Page 108 of Of Nine So Bold

Desperation pressed the air from my lungs. Damn me, I should have listened to Casimir.

But therewasanother means by which I could close the gateway before it was too late.

The icy chill of certainty settled in my veins again. If worse came to worst, I could throw myself into it. Let my magic erupt with my death. The power would be channeled into the gateway and should be enough to shatter the spell before it could destabilize or drain her fully.

The syphoning force grew stronger. There wasn’t much time left. I?—

Roan stepped past me. His body rippled and changed, the demon emerging and making him grow taller and broader.

At the edge of the gateway, he stopped. A low growl rumbled from his chest, and his claws flexed on each finger.

Angry noises came from the gateway demons. “You don’t threaten us, stygiaterros. You?—”

Ruhl flowed like smoke next to Roan and then reformed into a massive shadow wolf. His growl made the hairs on my arms stand on end.

“What? How isthatthing here?”

“Nyxvarg? How’d anyxvargget?—”

“Do you thinkhesent it?”

Their cries overlapped only to cut short when Roan snarled. “Let us through.”

Silence fell for a heartbeat.

Roan growled. “Now.”

“Fine, fine,”one of the gateway demons grumbled.

“Impatient, isn’t he?”

“Stygiaterros. More like cranky-a-terros.”

Laughter came from the other gateway demons.

“Just don’t all go through at once, eh?”one said. “Those big guys are heavy.”

Casimir nodded jerkily. “Agreed. You have our thanks.”

“Pfft, we should’ve just eaten you.”In sing-song voices, they taunted, “Mirror, mirror, broken now it lies. Bold are the Nine who shatter the skies.”

They laughed harder, the sound fading into the distance as if they were leaving.

“Good luck, Nine!”one called.

Another chimed in, “You’re gonna need it!”

Suddenly, the tug on my magic vanished as the sense of depth and darkness from the gateway stabilized, becoming like a tunnel rather than a cliff.

Air raked my lungs in gasping breaths. I turned immediately to check on the princess. Ozias had his arms around her, holding her up, and the rest of my friends had drawn in to surround them, shielding her from view of the giants.

Gods, she looked pale. Weakened drastically by what had just occurred. To let her feed here was impossible, because all hell could break loose if the duke or anyone else saw.

But she’d need strength to use the gateway, and in this condition?—

“The Nine?” Ignatius whispered.

Ohgods. And then there was that.

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