And then I recognized them as they swooped toward us with their wings spread wide while they soared low over the carnage. Survivors screamed and threw themselves to the ground, but some weren’t fast enough to evade the angels who tore off their heads or lifted them off the ground before flinging them away.
I was so focused on the angels that I didn’t realize the ground was vibrating until it shook my legs. Tearing my gaze away from the forty or so angels clogging the sky, I focused on the small section of woods that wasn’t on fire yet.
“Motherfuckers,” the king snarled.
I hadn’t believed it possible, but my exhaustion vanished. Adrenaline flooded my system as the nine remaining horsemen of the apocalypse barreled toward us, and behind them emerged a new wave of demons.
This wave was far smaller than before, but we were battered, beaten, and nearly broken. These bastards had waited until our troops were decimated before descending on us.
I hated and admired them for their cruel calculations.
My arms trembled as I lifted the sword, but I locked my muscles into place to keep it steady as I prepared for the next fight.
Chapter Ten
Hawk
Using its hind legs, the drakón behind River launched itself straight off the ground and into the air as one of the angels dropped a screaming woman. The woman would have hit River, but the drakón snatched her out of the sky and flung her away before closing its powerful jaws around the angel.
The second drakón turned in the air and raced toward the horseman as fire burst from its mouth. The flames streaked across the land, torching the bodies of the fallen as it closed in on the horsemen. Three angels crashed into the side of the drakón’s head, knocking it off course.
More angels descended on both drakóns until they were bashing against the sides of the creatures. The angels had to be getting burned by the drakóns, but they moved so fast the fire didn’t catch on them. The drakóns were so busy trying to fend off the angels that the horsemen and their troops closed the rest of the distance without a problem.
“If the horsemen get too close…”
Vargas didn’t finish his sentence. We all knew what would happen if the horsemen got too close. They wouldn’t have to fight us; Wrath and War would have us killing each other before we could do anything to stop them.
I seized Aisling’s elbow as a snarl rumbled up my throat. Her warm, deep brown eyes shimmered with fear when they met mine, but the determined expression on her face remained resolute.
“Achó!” Kobal roared and pointed at the horsemen before sending a blast of fire at a couple of demons who were bearing down on him and River.
I’d been around demons long enough to recognize the word attack. The hounds howled as they bounded across the dead and raced toward the horsemen. Raphael took to the sky as Caim transformed from his raven form and streaked after him. A wave of golden light erupted from Raphael’s hand and hit two of the angels. They shrieked as their bodies exploded.
One of the drakóns turned and flew straight at the other one. A hush descended as for a second, every eye latched onto the two powerful beasts and the angels swarming like gnats around them. I was sure they were going to crash into each other, but then the drakón released a wave of fire and torched some of the angels harassing its mate.
When the flame receded, only the ashes of the angels remained as they spiraled to the earth. The remaining angels tried to scatter, but the drakón swallowed them while the other, free of its gnats, dove at the angels trying to flee the first drakón.
The hounds broke free of the bodies littering the field and rushed toward the horsemen. Lust turned her horse and raced back toward the woods. One of the hounds seized the leg of an extremely thin horseman and ripped him off his underweight mount. The horseman wailed, and his hands flailed as the hounds pounced.
Apparently, the hounds weren’t affected by the power of the horsemen as black blood sprayed and they tore the man to pieces. The horseman’s horse burst into ashes when the hounds succeeded in destroying its rider.
Another horseman screamed as the hounds snapped at his heels. When he tried to turn his overweight horse to flee, the hounds latched onto its thick legs and brought the animal down. I didn’t see what happened after as more lower-level demons reached us.
I cut off the head of one before taking out the next. Beside me, Aisling moved with elegant grace as she battled our enemies. I saw her exhaustion in the circles under her eyes and the paleness of her face, but she still fought like the battle was just beginning.
On the other side, Vargas swung a battle ax into the head of another demon. I had no idea why Erin was with the women and children; she was one of our best fighters, but I was glad she wasn’t here. Even with as good a soldier as she was, if she’d been here, she might not have survived.
I lunged forward and sank my sword into another demon before pulling the blade free. I lifted my sword to deliver the killing blow when Aisling screamed, “Hawk, watch out!”
I was so focused on the demon that I didn’t see the streak of black coming at me until the angel was only feet in front of me. I swung the sword down to deter the bastard, but all I succeeded in doing was driving the hilt into his spine as he smashed into my chest.
Lifted off my feet, I flew ten feet through the air before landing on a mound of bodies. The impact bruised my chest bone, and my lungs protested when I tried to breathe. Bracing my hands on the dead, I pushed myself up but didn’t get far before the angel hit me again.
Black eyes filled my vision as fingers hooked into my shirt and yanked me up. His arm was pulled back in a blow that would knock my head off my shoulders. Before he hit me, I swung my head forward and rammed my forehead into his nose. Blood burst over me when the angel’s nose shattered, and he released a gurgled shout as the hand meant to hit me grasped his nose instead.
Rage filled the bastard’s eyes as his face contorted. I swung a fist into his chin, but the bastard barely flinched before gripping my head. I clawed at his hands as I thrashed to break free of his grasp before he tore my head off. My efforts were useless against him as his eyes shone with bloodthirsty glee.
A sword swung out and buried itself in the side of the angel’s neck before getting stuck. Aisling planted her foot against the angel’s ribs and worked to free the sword as his hands grasped at the blade.
