Page 62 of Demonic Affliction

That doesn’t stop them from trying, though.

With a battle roar, Vhalthor charges into the horde, teeth bared and blade swinging. His soldiers follow suit, launching into battle without a care in the world. They’re vicious and determined, moving so quickly it’s hard to keep up.

Steel meets bone, filling the cavern with wet, grinding crunches and the splatters of gore. Bodies pile at the front of the line, but for every creature that falls, three more replace it. Still, Vhalthor and his soldiers fight.

“Go!” Dagny yells to her mates. “Help them!”

Wings snap, and Dagny and her mates launch into the air, their expressions taut and teeth bared for a battle to the death. My mates hold back, forming a protective line in front of me, their muscles coiled and ready should anything threaten my safety.

With the help of Dagny and her mates, Vhalthor’s forces finally gain the upper hand. I watch from behind Dravik's wing, my fingernails digging into my palms as they tear through the horde, slicing and hacking at the malformed bodies, spraying black blood and sinew in all directions.

A soldier ducks under a swinging arm and drives his sword straight through a creature's skull, and it releases a wheezing moan before going limp. He jumps back from the approaching mass just as one of Dagny's mates tears one from the mass of bodies, releasing a bloodcurdling roar as he rips the creature apart with his bare hands.

Screams, howls, and the wet crack of bone stack on top of each other until I can't separate one horrifying sound from the next. Bile rises in the back of my throat with every fresh spray of gore, but I force myself to keep watching. I need to see this. I need to know if we stand a chance.

For one terrifying, hopeful second, I think we might.

The pile of bodies grows. The horde thins. Vhalthor’s soldiers press forward, driving what's left of them back into the dark with their ailing bodies.

As relief is cresting in my veins, another chorus of screams breaks out from deeper within the tunnel. Louder. Deadlier.

I blink, and a second horde spills from the shadows, easily twice as large as the first. Vhalthor’s soldiers freeze, and I can read their thoughts plainly on their faces. The end is near.

Vhalthor stops mid-roar, his blade lowering an inch as he takes in the sheer mass bearing down on him. For a heart-stopping moment, I think he’s going to turn and hightail it out of here. Slowly, Vhalthor looks to his right, then his left, taking in the brave demons fighting at his side. With renewed vigor, he faces the throng, raising his blade high as he lets out a bellowing roar.

“FIGHT!”

Once more, the king and his soldiers throw themselves into battle, slicing and hacking blindly, their objective to kill as many as they can before they are overwhelmed.

I know it won’t be long.

I watch in horror as two of Vhalthor’s soldiers are pulled into the horde, their screams cut short as the creatures pull them apart limb by limb, spraying blood and sinew in all directions as the mass feasts on their flesh.

I try not to be sick and hold it together. But then I look to the side and notice Dagny is getting overwhelmed. Her wings beat hard, trying to keep her aloft as two creatures claw at her legs. There’s a flash of movement, and her red-eyed mate lunges into action, cutting them down with a single swipe of his claws.

However, it only helps for a moment. Six more creatures take their place, and soon, Malice and Dagny are losing the fight once more. Noticing this, her other five mates circle her, doing their best to hold off the attackers and protect her. But there are too many creatures and not enough of them to help.

I'm horrified, terrified Dagny might die. More than that, I’m sick at the fact I have to stand here and watch it happen, unable to do anything.

Spoon! I shout into my mind. I need you!

I feel the serafyn stir, feel its eyes cracking open behind mine, taking in the same horror I'm watching.

Ah. I see.

White-hot panic races through my veins, muddling my mind. I need your help!

Do you?

A spike of irritation rises, but I shove it down. I don’t have time to be angry. I need her to help them before it’s too late.

Those creatures. Can you get rid of them?

There’s a long pause. Can I? Yes.

I wait for what feels like hours but is probably only moments. Well? I demand.

Well, what?