Page 43 of Wings of Destiny

A true flame.

How interesting.

I held my hands up in surrender from his version of a verbal lashing and an absolute waste of time. “My apologies. However, we truly are running out of time.” He glared at me, and then moved to free Miss Snow.

My arms extended as she fell, catching her. Her head rolled back, hanging from my arm. The added blood from the final lashings she’d received and Erebus’s Demon’s hands, still seeped from her side. Her clothing had been utterly destroyed, torn to nothing more than scraps. Her breasts were fully exposed, what material that had been left to cover having fallen away as she fell from the restraints. Deep gashes covered her body, lesions from her thighs to her small waist, breasts, arms; there was no skin left unharmed. I shook my head.

Idiotic, woman. You shouldn’t fight battles you cannot win.

Seth reached for her and I maneuvered her into his awaiting arms. Miss Snow immediately curled into him, her battered hand subconsciously reached for the front of his fighting gear, grasping it. Her head leaned against his chest, no longer lopped to the side. Her twitching and convulsing eased.

I snapped our attention back to the task at hand. “Seth, we must go. Now.” I pulled him forward, pushing him and Miss Snow toward the exit. Derik and Miss Libby were already waiting by the iron door. The heads of three different Demons at their feet. I held the Illusion until we made it through the wrought iron door, my connection with the throne room broken. We bolted, our enhanced speed kicked in. Chaos erupted behind us. Derik led the group, following the carpeted pathway toward the behemoth sized wooden doors they’d been dragged through not even hours before. He burst through them, the oak splintered from his sheer strength.

“Into the tunnel. Straight ahead! That’s our only way in or out. Move!” I shouted. Miss Libby ran behind Derik, Seth followed, Miss Snow still tucked in close to his chest and unconscious. As we navigated through the tunnels at top speed, I left illusion after illusion behind us in order to distract the Demons that were rampaging through the tunnels after us.

They should hold for the time being. I sense no trace of iron within the earth. If we came across any now, although it would render my illusions pointless, I’ve bought them some time.

We were nearing the edge of the tunnels. Derik shouted for Miss Libby to keep going as he fell behind her. Seth followed suit, slowing to my side. I shuttered as the power that held the illusions left in our wake were shattered.

They broke through.

“Josh, take her. Derik and I will hold them off a bit longer. Take Erin and Libby, hide yourselves and get them to safety,” that flame shone once again. “Keep her safe.” And with that, he placed Miss Snow in my arms, his thumb traced her cheek before he braced for the Demons nearly on top of us all. Her body recoiled from mine. I gripped her close to keep from dropping her as Miss Libby and I continued to make an escape. Growling and screaming broke out behind us. Miss Snow shifted in myarms, her head rolling. Her eyelids shot open, her pupils a blood-red pit. Her head snapped in the direction of the chaos behind us, a hand shooting upward.

She’s merely weeks into her transformation.

How is this possible?

A ball of flame erupted out of her palm. And barreled directly into the brunt of the fighting, taking out nearly half of the Demons that Seth and Derik faced. I stopped in my tracks, Miss Libby as well, her mouth agape.

Miss Snow, whoareyou?

A second flame erupted from Miss Snow’s hand. Careening to the other half still standing. As it collided with its targets, a bolt of lightning stamped from the sky above. Shooting down a Demon that had been but a second away from beheading Seth.

Seth swiveled his head in our direction, eyes widening at the realization of where the elements had came from. He and Derik checked the small battlefield around them, astonished. No opponents remained. The two of them sprinted, giddy triumph dawned across their gore coated faces.

As they neared us, Miss Snow’s body collapsed into mine, her eyelids closing shut, her body limp.

Seth pulled her from my grasp, pushing the hair from her face as he held her. Surprise and utter pride rippled across his face. Until he truly took in the shape she was in, having been even worse for wear than when he’d woken in the throne room. Seth gripped her close as Derik and Miss Libby both pulled off their outer fighting gear, draping it across Miss Snow.

Seth’s voice broke, his cry muffled as he nestled his face into her blood soaked hair. “She’s alive.”

Chapter sixteen

Erin

“Lovely, isn’t she?”

“She tastes as delicious as she looks.”

Flames.

Everywhere.

The sickening voice. Echoed.

Thundered louder and louder. Lightening. So many of them. So many creatures. Raced toward me. Toward all of us. They closed in. A man faced the creatures, giving us a few spared moments to try and escape. They didn’t see how many were closing in on us. There were almost a hundred. I could feel it in my bones, ice clawing its way through me. We were going to die.

Hewas going to die. The man, who’s silhouette glimmered like the ocean on a clear blue day. He was going to die. To save us.

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