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Cole places himself between the dark brown wolf and me.
The wolf growls at the move, stalking closer.
I place my hand on Cole's shoulder, giving it a small squeeze as I move beside him.
The wolf moves directly beside me, his large nose nuzzling my hip.He turns to Cole, a small tilt to his head as his eyes soften. His feral eyes from moments ago are completely gone, replaced by a warm gold as he gazes at me. His nose nuzzles closer to my chest, sniffing the area under my breasts. I push his face away. “Down, boy.”
He chuffs, a small soft glint in his eyes, as I hear a deep chuckle beside me.
“Sonowyou get along with him?” I turn to Cole, a slight tilt to his lips as he watches the large wolf trying to nuzzle me again.
“You were standing in front of mejusta minute ago. Thinking thebig bad wolfwould eat me.” At this, Jace’s wolf makes a huffing noise, and Iswearthe beast was laughing.By the look in his dark golden eyes, he was more than likely thinking,I already have.
Cole shocks me when a warm smile spreads across his face, his eyes flickering between Jace and me.
Just as I'm about to ask him what he’s thinking, two large beasts rush past us andtoward the door that leads to the stairs.Damn it.
We turn toward them, ready to take chase, just as Ilyric swiftly passes us, blades at the ready and pursuing the fleeing beasts. He shouts over his shoulder as he leaves the room. “They’re mine!”
We don't get much time to think as a loud shriek echoes out through the room. The sound is so loud and agonizing that it stops everyone, freezing them to the spot. Even the grotesque beasts are bent over in agony.
I cover my ears from the torturous sound, the noise excruciating and bone-chilling.
A cold shiver runs through my veins as I turn toward the source of the noise.
Three of the large dark figures stand in the center of the room, cloaked in darkness and surrounded by black shadows, slowly billowing around them like mist.
These three were larger in stature than the other two. More than seven feet tall, their build covered in their dark cloaks and shadows. They looked as if they were darkened by death itself. Their dark-clawed hands and pointed, gaunt fingers were black and barbed, their faces covered in blackened veins as they stare at the corpse of one of their own. The one Ilyric and Lucien were fighting.
I search for Lucien, having already seen Ilyric in passing. I look up to the ceiling just as I feel a gentle breeze surround me. Black feathers encase me, a gentle warmth on my back as Lucien's silky voice whispers in my ear, “Looking for me,little doe?”
A small smile splits my lips as I shake my head.
A growl brings me back to the present as the three dark figures turn their attention our way, their blackened eyes gleaming as they stare toward us.
Fine…Let the battle begin.
CHAPTER TWENTY
The deathly figuressuddenly begin to chant their unknown language in unison, the black mist seeping from them growing darker and murky.It billows out, flowing from them and into the Library around them. Two supes from the Library group that Jace helped earlier get caught in the mist. They begin convulsing and gasping for air. The black smoke creeps into their bodies, black veins like spider threads spreading on their faces and limbs. They gasp for air before going completely stiff, falling to the floor, their eyes frozen wide and bodies lifeless.
Jace growls beside me, nudging me behind him as the black mist stretches toward us. Cole places himself in front of us both, his eyes narrow and jaw taut as it creeps closer.
A sudden gust of wind has me turning as Lucien hoovers in the air above us. He spreads his majestic black wings once again, a slight shimmer over them, before he pushes his power out with one nimble move. A wave of power pours from the movement, and toward the oncoming smoke, the dark magic immediately forced back and toward the dark figures.
The cloaked forms open their gaunt black lips, their voices a hollow gravelly sound, as it echoes throughout the room, power seeping through each prolonged syllable. The unknown noise once again flowing throughout the Library. The feeling of the dark magic hums around the area, creeping over my skin like ants as a shiver runs down my spine.
The mutated shifters around the room suddenly freeze, their moves unnervingly still. The largest dark-cloaked figure looms forward and jerks a bony, blackened claw toward us.
“Shit.” Cole mutters beside me.
Jace’s wolf growls, ready to attack, as the mutated shifters turn toward us, their faces dazed and bodies rigid, now under the full control of the cloaked beings.
The spelled beasts suddenly jerk forward, almost a dozen left, rushing toward us all at once.
I brace myself, calling my power to me and reinforcing my body. My runes glisten on my skin, telling me I’m ready.Suddenly I'm surrounded, but not by the beasts.
Jace's wolf stands to my right, Cole to my left, and Lucien behind me, encasing me in their shadows as the creatures approach us.
