“We will.” Though I wondered how many would die before that happened.
Then the dark angel flew around the side of the hotel with so much speed he blurred as he moved. Snow flew out in front of him as he skidded to the earth; he transformed into a man as he slid to a stop near Fiora.
“Raphael!” he shouted. “Incoming!”
The golden angel turned toward him as two creatures flew around the side of the building with the furry body of a beast, thick hind paws, massive claws, and the head of a bird, its lethal talons rivaled Caim’s when he was in raven form. Their red wings had a ten-foot wingspan that kicked up snow and blasted it across the land as they hurtled toward us.
It had been thousands of years since I last saw one, so it took me a couple of seconds to recognize the griffith. During the time they lived there, the ferocious beasts were feared by almost everyone residing in Hell. Like me, they relished unleashing terror on the unsuspecting.
They were known to perch high in the cliffs of Hell before descending on their unsuspecting prey. They would then use their beaks and talons to shred the flesh from their victim before devouring them whole. They savored the flesh and screams of their victims.
“Whatare those things?” Bale breathed.
“Griffiths,” I said as three more emerged from around the other side of the hotel.
“They’re all supposed to be dead,” Magnus said.
“We have no idea what was down the other end of the tunnel,” Bale said.
“Apparently, it was a bunch of monsters,” Shax said.
Just as the first griffith reached us, a horde of craetons poured out of the woods.
Chapter Forty-Two
Bale
My attention was tornbetween the enormous beasts soaring toward us and the horde of lower-level and upper-levels demons spilling out of the forest. Magnus’s illusions faded when they were touched, but they provided a distraction to the craetons who tried to slaughter them as they rushed forward.
Some of the hounds pounced and took down craetons while the others remained unmoving and watching amongst the illusions. Their eagerness to destroy emanated from them, but they would bide their time and wait until they could cause the most destruction.
Lix let out a battle cry and, raising his sword, charged across the earth. Unfortunately, the thick snow and his short legs hindered his charge. However, he managed to cover the distance far faster than I would have believed possible and lopped the head from an upper-level demon who was distracted with trying to kill a fake Shax.
Thrown up by the massive beast’s flight, snow peppered my face as one of them hurtled toward me. I lifted my sword as the griffith opened its maw. A yellow tongue flickered within and clicked against its beak as it released a roar that blew the hair back from my face.
Its talons curled as it looked to sink them into my flesh before shoving me down its throat. I’d never seen a griffith before, but I’d heard about them in whispered tales meant to frighten bad demon children into behaving. Those tales rarely worked, but these things were truly terrifying.
I ducked its grasping claws as it dropped lower. When I threw myself to the ground, snow slid into my sleeves, down my shirt, and into my pants. I burrowed into the white fluff before rolling over and thrusting my sword up. The blade plunged into the chest of the beast and nearly ripped the sword from my hands.
I clung to the hilt as it sliced through flesh and bone and tore the creature open from chest to belly. A wave of innards spilled out of it. I yanked my sword free and rolled in time to avoid taking the hot wash of its intestines to the face.
The griffith’s scream echoed over the land and was picked up by its friends until their cries reverberated off the mountains. I pushed myself up from the snow in time to see Wrath severing the creature’s wing. The injured animal hit the ground and plowed up the land as it skidded across the earth before coming to a stop near Aisling, who chopped off its head.
That head was still rolling when Hawk tackled her into the snow as another griffith dove at them. Its talons caught in Hawk’s shirt, and it started to lift him off the ground. Before it could rise more than a few feet, Raphael released a bolt of life that hit the creature in the chest.
The griffith’s scream echoed over the land and thundered in my head until I was sure it would forever haunt my nightmares. Just when I thought my eardrums were going to rupture, it burst into thousands of bloody pieces that rained over the earth. The closest to it, Hawk and Aisling were coated with the remains while bits and pieces pelted my face and stuck to my hair and clothes.
Magnus and Amalia had joined Lix in the battle against the craetons. New images, created by Magnus, continued to shimmer to life, but they weren’t as distracting anymore, and the craetons were fighting their way through them.
Scrambling to my feet, I jumped up as the remaining griffiths hooked a right and swooped over the smaller trees before swinging back toward us. I braced myself for another attack from them as more craetons spilled from the woods and a battle cry echoed over the land. The screams of the dying and the coppery stench of blood permeated the area as craetons and some of the palitons fell beneath the arcs of swords.
Shax ran to join Lix, Magnus, and Amalia as a horde of craetons rushed toward them. Kneeling in front of them, Shax rested his hands on the earth and bent his head. A rumbling started beneath my feet as the ground lurched.
Magnus and Amalia backed away as the rumbling increased. One of the griffiths swooped toward Raphael, but when he started to unleash his lifeforce, it twisted to the side and homed in on Corson and Wren.
Corson’s talons extended from the backs of his hands, and he braced his legs apart as the thing dove straight at him. He held his ground as the beast opened its mouth wide, and its yellow tongue clicked excitedly. When Corson started to duck, the griffith adjusted its flight and sank its beak into Corson’s arm.
His shout abruptly cut off as his mouth clamped shut. His feet dangled over the earth, and he swung up with his other hand as the griffith lifted him. Corson buried his talons into the underneath of the beast’s throat. Wren shouted and leapt for Corson’s legs, but the griffith was beyond her reach.
