawing at his ankles. I managed to slice a gash in his forearm with my sword.
Black goop like crude oil oozed from the wound as a screech I could only describe as a dying cat shoved inside of a dying bear ripped from its throat. My skin crawled as it pinned its fiery gaze on me. I shook away the sensation and commanded myself to focus. Bouncing on the balls of my feet, I gripped my katana.
It lumbered forward, obliterating bushes, kicking at the wolves who got in the way. Wolves flew in every direction, landing with sickening thuds and horrible whimpers.
The apollyon faced off with me. I worked to pretend I wasn’t frightened, because bounty hunters weren’t supposed to get scared. But damn … this thing was monstrous.
While its fury was pinned on me, Reo and Haru zipped around behind it and sliced into the back of its legs, but it didn’t seem bothered. From the angle of the lashes, it looked like my warrior protectors had severed its Achilles tendons, as well as the tendons behind its knees. This should’ve sent it tumbling into a devastated heap, unable to attack ever again. Any normal creature would’ve been down for the count.
Instead, the apollyon continued plodding in my direction, its gaze transfixed on my sword. Why the fuck hadn’t it blown up yet? I’d sliced it good in the forearm. Maybe I didn’t get deep enough.
I ran straight at the beast, launched myself into the air, and swiped at the monster in a small arc, intending to stab its gut at the end of the motion.
It caught my sword midair.
Triple fuck.
With a yank, it dragged my katana from my hands as I fell to the ground, and then a snap rang throughout the trees.
We all froze. All but the beast.
No!!!
The fucking idiot hulk had broken my katana in half like it was a candy cane.
“Was that…?” Reo couldn’t even voice his question.
“Yeah,” I said, working to keep the panic from my voice.
I was fucked, and not in the good way.
“You stabbed the demon giant through the heart when it exploded before,” Molly’s voice came from behind me, making me jump. “I think you have to do that again.”
Stab it with my broken weapon? Which meant getting even closer to the nasty-smelling fucker? No big deal.
A hideous cry sprang from the apollyon again when it finally took notice of Haru and Reo and batted them away with a hand twice the size of a catcher’s mitt, sending them flying above its head—which was fifteen feet in the air.
Dammit!
My protectors landed with a loud crunch, their bodies tearing through foliage. I strained my ears for any indication of life from them, even a miserable whimper, but nothing. I had to believe they were okay and that the bushes or trees had broken their fall.
I shoved aside concern for my friends—simply because I had to. We’d have greater problems if I didn’t manage to take this thing down. It was up to me. My kitsune power was connected to the gate, which I suspected meant I was somehow connected to the creatures seeping from it. Hadn’t the warriors said something about my powers activating around demons? Well come on, baby. Activate!
I lunged for what was left of my katana before the apollyon could turn around. A mere six inches of blade protruded from the hilt. Purple magic still flowed along the short blade—go kitsune powers—but it was little compared to the intensity of my magic that had sparked through the weapon before.
It would have to do.
But would it do? Dammit, I had no choice.
Cass whizzed next to me on his board and Brock limped out of the forest to take his place at my side.
‘You okay?’I asked the alpha.
‘I’ve had worse. But that thing is made of cement and hits like a Mack truck. Be careful.’
