“Hmm?”
The moment was gone when Sabriel’s frantic voice sounded in his head.
They took down the guards in the tunnels! Daemons are entering our capital!
“They’re already here?”
This seems to be a smaller force. Testing our weaknesses.
“We must get to town,” Raine said to Maeryn. “Now.”
Without a word, Maeryn sprinted through the garden and out the gate, Raine at her heels.
Screams echoed in the distance. Running toward the cries of terror, they halted at the edge of town. Monsters barreled through the streets, pouncing on defenseless citizens, while a group of about fifty soldiers marched toward the castle.
“We mustn’t let them get past us,” Raine said.
Sabriel barreled into the chaos, ripping out the throat of a smaller wolf-like creature. More beasts appeared, their black skin reflecting the moonlight, fangs dripping with venom. A family of gnomes cowered against a shop, wailing in terror.
Raine met eyes with Maeryn, not needing to speak to communicate their plan. They took off after the daemon hounds. Raine raised his arms and entrapped one in a ball of roots. Maeryn melted it with her lava.
“Again!” she called, as they raced through the cobblestone streets.
“Everyone get inside!” Raine yelled at the townsfolk, frozen in fear.
He snatched another hound with roots. Maeryn burned it. Repeating the process, they took the rest of them down quickly, ensuring there were no more nearby.
Raine stopped, kneeling before the family. “You must hide.”
“Thank you, captain,” a small woman with big brown eyes sobbed.
“Inside. Now.”
Dozens of boots signaled the arrival of their own soldiers, Thorne and the rest of their friends in tow. Including Jareth.
“You’d better help, you bastard,” Raine barked.
Jareth glared at him, then launched a ball of starlight at adaemon soldier, setting him aflame. “What does it look like I’m doing?”
“Now is not the time!” Thorne shouted, plunging his sword into an advancing daemon.
Another enemy soldier ran forward, solely focused on the king. Thorne’s sword cleaved the air, severing his head from his shoulders, before whipping around and halting a blow from another. Their weapons locked together, the daemon soldier pushed forward. Thorne staggered back.
Raine released an arrow, spearing straight through the daemon’s throat. He collapsed in a heap.
“I had him,” Thorne growled.
“You’re rusty,” Raine chided, clapping a hand on Thorne’s shoulder. “You should have trained with us more,Your Majesty.”
Thorne raised his hand, his eyes darting behind Raine. “Move.”
Raine spun to the side, bow drawn. A heartbeat later Thorne snapped the neck of a soldier with thorny roots. “Rusty?” He raised a brow at Raine.
“I take it back!”
A soldier ran forth, sword held high. Maeryn whirled, a whip of lava in her hand. With a snap of her arm, she cracked it, wrapping it around the daemon’s neck. His screams were cut off as it burned through his flesh, his head thumping to the ground moments later.
“Impressive.” Raine gave her a feral grin as another soldier lunged with a dagger.
