Page 36 of Of Nine So Bold

A snarl tore from me, my fangs bared. In a wave of black ink, the twisted magic coursed through the ground like poison racing along the earth’s veins.

And it was coming for us.

Forher.

The camp came into sight below. The fragile humans were on their feet, staring around, and a shout went up when they spotted me. My roar must have reached even their small and dull ears. But near the side of the clearing closest to where the beast-man had run into the forest, the one called Dex stood, his sword drawn. The scholar was nearby, his bag of magical tricks grippedtightly in one hand and his weapon clutched in the other, as if he hadn’t been able to decide whether magic or metal was needed.

Swiftly, I dove to the earth. All around the camp, the horses went mad, rearing and making their annoying, shrill noises of fear. I did not care for those creatures. They became twitchy when the broken onewent near them.

But now the horses’ fear was not for me.

They knew something was coming too.

At the sight of Gwyneira, Byron immediately dropped his sword and raced toward me. “What happened? Where is everyone else?”

The vampire flew into the clearing. Coalescing into solid form without ever slowing his pace, the vampire ran toward us.

“Do you feel that, scholar?” he called. “The threat on the horizon?”

Byron looked around quickly, confusion on his face. “Feel…” His face went slack with horror. “Oh gods.”

Dex wasted no time with questions. “Demon, get the princess to the carriage. Byron, Casimir, do whatever it takes to help her. General! We’ve got to move!”

A dark-haired woman nodded once at his words and then began shouting orders at the humans. I liked that one. She was efficient, and she made my treluria happy in some way I couldn’t quite define.

Like a friend, you idiot,the broken one snapped from deep inside.The word isfriend.

Damn him! How was it he wasstillhere, even after I shoved him away? And on top of that, now the vampire and scholar were coming toward me as if to take my mate from my arms. That wouldnothappen. I was the demon.Icould protect her better than those two ever could—and certainly better than some foolish box of wood on wheels.

And if whatever the fuck that is tries to attack her physically?the broken one argued furiously.The carriage could take the blows instead of her.

I growled. How dare he delay me, then?

I strode for the carriage.

The ground began to rumble before I made it three steps. I dug my feet into the dirt, fighting to stay upright while humans shouted and my mate writhed, short and sharp noises of agony escaping her.

I would kill this. I would burn it to ash for the pain it caused.

And then I would hunt down the gods and burn them too for allowing her a moment of suffering.

The beast-man rushed into the clearing, that irritating shadow dog beside him. Humans began panicking yet again at the sight of them, but the beast-man shifted quickly. Rage on his face, he strode toward me. The ground became steadier the closer he came, as if he was stabilizing it even in his fury.

“What did you—” he started.

“The demon did not cause this,” the vampire interrupted.

Hedefendedme?

I did not trust that.

The beast-man looked barely mollified. “Then what the hell is happening to—” Cutting off, he whirled quickly, staring to the east.

In the distance, my superior vision caught how the ground began to crack. Fissures ran through the rocks and soil like tree roots were ripping through the earth.

Casimir’s senses were adequate enough to allow the vampire to spot the damage a moment after I did. A curse in another language slipped from him before he spun to me, shouting, “Forget the carriage! Fly!”

How dare the vampire give me orders like a?—

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