Page 49 of Fallen Demon

I turned and zoomed toward them.

I didn’t like bringing Levi to them, like a bomb ready to explode, but I couldn’t deal with him alone.

Levi almost caught me again, his claw swiping inches from my head. He definitely planned to kill me.

When he came back to himself, would he regret it? Would he miss me?

Damn it, what was I thinking?

I pushed those thoughts away and focused on getting to my friends.

Thankfully, Lacey shot the sparks back up again a moment later and I was able to course correct and fly toward them. It would still take another two or three minutes for me to get to them.

I just hoped they were thinking what I was thinking.

To make sure they had enough time, I gritted my teeth and circled around them. I almost regretted it when Levi caught my hair and pulled me back, making me shriek in pain. I had to flap my wings hard not to fall, and I kicked him in the stomach. He held on to my hair for as long as he could, but when I summoned my sword and pushed the hilt hard under his chin, he let me go.

I almost plummeted to the ground.

The sparks exploded again, closer this time, and I assumed that was their ready signal.

I flew low and saw them in a small space between the rocks.

Large enough for a witch’s circle.

I flew outside of the circle’s line, but Levi was so intent on catching me, he didn’t look down. He was about to fly inside the circle when a light bolt slammed into his side, pushing him back and out of the circle’s range.

Levi fell to the ground several feet back, but was up a second later, his wings spread out behind him, his claws ready, his teeth bared. He looked up and sure enough, Ylena stood atop a rock, another bolt twirling in her open palm.

I landed beside Lacey and the others.

Levi snarled at Ylena and she laughed.

“A proposition,” she said, her shrill voice cutting through the air.

Levi growled. “I don’t make deals with you.”

“But this one will get us out of here.”

That actually caught his attention.

“Whatever they are doing, we need to stop them,” Rage said. He got his spear and the others got ready for a fight.

As if they could read each other’s mind, Levi nodded and Ylena smiled—a wicked thing that chilled me to the bone.

Looking at Levi, she raised the bolt in her hand and threw it at our feet!

We jumped back, but the impact was strong enough to make us stumble.

In a flash, she and Levi flew toward us.

I called my sword, Lacey cast her magic, Wyatt turned into his wolf … but before we could do anything, a rain of light bolt and darkfire fell over us.

Farrah cast an ice bridge over our heads.

But that was all distraction.

Levi and Ylena swooped under the bridge. Levi caught Rage, passed him on to Ylena, and then slammed into me. He closed his strong arms around me and flew away with me.

---