Secondhand Garagyre

Chapter 45

Chapter Forty-Five

LAITHOG

Baldr trills through the air as I behead the demon that shot some sort of projectile at my fleeing mate. Sneering , I briefly glance in Paisley’s direction. Relief fills me when I see the end of her vehicle cross the protective boundary. The demon I just beheaded turns to ash as I whirl, using Baldr to block a blow from the demon, trying to rip my wings from my back.

Lashing out with the spiked end of my tail, I impale yet another demon, his body turning to ash as his life-force leaves this plane and the ashes sink into the soil beneath my clawed feet as I spin between two more demons, head butting one while I backhand another. The deadly spikes running along the back of my hands and wrist catching it under the jaw.

Killing it instantly. Another one defeated.

Only the night gods know how many more are left.

More and more demons appear out of the night, trying to overwhelm me with sheer numbers. They might have been successful before I mated a human, but now I have far more stamina…and speed. Compared to the rate of motion I’m maintaining, it’s almost as if my adversaries are moving in slow motion.

I can virtually see their blows before they happen.

Roaring out my rage at the sheer audacity they have to challenge me, I take a deep breath and exhale a stream of black fire, turning in a circle, incinerating every demon within the wingspan length of my body.

The remaining demons step back, glancing back and forth between themselves. Trying to decide if whatever Rulzik promised them is worth attacking me again. I’m still grossly outnumbered and the small wounds they’ve managed to inflict will start taking a toll sooner rather than later.

I need to finish them…quickly.

A derisive snort escapes me as smoke twist and coils out of my nostrils. I can’t allow these demons to escape. They’ll only cause death and destruction elsewhere if they live. “ Well . What are you waiting for you, witless worms? Come and get me…or are you too scared of a lone Garagyre ?” I jeer, taunting them and pricking their pride.

Demons have always been susceptible to the seven deadly sins.

Pride being the worst of the seven. Especially if the insult is coming from a species they feel is lesser than. The remaining demons let out sibilant hisses as my words stoke their ire to a fever pitch. Shrieking , they launch themselves at me in unison and the battle begins anew.

Using Baldr , I block the swing of two swords while the claw on my right wing rips through the throat of another, and my tail disembowels a fourth. Shoving the two sword wielders back with a heave, I snap my wings out and slam them down, leaping into the air, grabbing a fifth demon by the hair and ripping his throat out with my fangs.

Spitting his mangled flesh out, I retch a little. Demon blood is still as vile as I remembered it. Dropping the body, I watch as his body turns to ash on the wind. Pumping my wings, I hover over the snarling mass of demons, taking long, slow deep breaths as I force my heartbeat to slow. The flap of wings catches my attention right before I’m joined in the air by half a dozen winged demons.

“ COME ON THEN ! MEET YOUR DEATH ON MY BLADE OR BY MY FIRE !” I bellow. Propelling my wings down in a sharp motion, I shoot up into the sky, gaining altitude and speed rapidly before tucking my wings close to my body and diving straight down towards the horde of demons trying to keep up with me.

Opening my mouth, I rain black Garagyre fire down upon their malevolent bodies without mercy, ignoring their shrieks of suffering as they die. Snapping my wings out, I groan at the pressure it exerts on my wingjoints as I come to an abrupt stop, swinging Baldr in an arc and lacerating yet another demon.

A loud crack splits the air and one of the demons beside me falls to the ground, the back of its head missing portions of the skull. Seconds later, another crack sounds and another demon falls from the air to the unforgiving ground below. The explanation for this hits me just as a wave of icy determination fills me.

Determination that doesn’t belong to me.

“ PAISLEY , GODS DAMMIT !” I thunder, while dodging a spear aimed at my gut. Flicking my wrist, I swing Baldr around, severing the spear handle before catching the end with the spearhead attached, flipping it around and stabbing the demon through the eye with it. Killing it with its own weapon.

“ Don’t you take that tone with me, Laithog . I’m inside the wards and you need the help. So shut up and let me concentrate!” she shouts back as another crack fills the night air and the last demon capable of flight falls from the sky before turning to ash.

Night gods, I love her.

Diving towards the ground, I land with a boom, my knees bent to absorb the impact of my landing. Straightening slowly, I raise my head and smile at the few remaining demons, Baldr still clenched in my right hand, the black blade dripping ichor onto the cold ground.

Charging forward with a roar, I launch a last attack. Demons start darting in random directions trying to avoid my blade and the projectiles Paisley is firing at them. My little flame and I will be having a discussion with said discussion being held with her bare arse draped over my lap awaiting the shock of my hand cracking against her flesh.

Yelps , curses, and squeals of dying demons sound all around me. They can’t get to Paisley to stop her projectiles without killing me, and they’re having so such luck in that endeavor. Not that I’m escaping unscathed. There are just too many of them to keep my guard up on all sides.

I’m covered in wounds, and my wings are tattered in several places. The worst, however, is a series of puncture wounds low on my side where a particularly crafty demon wielding a trident impaled me before I ripped his head from his body, taking his spine with it.

With my mate’s help, it doesn’t take long before the last demon falls. Stumbling a bit, I stick the tip of Baldr in the ground and lean on him. Panting , I look up into the golden-brown depths of my mate’s eyes and wink. Paisley rolls her eyes at me in exasperation.

During the course of the battle, I moved almost to the edge of the warded boundary. Smiling at her in reassurance, I stand and start to take the last step across the boundary and pause in confusion when her face pales. She raises the odd-looking black stick in her hands and points it in my direction, screaming at me to move.

Blazing , white hot pain punches into me as I look down and see the tip of a halberd sticking out of my chest. I stumble as the blade is yanked from my body with a wet, sucking sound. Paisley steps to the side, her face a mask of murderous rage as fire explodes from the tip of her black stick.

Ah .

This must be a type of gun.

Looking over my shoulder as I fall to my knees. I see Rulzik’s black body jerk as bullet after bullet hits him. He looks almost like a marionette as his limbs flail this way and that way. His halberd falls from nerveless fingers, thudding to the ground beside him.

Swaying , I fall to the ground face first, losing consciousness just as I feel Baldr gently pulled from my grasp.