Page 47 of Lucifer's Mirror

His head, crowned with a regal mane that extends down his neck, is that of an eagle. He’s a griffin, like on his soldiers’ tunics. He glances back, and sharp, keen eyes the color of burnished bronze stare right at me with an intensity that hints at a predator’s focus. He blinks and looks away, and I let the breath I didn’t know I was holding out.

The beak is a fearsome hook, ready to strike with lethal precision.

Wings, vast and feathered, spread wide with a span that seems almost surreal. Each feather is a gradient of earthy browns and golds, like autumn leaves caught in perpetual flight. Talons like gleaming obsidian curve beneath powerful paws.

All in all, he’s pretty amazing. Unbelievable. Magnificent.

He takes to the air effortlessly, huge wings flapping slowly. Then he shoots forward, moving across the sky with incredible speed.

The shadowguard have spilled into the valley now, and I can feel a dull headache pressing behind my eyes. Like the night I crashed into Khaosti. Thanouq is already on the far side of them. On our side, Khaosti is racing across the empty space toward them. He barrels into them fast, knocking a bunch to the ground, then rolling to his feet, taking out the first with his claws and teeth. They disintegrate, fading into mist. And he’s onto the next.

On the other side, Thanouq dives down, his wings folded against his great body, as he crashes into the crowd of shadowguard. His claws rip them apart, his beak tearing into them. He moves so fast, I can’t follow. On this side, Khaosti is causing his own sort of havoc, and their numbers are diminishing as each one meets its end. I’m not sure “dying” is the right word. They disintegrate into mist that hangs in the air and slowly disperses.

My heart is racing. The horses are restless, and I hold on tight, my hands slippery with sweat. There’s no blood, but they must sense something.

There’s a groan at my feet, and I look down. Zayne is coming around. God, I hope he’s okay. I don’t want to have to hit him, mainly because I doubt it would have much effect. It would probably just piss him off even more. But then he opens his eyes, and they’re normal. I sigh, the relief making my shoulders sag. I can’t take Zayne turning into one of the bad guys right now. He rises to his feet, pushing himself up and rubbing his chin.

“Bastard,” he mutters. “Where is the fucker?”

I nod behind him, and he turns. “Jesus,” he mutters. There’s no sound from the fight, no screams. The devastation is amazing, and it’s almost over. Some turn and run, but Thanouq cuts them off.

But three of them break through, past Khaosti, and they’re streaking in our direction, heading straight for us. Straight for me. I can feel the force of their focus. I search around, but there’s nowhere to go, and I brace myself for the inevitable impact. They’re almost on us. Stella rears, and I drop the reins so at least she can run. She just screams with rage and rears into the air again.

Beside me, Therion draws his sword and swings, slicing the head off the first shadowguard. It disintegrates into mist, then vanishes. He turns to the second…

The third ignores me and leaps for Zayne. Like last time, I can’t help thinking that they don’t want me dead. But they’ll kill Zayne, and that is not happening. I literally fly through the air and knock Zayne off his feet. We both crash to the ground. I roll to my feet. Zayne is flat on his back, stunned, I think.

I’m not letting those things have him again.

I wave my hands at it, trying to draw its attention from Zayne just long enough for Therion to get to us.

I sense the moment the thing turns its focus to me. I swallow… and hope to hell that I’m right and it won’t just rip my throat out. Then it hurls itself at me. I dive sideways, but its claws pierce my skin, scoring down my side.

Shit. Ouch.

I go down, roll onto my back, and it’s on me. Its hot, stinky breath clogs my nostrils. I stare up into its face, the red eyes, the snapping teeth.

I might have miscalculated.

But I just need to hold it off and stay alive for a few seconds more. I scrabble to get my feet up between us and try to push it away. Suddenly, its weight is lifted from me, and I am in the shadow of giant eagle’s wings. Thanouq clasps the shadowguard in his claws, wings spread, rising up above me, then he lowers his jaws and rips its head off.

It fades into mist and disappears.

But I think it might be too late as agony rips through me.

Chapter 23

Khaos

Igazearoundattheaftermath of the battle. There’s nothing left to see—they’ve all vanished as they always do when we kill them. Thanouq’s griffin is nowhere in sight.

Then I go still.

I glance back to where we left the others.

I can’t see her, and panic rips through me. I race across the grass and am almost there before I spot her lying on the ground.

No!