Page 53 of Stone Heart
He cursed, catching sight of the sky lightening off in the distance.
Shit.
The sun would be rising soon.
He turned back toward the mountain, knowing he’d have to find shelter from the sun in it. After nightfall, he’d fly off home.
Rina.
He bit back another curse. He’d been following her but lost sight of her when the three serpents had attacked him. He had to find her. The necromancers would surely kill her in their quest for power.
His body froze in place—two figures made their way to him. His muscles tensed, and he glared at the figures. He breathed in deeply and smelled the dark magic radiating from them.
“Demons,” he sneered around his fangs.
The figures stank of necromancer magic. That would be the only way the demons would have been able to come into this world. He spread his wings out and readied his body for battle.
“Rhodack Gahnoth,” the larger demon stated.
Rhodack darted his gaze between the two. These demons were different than the ghosted figures that the necromancers had used. These were high-level demons who were more intelligent than their misted counterparts. They’d been sent to the Terra realm for a purpose.
Rhodack knew he’d be able to take the two of them as they came closer. He’d have to make it quick. He wouldn’t be any help to Rina in his stone form.
“We were after the princess, but you’ll do for now,” the second one said before brandishing an electrifying whip.
Rhodack took note that they were after Rina as they’d all suspected. He growled, vowing to never let them reach Rina.
“You’ll not get your fucking hands on her,” he snarled, taking a step toward them.
The sound of the whip snapping filled the air as the smaller demon made its way to him. They drew closer. The small demon was a female, and by the way she was snapping the whip, she was very experienced with the weapon.
“Oh, don’t be so sure,” the female sneered. “We won’t have to chase after her now.” She snapped the whip again, and this time a bright light shone, casting a stark illumination in the darkness.
He squinted at them, feeling himself grow week.
The whip was emulating the energy of the sun.
“What in the—”
“As we said, she will come to us.” The male chuckled low and folded his thick arms across his chest.
The female circled around Rhodack. Rhodack glanced between the two of them, not trusting to turn his back to either of them.
“Stop playing with him, Geica.”
“But where’s your fun, Ol’gon?” Geica narrowed her eyes on Rhodack and moved toward him with her arm raised high.
Rhodack dodged the whip when the female snapped it toward him. He roared, facing them. He was the mighty clan leader and would not be toyed with. He just needed her to get close to him so he could get his hands on her and get that damn whip away from her.
She snapped it again, and the heat from the whip reached him. He barely missed it this time, trying to fight the weakness from the light.
“Put that toy down and come fight me.” His beast ached to end both of the demons’ lives.
“Geica!” Ol’gon snapped.
“Oh, all right.”
Rhodack tried to dodge the whip, but this time, its scorching long length wrapped around him. He bared his fangs, the white-hot lash digging into his leathery flesh, crushing his wings to his back.
He roared, the sensation of darkness creeping up on him. The bright light from the whip was draining him as if the sun itself were rising.
“What the hell is this?” he bit out, falling farther and farther into oblivion. His knees buckled, leaving his body to crash to the ground. He squinted, trying his damnedest to see through the dense fog that clouded his vision. A groan escaped his lips, and he tried to move, but the whip tightened its hold on him, cutting into his skin.
Impossible.
A gargoyle’s skin was meant to be impenetrable.
“There’s no use fighting, gargoyle,” Geica taunted, her voice growing closer to him. “The necromancer magic is too strong. Soon, they’ll walk this realm.”
“I’ll…kill…you,” he mumbled, slipping into unconsciousness.
