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Silence falls over the clearing as everyone watches the hole in horror, and the hair on my arms stands on end.
Something shifts just below the ground, and when a giant hand emerges, sharp claws sinking into the ground, people finally start to move. Monsters run in opposite directions, away from the giant creature clawing its way out of the ground, and Elio has to drag me backward because my feet refuse to work.
“What the hell is that?” I gasp, fear shooting through me like an arrow, turning my blood to ice.
Whatever it is, it’s not a good sign.
A form climbs out of the hole in the ground, stretching into the air until it towers over everyone on the field. It has to be at least fifty feet tall, it’s skin rough and black like the terrain beneath our feet. It looks thick as armor. Three vertical red eyes sweep over the field, taking in the opposing sides, before it opens its mouth and lets out a roar so loud I had to clap my hands over my ears.
“What is that?” I cry as Elio turns to drag me further away from the giant creature.
“It’s a Malev,” he says, tugging on my arm until I’m running at his side away from the thing. “But I’ve never seen one that big.”
I look back over my shoulder to check on Azarius at our heels, and the giant Malev demon swipes an enormous hand toward the ground, its claws raking through several monsters and leaving them in pieces on the ground.
Jesus fuck.
This is bad. This is really bad.
When we’re a comfortable distance away from the Malev, we slow and turn to look back at the sight unfolding. Some monsters are fleeing, disappearing in the distance as they run across the empty stretch of land. Smaller Malevs are scrambling to avoid getting stepped on by the giant.
And there, at the forefront, is Rafe in his monstrous form, squaring up with the beast.
“No!” I scream. “Rafe!”
I make to run back toward the giant–to do what, I have no idea–but Elio grabs me at the last second and holds me in place.
“We have to help him,” I plead, struggling against his hold.
“Wewill,” Azarius assures me. “But you need to keep your distance, Devyn. We have no idea what this thing is capable of.”
“I can help,” I say, even though I’m not sure how much I believe it. “Let me fight.”
The giant Malev roars again, the noise rattling my bones, and I wince against the pain in my ears. His red eyes are set on Rafe, even though there are at least a hundred monsters at his back, and my stomach turns.
Rafe might be an asshole, but he’s my asshole. He can’t get hurt. I can’t lose him.
“Okay, fine,” I say, looking between the two of them. “Just please help him.”
Azarius steps forward and bends to kiss me, his lips pressing hard against mine. “Stay safe, Darling.”
He looks at Elio and gestures toward the sky with a jerk of his chin. Whatever he’s implying, Elio seems to understand, because he chuckles once and steps forward.
“Thought you’d never ask,” Elio says.
He stretches his wings wide, forcing me to take a step back, and flaps them to get off the ground. Grabbing Azarius under the arms, he pumps his wings harder this time, lifting him into the air. After a few steadying flaps, the two soar higher, heading for the giant Malev that’s squaring up with Rafe.
My chest tightens the closer they get, my pulse pounding in my ears.
Despite the sheer number of Malevs before, I hadn’t doubted the monsters’ ability to come out victorious. I knew they would eventually win, it was just a matter of time.
But now…
Now that I’m staring this giant demon in the face, my doubt is creeping up, ready to swallow me.
How can we possibly win this fight?
ChapterThirty-Two
