Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 141492 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 472(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 141492 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 472(@300wpm)
Cautiously, Safia reached out to the hellhound Rupert sat astride. Like the others, it was eager to get into the battle and kill. This beast wasn’t nearly as agitated as the others simply because the demon on its back wasn’t focused on keeping it riled up. Rupert was busy describing the battle to Lilith. He wasn’t just using his own vision but was relying on the hellhound’s as well.
She had to be very, very careful as she encompassed the hellhound’s mind. Lilith hadn’t known she had taken over the sea creatures. Lilith hadn’t recognized Safia as being in control of Art at the restaurant. It hadn’t occurred to Lilith that Safia was powerful enough to wrest control of any of the queen of the underworld’s creatures from her. Still, Safia kept her energy very low as she wove her mind through the hellhound’s, privy to everything in his brain and that of Rupert’s.
Lilith was blind. She needed Rupert’s eyes to see the battlefield. She also needed his expertise. Petru had called it. She wasn’t the brilliant strategist she’d been given credit for. She was essentially trying to use the same tactics she had before to win her war against them. Mostly she was attempting vengeance against Safia by destroying her family and home. Her hatred was palpable. The hellhounds were programmed specifically to target anyone of her bloodline.
The last general was Grog. He was hidden in the forest with his pack of restless hellhounds, waiting to close the trap on those on the farm. They would shut the door on all escape so everyone could be killed. His hellhounds snorted and pawed the ground, eager to rush into the fray, but like Rupert, Grog didn’t antagonize the pack waiting behind him. He was second-in-command and kept close watch on the battle in the valley.
The hellhound he sat astride was the most resistant of the four she’d penetrated. It was difficult not to feel the pressure of time passing while the fight raged between Benedek’s army and the demons and vampires. Twice she had to withdraw, take deep breaths, reset and start over again, blocking out what was happening around her. She couldn’t think about her family. She couldn’t smell blood. She had to concentrate on taking over the hellhounds so she was in complete control of them. Once that was done, she would have the task of destroying Lilith’s generals. She didn’t dare think about that until she had accomplished taking over the hellhound Grog sat on.
It is done. She gave Petru the news that she had the hellhounds under her control.
CHAPTER
20
Already they had suffered too many injuries. No one had died yet, but it was only a matter of time. Aura had carried the wounded back to the medical station for treatment and blood over and over and then brought them back to the fight. Often, she’d had to give blood right there, or they would have lost one of their men. Benedek was everywhere, not just in those other men fighting but also in his own form, getting torn up just like the other Carpathians. He was carrying more than his share.
Petru knew they couldn’t keep up the battle much longer. They had to score their victory and do it very decisively. The toll on Benedek was unimaginable. All the Carpathians felt his fatigue, but they couldn’t do anything to help him. Lilith had enlisted an army of master vampires to aid her, and they brought various levels of servant vampires with them. The vampires craved the blood of the ancients, but most importantly, this was their best chance to destroy six of the foremost hunters in the world.
Safia had uncovered Lilith’s generals. She had discovered that the underworld’s leader had been blinded when Safia had attacked her. Lilith was dependent on her generals to show her the battlefield. If they could destroy those generals, Safia controlled the hellhounds. They could have a decisive victory if they struck hard and fast. It was absolutely necessary for her to figure out how to destroy the Valk before the Imazighen and Petru’s army could make their final move. Petru knew he couldn’t hurry her, but the odds were stacking up against them rapidly.
Petru’s body was wearing out. He’d lost too much blood and needed to resupply. He couldn’t stop to do that. He needed to continue his forward momentum, driving down the middle. He knew Lilith had something big waiting. He had to force her to show them what that was. He kept hoping Safia would manage to uncover Lilith’s surprise weapon when she was testing the demons for their weaknesses.
Keeping his eye on the battle Benedek was conducting, Petru respected her family more than ever. Although all the men appeared different, through Benedek, Petru was aware which ones were part of Izem, Usem or Gwafa. Usem and Izem did their best to take the brunt of the fighters to protect their father as much as possible.