Page 95 of Shadows of the Soul

“Cora,” Lucifer shouted across the chasm. “Don’t stand in our way. I don’t want to kill you. It would be such a waste.”

“You have the sympathy of the Devil,” Hudson mused.

“Life goals,” I muttered with a roll of my eyes.

“Leave now,” I shouted to Lucifer. “And I might allow you to live.”

Lucifer shook his head and shoved his hands in his trouser pockets. Only the Devil would turn up to battle in a three-piece suit. “So be it,” he answered.

A flood of beasts erupted from the chasm. Things that fueled your worst nightmares, monsters with too many heads, teeth, and eyes. Limbs that arched at odd angles. I leaned back, avoiding the talons of one of the creatures.

“Could you have maybe tried to negotiate?” Hudson asked.

“With the Devil? There is no negotiating, trust me.”

We took several steps back, Keverin angling his body in front of mine. Oh boy, he wanted to protect me. This would end badly.

“Keverin,” I commanded. “Do not get in my way.”

“He told you his name?” Hudson asked with wide eyes.

“Yes. And we can discuss the fact that your animal isn’t an extension of you later. He’s something entirely separate.”

“Sure, at the same time let’s talk about why you can open portals to Heaven, and are on a first-name basis with the Devil.”

“Touché.”

A ten-foot-long creature similar to a dragon turned high in the air and dropped toward us. Its eyes narrowed into vertical slits and his jaw sprang open.

“Tell me it doesn’t breathe fire,” Hudson muttered.

“I could, but I avoid lies where possible.”

We turned and began running toward the house. Heat licked at my flesh as it released the first fiery breath. I didn’t have access to my element, so I couldn’t douse the creature with river water. But I was far from powerless. I needed somewhere I could defend.

“Head to the stables,” I shouted. We changed directions and began sprinting to the stables.

Keverin was in front of us. Suddenly, he turned and leapt between me and Hudson. He roared and my teeth jittered with the awesome power. The dragon returned the roar, but it was pain filled. I spun and found it shaking its head before it crashed into the ground and tore a path into my lawn. What on earth?

A creature on four legs, resembling a wolf on steroids, shot out from between the trees and made a beeline for Keverin. Several serpents slithered from the cavern and across the earth in pursuit. I ran to the front door before pulling on my magic and throwing a pale gold net around the house. Similar to a ward, but much stronger. It would keep out almost anything.

Hudson crashed into me and sent me sprawling to the floor. I landed with an oof, the big oaf knocking the air out of my lungs. I tilted my head and watched as a beastie smashed into my glowing net. It let out a pain-filled howl that made me wince. Hudson glanced over his shoulder.

“Will it hold?”

“Yes. Now, can you get off me?”

“Keverin is out there.”

He jumped to his feet and offered me his hand. I took it and hauled myself up before walking to the open front door and looking at the chaos. “Where is he?”

Hudson scanned the encroaching horde with a frown. “I don’t know.”

A clatter of metal echoed from the kitchen. We spun and ran the short distance, finding Keverin snarling in pain as he struggled in my net at the back door. Hudson reached out, but I grabbed his arm and yanked back.

“Don’t go being a hero. You’d be in an equal amount of pain and just as stuck.”

I stepped forward and reached out to hold Keverin’s cheek. “Shush, you’ll be free in a moment.” The tiger calmed and stared into my eyes. I concentrated on the shining net and pulled the magic inside myself, only from where Keverin was tangled. It ebbed into me, creating a hole in the mesh. Keverin tumbled through, and Hudson grabbed me and pulled me out of the way.Squashed by a prehistoric beastwasn’t what I wanted written on my gravestone.

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