She would fight. Theywouldsucceed. And when the opportunity presented itself, she would break away from the battle and make the portal.
“Behind you!” shouted Pax, currently locked in battle with a daemon, their blades clashing in the mist still coming down.
Ava whirled, blocking a blow aimed for her head. Her arms trembled as she tried to push against her enemy. She staggered backward with a shout. He sneered, malice in his black eyesreflecting the moon above. With a shove, she was pushed to the ground, sword knocked from her hand.
The daemon was huge, and much stronger than her. Ava tried to reach for her dagger, but he was on top of her in an instant, his own dagger raised. Unable to roll away, Ava grasped his wrist with both her hands, screaming as she tried to halt his blade.
A bright green vine wrapped around his arm, yanking it back until it broke with a crack. The daemon bellowed, his cry of pain cut short when another vine enveloped his face, then plunged down his throat. A booted foot kicked the soldier, rolling him away.
An extended hand appeared in Ava’s line of vision. Her eyes lifted, trailing up the leather armor of Monterre before meeting the gray-blue gaze of her friend. She gave Raine a shaky laugh as she grasped it and let him yank her to her feet. Wiping her brow with the back of her arm, she retrieved her sword.
“Thanks,” she panted.
“Always.” He clapped her back before throwing himself back into battle.
Absolute bedlam surrounded her. Weapons clashed. Bodies fell atop one another, friend and foe alike. Black and red blood painted the grass, the rain mixing them together in a grisly picture of death.
There was no chance to retreat or regroup. No time to rest. She had to keep going and hope they found Andras sooner rather than later.
A blood curdling scream had the hair on the back of Ava’s neck standing at attention. Something in the air had changed. A hollow dread took root.
She paused, searching the battle for what was different. Another scream…then another. The energy in the air shifted, as if the daemon army had been holding back and was now unleashing their full strength.
And that was when she saw them.
The monsters were being unleashed. Until now, the fighting had felt evenly matched. Though she hadn’t been able to tell if they were winning or losing, they had seemed to be making some headway. Or at minimum, holding their own.
But now…
Now there were creatures everywhere. As if they’d appeared out of nowhere. Daemon hounds; those winged monstrosities she’d fought during the Elderoak journey and on the ship; the giant insects.
Fear crawled up her spine as a helwraith scurried on unnaturally bent legs toward a Saxumdale fae. Its white eyes filled with hunger, venom dripping from inch-long fangs. Ava grabbed the bow off her back, nocking an arrow with astounding speed, and released it. The arrow pierced the helwraith’s skull and it collapsed in a heap.
Her ally gave her an appreciative nod before turning to fight a daemon soldier. Retrieving another arrow, Ava continued to fell as many creatures as she could. An insect hovered a few yards away, but she killed it before it had a chance to attack its prey.
A massive silvery snake slithered toward a soldier. She could barely make out who it was in the dark, but they were focused on battling an enemy before them, unaware of the danger lurking behind. A sliver of moonlight peeked through the clouds, illuminating the scarlet hair of the snake’s intended victim.
Thorne.
Bow forgotten, Ava sprinted to her brother. The snake reared back, prepared to strike. She leaped, landing atop the reptile, dagger in hand. With a swift motion she jammed it through the serpent’s eye. Hissing, it threw its head back, tossing her away.
Thorne spun, having killed his opponent. His eyes wentwide when he took in the scene. The snake slithered toward Ava, black blood running down its scales from the dagger still impaled in its face.
The cry of an eagle came from above. Skye burst through the clouds and swooped low, landing on the monster. Her talons gripped it, holding the beast still as her sharp beak tore into its flesh.
A buzzing came from Ava’s left, an insect diving straight for her. She rolled, removed another dagger, and plunged it into the belly of the beast as it sailed by again. It crashed to the ground, twitching, when Luna lunged and tore off its wings.
Ava rose, searching for her brother, needing to know he was safe. But he was lost again in the melee.
A daemon hound leaped from the shadows, so fast Ava was unable to avoid it, throwing her back down. Pinned beneath its paws, she screamed. Drool dripped on her face. The hound growled, lips curling over its canines.
Its snarl turned into a whimper, then a pained whine. Smoke rose from its black flesh, heat coming off its skin as it glowed, before crumbling into dust. One moment it was preparing to maul her, the next she was covered in a pile of ash.
Coughing, she found Casimir standing over her, fury on his face as he helped her up. She wiped the now muddy ash from her face.
“Ava, you must get away from these creatures. If you get bitten and can’t access your magic, it’s over.”
“I know, I?—”
