A deafening noise came from above us, and dust rained down on our heads. Wind came rushing into the room as debris flew everywhere. It was like someone had ripped the roof of the cabin off. I threw myself over Ava to shield her, wondering what the hell had happened now.
“Come out, come out, wherever you are!” a deep voice rang from outside.
Holy shit. That sounded like Mad Dog.
I didn’t have a second to process it before the bed vanished from beneath me. Ava and I fell to the forest floor as the illusion broke, and the cabin around us vanished. Ava let out a pained cry, and Oberi shifted into a wyvern, spreading out his wings to shield us. I felt Sprigs jump into my pocket, and I heard a whizzing sound as Alette hid beside him.
We’re under attack!Oberi cried.
I didn’t care if Mad Dog was here or who he brought. We were demigods; we could take on anyone.
Oberi’s venom sizzled as he shot it at our attackers, but it made asplattingsound, like it hit a pane of glass before disintegrating.
I can’t get past their shields, Oberi panicked.
“Hold them off, Kallie!” Marcus screamed. The firepit hissed, like he’d spilled some of the anti-tracking potion into it.
Everything that we’d made with illusion magic was gone. The only things that remained were our real belongings, like Marcus’ cauldron and the vials we stole from the apothecary. Marcus sounded like he was rescuing the potion, while Kallie fought off the attackers in the open clearing.
My whole body shook as I rushed to cradle Ava in my arms, but she was already blasting off magic. I felt Water and Fire converge through our bond as she used simultension on herself, creating that deadly blue Fire she’d made in the Darke Games. Ava shot it off, but I heard it fizzle out before it made its target.
“What the hell?” she growled.
She shot off another spell, but it ricocheted back in our direction, and the Fire seared the ends of my hair as I flinched away.
Someone cackled loudly. “You think your Fire is a match for us? We’re demigods now, and we’re stronger than you’ll ever be. All the other Mission kids who wanted to become demigods died, butwewere strong enough. Your spells can’t touch us.”
There was only one person who would brag that much during a fight. It had to be Deuce, the vampire who got sent to Cellblock 9 after I framed him for murder. Last I saw him, he was lying unconscious in Cellblock 9. The fact that he was strong enough to withstand demigod power was impressive, considering I’d knocked him out more than once.
Oberi threw himself in front of us again, letting out a loud, threatening cry.
Ava clung to me. “It’s The Mission! Esther, Naya, Mad Dog, and Deuce. Charlie, they’re stronger than I’ve ever seen them. I don’t know how, but they’re shooting my Fire back at me!”
I wasn’t sure how they’d gotten here so quickly. The bastard at the pharmacy must’ve ratted us out!
“Stay low,” I warned Ava. “I won’t let them hurt you.”
It killed me to leave my wife’s side, but these fuckers would die before they touched her. I leapt onto Oberi’s back and conjured a spear, which became solid in my hand. It was the easiest illusion that came to mind, and appeared almost without thought.
To the right! Oberi told me. Through the bond, I could sense the exact spot I needed to aim, and I thrust my spear forward.
Something shattered, and I realized my illusion spear had been broken. I blasted off battle spells, but each one fizzled out. Below me, Marcus and Kallie threw spells, but I heard their magic wither away before they could do any damage. I heard the shattering of glass, as if their shields had been broken.
“Stop playing this game, and submit to the lord!” a woman’s voice came from above me. Feathery wings flapped, which meant ithadto be Esther. Only she would try preaching about her god while actively trying to kill us.
“I think they’re better off dead,” a woman laughed. Her leathery wings flapped nearby. It was definitely Naya. We’d had far too many run-ins with this succubus for me to ever forget her voice.
Gathering all the magic I could, I thrust a heavy gust of air above me, and Esther went spinning downward. She knocked into Naya, and they both spiraled into the ground. A tree cracked and groaned, but Naya only laughed. The succubus was as hard as rock. I doubt I left so much as a scratch. Oberi lifted his head and spat venom at Esther.
Esther screamed. I expected the venom to encompass her and kill her like it did the guards the night we escaped, but she flapped her wings again, flying high above us.
“The lord has foreseen your deaths!” Esther shouted. “It is his will that you perish!”
She sounded perfectly fucking healthy to me. Damn angel healing magic.
Mad Dog laughed maniacally, like our magic was nothing short of amusing to him. “Your wyvern is weak, just like the rest of you,” he sneered.
Something shifted in the bond, and I didn’t know what it was at first, until I realized Oberi wasshrinkingbeneath me. He shifted so fast that I fell out of the air and landed hard on the ground. Oberi roared loudly, but it morphed into a bark as he became a husky.
