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I caught a single glimpse of feathered wings extending from a warped spine. Red eyes glowed malevolently beneath a heavy brow ridge as the creature shot toward the ground…and the rebels positioned to meet it.
I fired, my bolt sinking deep into the creature’s throat. It fell, but not before letting loose a shriek of retribution.
A shriek echoed by the creatures attacking from both the forest floor and the sky.
My teeth began to chatter.
I drew and fired. Again and again, in rhythmic succession. In the trees surrounding me, the other archers did the same, until the sky was filled with arrows. The creatures ducked and dodged, shockingly fast. But we were managing to keep them at bay. For now.
Vynthar was suddenly there, his movements just as fast as the attacking beasts. I’d wondered where he was, worrying for hours about whether one of them had found him and killed him earlier. I should’ve known he’d arrive on his own time.
“Don’t shoot the monster without the wings!” I screamed.
Vynthar let out a roar as one of the creatures dove at him. In a vicious movement, he launched himself at it, burying his teeth in its neck. The creature flapped its wings, attempting to fly away, but Vynthar’s huge jaws clamped down harder. He shook his head, those long teeth driving deep. The creature went limp. Dead. Vynthar merely released him and aimed for another.
I risked a single glance as I nocked my next arrow. On the ground, Demos and the other rebels sliced and stabbed, fighting with a vicious fury. Something in my chest released.
Somewhere, in the distance, Herne roared orders.
I let loose another arrow, straight into the spot where the creature’s heart might have been. It didn’t even falter. My stomach knotted.
“The wings!” I screamed, hoping the others could hear me. “Aim for the head or the wings.”
More creatures fell from the sky. But they were getting smarter. A blur of black shot toward me, and I loosed my arrow, only for it to dodge it entirely. It aimed for the tree next to me and the woman who’d smiled at me.
I spun, almost losing my seat on the branch. But I was too late. The creature had her in its claws, and he flapped strangely beautiful wings, taking her higher and higher. She screamed, legs kicking.
I aimed. Missed. No, no, no!
Thearchers surrounding me fired again and again. But the creature had flown too high.
It let the woman go. Her scream echoed over the sound of the battle, abruptly ending as she hit the ground with a thud I imagined I could hear.
My eyes burned, but I fought myself to focus, filing away the details. That action implied some level of malevolence. A dark intelligence. We’d hurt and killed its people, so it had publicly displayed what it could do to us. My pulse pounded at my temples.
The creature shrieked, and this time, there was no mistaking the triumph. Its red eyes glowed, it tucked its wings tight, diving at Demos. My heart jumped into my throat. Demos was cutting a path through the creatures. He’d killed so many that they lay in piles around him.
And the creature had clearly noticed.
My hands trembled, but I took a long breath, focusing only on the feel of the crossbow in my hands. On the way my arrow would strike true.
I drew, fired, aiming right for the huge, winged monster. My bolt slammed straight into its wing. But it didn’t matter. It was still diving. Straight toward Demos.
Acid boiled in my gut. I nocked, aimed, fired again.
A breeze tickled the side of my face. I ducked, barely avoiding claws. One of the monstrous creatures careened toward my tree, razor-sharp claws extended from its gnarled feet as it dove for me.
It barely missed.
But now, it was too close. I fumbled my knife from its sheath, pressing myself against the rough bark and slinging my crossbow over my shoulder. The creature’s hot, fetid breath washed over me, and it dodged around my tree branch, snapping at my leg.
My eyes met blood-red orbs. There was a bloodthirsty intelligence peering out from its monstrous face. It wanted me dead.
I yanked my leg away, and its teeth closed with an audible “snap.” Slashing out with my knife, I sliced along its scaled arm.
It shrieked, slamming its clawed arm into my wrist. My hand instantly went numb, fingers opening, and my knife dropped to the ground. Blood pounded in my ears.
Oneof its brethren shrieked back. The creature snapped again, its movements fluid, predatory. My tree was dense enough that it was finding it difficult to snatch me up as I scrambled away, moving between branches. It flapped huge, feathered wings, until it was above me once more.
