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“Open the way, Caliban,” Layala said.

“I’m not in control anymore.”

“What do they want?”

“Whatever you stole.”

She backed up slowly, gripping Darkbringer tighter. “No. The chest and contents are mine. The sword is mine. Can’t you tell them they’re not stolen?” They were fifteen yards away now and closing in slowly. The gargoyles were slow; that was about the only advantage they’d have over them. “And are you saying they can control the tunnels?”

Caliban moved his hands along the black cavern wall. Hel’s orb was the only thing giving off light, but it was bright enough to see the monsters and that there was no way out.

“You took it without the permission of my family. And yes, that’s what I’m saying.”

“But they do obey your family,” Hel said, raising a dark brow. “So, tell them to back off and open the way.”

“They’re intelligent. They’ll have recognized you threatened me on the way in.”

The eyes she saw, the outline in the bricks… they’d been watching the entire time.

Ten yards away now. The slow stomps of their wide stone feet shook bits of rock and stalagmites loose from the rounded cavern above.

Caliban wiped sweat from his forehead. “But when this happens an alarm is set off. My family will know intruders are here.” He swore. “And that I led you down here if we don’t get out.”

The first gargoyle reached Hel, bringing its massive stone sword up high. Hel swung his own weapon and sliced the creature’s arm clean off. It hit the ground with a crack and broke in two. Hel leaned back, brows pulled down in confusion as the stone arm grew back and the sword came next.

“Well, fuck,” Hel said backing up a step, then two. The gargoyle towered over him by three feet and was twice his size. “Maybe I’ll go for the head.” Hel’s white wings materialized, and he lifted off the ground and smashed his sword through its head; it crumbled and a new one appeared moments later.

The other stone monsters were close now. Layala dashed forward and hacked at a gargoyle leg while Hel fought off another.

Presco half shifted, pearl scales covered his body and his clawed hand broke through the stone monster in front of him. “Umm, a weakness. We need to figure out their weakness!”

Hel hit it with a blast of fire, it blackened the gray, but it only took seconds to regenerate. “It’s not that.”

“What is stone’s weakness?” Presco mumbled. “Earth? No. Water?”

Layala swung her sword, cutting gargoyles in half, but they regenerated almost as quickly as she could break them apart. The ten-foot monster in front of her chopped his sword at her with a swiftness that caught her off guard; she ducked, and it whooshed over her head. Another at her back hacked its blade, she dove and rolled, springing to her feet. Her vines tore through the ground, circling the monsters but they broke through them like they were but blades of grass.

Their steps and swings came faster. They seemed to get quicker each time she hit them… and now she was surrounded, leaving her nowhere to go. Four of the gargoyles closed in on her. Her eyes darted back and forth waiting to see who would strike first. The one directly ahead kicked when she’d expected a sword strike, and slammed her straight in the gut, knocking the wind out of her. She stumbled back into the one behind her. Another’s sword came up, and she threw up her shield; it smacked with a hard crack, sending her flying to the ground and rolling across the floor.

“Val!” Hel roared and dropped down in front of her. With one swing he cut down the four gargoyles attacking her. Their stone bodies crumbled and instantly started rolling back together. He pulled her up and held her close. “Are you alright?”

She nodded, brushing the dirt and bits of stone from her clothes. “It’s just a bruise.”

“Presco! We need a weakness! I’ve tried wind, water, electric volts. Nothing is working!” The gargoyles swung harder, faster. Layala and Hel fought back-to-back. Sweat dripped down the side of her face, her arms began to tire. She moved side to side, ducking and dodging to miss attacks, like she’d practiced her entire life, but the ground beneath Layala’s feet became slick with mud.

“Ice!” Presco blurted out. “Try ice!”

A blast of icy white frost shot out of Hel’s palm, covering the gargoyles in moments.

“Hit them now!” Presco shouted.

Hel swung his magic sword, and in one chop, the gargoyle shattered into a thousand pieces. After, Hel went wild, slicing through them all, swinging his sword with precision and grace. She had to admit it was attractive the way he brandished his weapon, his wings carrying him from one to the next, twirling and spinning in almost a dance.

When there were no gargoyles left standing and only crumbles remained, Hel smirked and lowered to the ground. “Well, that wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be.”

“Now would be a good time to open the way,” Presco shouted and Caliban, who hadn’t moved once from his spot on the wall to help.

The small frozen shards of the gargoyles began to roll and come together. “That wasn’t the end. They’re reforming again.”