The flames licking over Kobal increased untilhis entire upper body was consumed by the fire. I didn’t know whythey didn’t sear my skin from my body, but I could feel theirgrowing heat.
Surrounded by screams of terror and panic, Ifocused on bringing the fire within me to life. Fear was thebiggest motivator for my fire, and right now, my heart felt like itwas going to explode out of my chest. I had enough adrenalinecoursing through me to fuel the fire for a day.
Flames spread over my fingers and up to mywrist. Leaping to his feet, Kobal spun as gunshots burst throughthe air and more people screamed. Lifting my flaming hand in frontof me, I slid under the truck and rolled to the other side, keepingit away from my clothes.
Kobal could protect the people on that side,but there were others over here who needed help. I stuck my handsand head out on the other side just as piranha-like fangs snappedin my face. The motion blew my hair straight back and covered me ina blanket of hot, rancid breath.
I ducked back beneath the vehicle, trying notto vomit as the strips of flesh caught between the creature’s teethwaved back and forth. The gargoyle shoved its snout beneath thetruck. Its talons clicked over the broken asphalt as it huntedbeneath the truck for me.
I glanced at the gas tank behind me then thefire encircling my hand as one of those claws came within acentimeter of my arm. It was only a matter of time before it gotme. I could go back, retreat to Kobal’s side, but I wasn’t ready togive into this monster, not yet.
Timing its snapping jaws, I waited until itsmouth was closed before grasping its snout. Bits of flaky skinbroke off beneath my hand, and scales abraded my palms from itssandpaper-like flesh. Before it could open its mouth again, fireflared hotter from my hand and seared across its snout.
The creature released a howl before recoilingfrom beneath the truck. A breeze drifted over my cheeks when itswings fanned the air. It launched itself backward into the sky andout of view. My gaze lifted to the undercarriage above me;thankfully, it wasn’t on fire.
I remained still for a minute, trying to getcontrol of my galloping heart before rolling out from beneath thetruck. Fire crackled over my palms as I released a blast into theair. It was nowhere near the inferno of flames Kobal could emit,but it caught one gargoyle in the belly and sent it screechingbackward.
Leaping to my feet, I braced my legs apart asthe fire swirled up to my elbows. Another gargoyle turned and dovetoward me as more of them flew out of the building across the way.They were everywhere at once, filling the air with their compactbodies. Shadows danced over the asphalt from the creatures circlingabove before diving at us again. The screams from the peoplesurrounding me grew as the gargoyles continued to attack them.
Hawk leaned out the passenger side windowbeside me and fired his gun at one of the ones diving toward me.Black goo burst from its wings, but it kept coming with its lethaltalons extended.
I waited until the creature was only fivefeet away from me before releasing a fresh blast of fire. Thecreature howled but continued its forward momentum. Ducking down, Ithrew my hands over my head and rolled out of the way as it flewover the top of me. Its scaly, solid wings scraped against myshoulder before it hit the bed of the truck with a twisting wrenchof metal. Two of the truck’s wheels lifted off the ground beforethe vehicle crashed to the earth again. I hadn’t realized therewere a few people in the back of the truck until the force of thegargoyle’s impact knocked them over.
Panic shot through me at the possibility ofit going after them, but its yellowish eyes focused on me. Itopened its mouth to reveal all of its flesh-eating teeth and theblackness beyond before launching itself off the truck. Thegargoyle flew overhead before turning back once again to swoop lowacross the ground toward me.
Hawk pulled out another gun and opened fireas flames danced across my fingers once more. The gargoyle’s wingsflapped loudly as it sliced through the air before it closed themagainst its back to hone in on me. I didn’t think there wasanything that could throw off its deadly trajectory.
Another thud of metal sounded behind me andthen Kobal leapt down from the back of the truck to land in frontof me. Instead of throwing fire, he ran toward the creature anddarted to the side at the last second. Grabbing hold of the tip ofone of its wings, he snatched the gargoyle back. The pavementdented and cracked when he drove it into the asphalt hard enough torattle the ground beneath my feet.
Lifting his foot, he smashed it into thegargoyle’s back, breaking its spine. The creature screeched asKobal twisted its wing over its back until the wing flappedbrokenly in the air. Kobal seized its head and yanking backward, hetore it from the gargoyle’s shoulders. The creature’s non-brokenwing beat lazily against the ground before going still.
Kobal tossed the head aside and jumped overits body. He raced toward me, grasped my arm, and threw his hand infront of Hawk’s gun. “Stop shooting!” he shouted at Hawk a secondafter Hawk fired another shot.
“No!” I screamed when a bullet piercedthrough his palm and blood welled forth, but Kobal never missed astep as he propelled me toward the truck. His amber eyes werebright, his body thrummed with barely contained ferocity.“Kobal—”
“I’m fine,” he interrupted tersely.
Hawk was pale as we approached. His gazefocused on the bullet wound in Kobal’s hand. He had to be thinkingKobal was about to kill him, and though I knew it had been anaccident, a part of me wanted to kill him for it.
“Move over!” Kobal barked at him.
Hawk scrambled away from the door when Kobalopened it and thrust me inside. “What are you doing?” Idemanded.
“Get her out of here!” he commanded Hawk.
“Kobal… no… I can’t—I won’t leave you,” Istuttered in protest.
“You promised,whateverI said,” he reminded me before focusingon Hawk. “Get her out of here and don’t look back. Protect her lifewith yours. If something happens to her, or if she gets away fromyou, I’ll kill you myself.”
“Kobal!” I lurched for his arm before hecould close the door on me. “No! I’m supposed to help with thingslike this!”
“No, you’re supposed to be protected fromthings like this until we reach the gateway.”
I opened my mouth to shout more protests athim, but I knew he wouldn’t be swayed. I had promised, and morepeople were dying while we sat here fighting. “How will we findyou?”
“I’ll be right behind you.” He cupped mycheeks in his large palms and kissed my forehead before pullingaway. “Go!” he ordered Hawk. “And don’t look back.”
Kobal slammed the door on me before I couldleap out of it, and Hawk stomped on the gas. “Hold on!” Hawk yelledout the driver’s side window.
