When they finished and their blood seeped out to stain the snow around their bodies, none of the other craetons would come near me. I didn’t dare send my ability out to them for fear of ensnaring even one of the remaining palitons in its vicious web.
From behind me, a griffith screeched. Its shadow fell across the earth as it swept over me and toward the larger pines. A few of the other demons with us were overwhelmed by the sheer number of craetons and taken down. Our numbers were dwindling, and it was only a matter of time before we were all taken over.
As long as Death and Pride lived, these assholes would have someone to follow. I couldn’t let that happen.
Chapter Forty-Three
Bale
My heart lodgedin my throat as I watched Wrath charge across the earth toward his fellow horsemen. No, no, no, no!
I followed him the best I could through the snow, but on Zorn, he had a massive advantage over the rest of us. Fiora ran at my side. I almost screamed when Zorn took to the air to leap the chasm Shax created.
I couldn’t breathe until the horse’s legs touched the earth again. Then I inhaled a ragged breath as I plunged my sword into the belly of a lower-level demon. I shoved him back, ripped my sword free, and severed his goat-like head with one swing of my blade.
Raphael released another blast of life at the griffith, but the beast angled to the side to avoid the energy directed at it. However, when he threw his other hand forward, a bolt of golden white light shot across the field and into a group of craetons about to pounce on Caim.
The dark angel met the eyes of his golden brother and gave a brisk nod. Kneeling in front of Corson, Wren succeeded in wrapping her shirt around what remained of his arm. It would grow back, but it would take time, and though the bleeding would stop, it was better if he wasn’t gushing blood all over the snow.
We were all that remained of our numbers. Well, us and the human Jolie, who we’d told to stay inside the hotel. Bodies and blood littered the snow; the hounds stopped eating some of their prey as they tore into one demon after another. However, no matter the damage we caused, more craetons kept coming while Wrath continued to race toward Death and Pride.
The horsemen barely acknowledging his presence bothered me more than the realization Death had yet to take his eyes from me. I didn’t know how strong his power had become since escaping the seal. I didn’t think he could affect me from this far away, or else I’d be dead. I did not doubt that if he got close to me, he would kill me without touching me.
Still, I couldn’t let Wrath face them alone. I ran toward them as Lix dove forward and rolled across the snow; he rose behind Pride’s horse. He swung his sword to sever the horse’s hind leg, but the beast kicked out as Lix’s sword buried in its hock.
When the hoof connected with him, the bones in Lix’s chest shattered as they caved in. Pieces of bone shot outward as the skellein flew through the air before hitting the ground and bouncing across the earth. He didn’t move again.
Wrath was almost on top of the horsemen when he kicked free of Zorn and hit the ground. It was the first time Pride and Death seemed a little uneasy, but then their smug arrogance returned.
The griffith turned with a screech and dove from the sky with its talons fully extended toward Wrath.No!
The scream echoed in my head until it reverberated through my mind. The monstrous creature was almost on top of him when Wrath threw himself into the snow and vanished beneath the white powder.
Raphael released another wave of life that hit the griffith and sent it tumbling through the air. It careened into the side of Pride and his mount at the same time Wrath emerged from the snow. Thrown off balance, Pride fell from his mount. The griffith tried to get up, but its wings flapped uselessly before falling into the snow, and then it erupted into tiny pieces.
Pride hit the snow and vanished beneath it as his horse struck at Wrath. Its hoof caught the side of Wrath’s head, and blood spilled free a second before Zorn crashed into the other side of the mount, and Wrath fell into the snow.
I swung my sword at the next craeton who lunged at me, but it ducked the blade and wrapped its arms around my waist. When it tackled me into the snow, I lost sight of everyone else as a cloud of white billowed up around us.
Its hands tore into my shirt as its claws sliced my skin. I suppressed a cry and hammered my fist into its face. It was an upper-level demon with three eyes, and I knocked his head back. When he twisted toward me, I buried my thumb in its center eye and turned my thumb into it.
The demon howled as its hands enclosed on my throat.
* * *
Wrath
My hand clampedon Pride’s ankle, and I dragged him across the ground toward me. His fingers clawed at the snow as he tried to break free of my grasp, but I refused to release him. Pride believed himself above the rest of us, but he was a coward; he always had been.
The grunts he issued were animalistic as he struggled to getaway. He twisted in my grasp and kicked at me, but I caught his foot and twisted it to the side. His bone snapped, and he grunted. His purple eyes burned with malice when they met mine.
“Youfuckingtraitor,” he hissed.
I didn’t deny it; I had betrayed them, but I was not ashamed of it. My actions had given me Bale, and I would do whatever it took to keep her.
I dragged Pride closer as Zorn and Pride’s mount stumbled into view. From the corner of my eye, I spotted Death, but he wasn’t coming to save Pride. Instead, he was riding closer to where I last saw Bale.
My head jerked in that direction, but I didn’t see her anymore, and the distraction was all Pride needed to lunge at me. He punched me so hard in the cheek that the bone gave way. The unexpected burst of pain caused fury to burn hotly inside me.
