Chapter 11 #3
“I guess we’ll see,” Thane rumbles, his face devoid of humor.
Blake and her mates watch closely, but they don’t step in.
The Xalgrith warriors attack in groups, and Raith and Nate move swiftly, dispatching one after the other, their blades moving with expert precision.
Nate doesn’t take them down as fast as Raith, but he manages to keep up a similar pace, pausing every so often as he has to remind himself to watch the Xalgrith’s eyes.
They’re fighting well, but the pair remain segmented from each other, both taking care of the warriors closest to them. They’ve almost defeated the last warriors when Thane nods at Galen, and Galen’s magic fills the air again. Dozens more Xalgrith warriors appear around Raith and Nate. What?
“I think he’s got the fuckin’ point,” Raith growls a shadow whisper to me and my mates. “What are you doin’?”
Galen and Thane don’t reply, and this time the illusions seem to attack as a horde. Nate and Raith have to dodge and weave, fighting furiously to stop from becoming overwhelmed.
“On the right!” I whisper-shout at Raith. That results in Raith spinning to his left, and an illusion cuts a line across his chest. He growls before beheading the Xalgrith warrior.
I wince. “Oops, sorry! My bad. I meant my right.”
Galen huffs a laugh. “Perhaps, don’t help, treasure.”
I want to protest at that, but he kind of has a point, so I bite my tongue.
Raith is focused as he carves through the warriors one after another, but every time he defeats one, more seem to appear.
Even though I know they’re illusions, my heart hammers as the Xalgrith warriors continue to close in on Nate and Raith.
It doesn’t matter how many they take down, Galen creates more, and they just keep coming.
“This is what it’s like, isn’t it?” I say to my mates, my heart squeezing. “Out there on a battlefield with the Xalgrith. Are our soldiers really outnumbered like this?”
“Yes,” Thane replies, not shielding me from the truth. “When they come, there are times when we have no idea how to stop the flow of their troops. Sometimes they come in smaller groups, but other times their warriors continue to appear as if they’re materializing from nothing.”
I shiver, imagining how it must feel to be on a battlefield watching Xalgrith warriors appear around you, and never knowing how many there are or how to stop them from coming.
At first, Nate and Raith continue trying to fight on their own.
Nate shifts into his jaguar form, discarding his blade for claws and fangs.
Five Xalgrith attack him head on, while another three go for the jaguar’s back.
They leap for him, but Raith’s shadows shoot out, grabbing hold of them, and Nate uses the opportunity to slice his claws through the illusions.
Another dozen Xalgrith come at Raith, and his sword is a blur, but there are too many of them.
Nate jumps over the shadow warrior, landing on three of the Xalgrith and tearing their heads off before lunging for another.
I watch transfixed as the two men go from fighting on their own to working as a team, somehow managing to keep up with Galen’s illusions, taking down multiple of them at the same time.
Their movements become rhythmic, and Nate watches carefully, his keen jaguar eyesight taking note of the Xalgrith and watching for the opportunity to attack.
Eventually the illusions stop coming and there are only two left.
Nate clamps his teeth onto a Xalgrith that was charging at Raith.
The jaguar shifter still has the warrior in his mouth, when the last illusion attacks, going for Nate’s side.
Raith lifts his sword, driving his blade into the Xalgrith’s throat, but Nate swivels his head, accidentally knocking Raith to the ground.
And then the Xalgrith illusions are gone.
Nate changes back into his more human form, and he’s completely naked as he strides over to where Raith is on the ground. Grinning, Nate offers his hand. “Sorry ‘bout that last one. Not bad. Not bad at all, brother.”
Raith eyes his outstretched hand, and his lips twitch before he grabs it, letting Nate hoist him to his feet.
“Oh my gosh, they’re bonding!” I squeal, jumping to my feet, because in a few seconds flat, I’ve gone from worrying about my mate to thinking this is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. Talk about an emotional rollercoaster.
Raith shakes his head at me, but both men are still grinning.
I give Blake a look, plopping back onto my seat. “You knew this was going to happen, didn’t you? You could have told me.”
My bestie smiles. “I had my suspicions. If we’re going to win this war the demons are not only going to have to learn to fight a strange enemy, but we’re going to have to learn to do it together.”
Still beaming, I peer back at the warriors in the arena. Ambrose and Germain are the only ones who don’t seem enthused about Nate and Raith’s newfound friendship. I knew they’d be besties in no time.
“All right,” Thane says to the demon commanders. “Who’s next?”