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)
The Carpathians ordinarily would have taken on Gwafa’s pain, but they were stretched too thin, fighting too many battles on too many fronts. She would be attempting to destroy the highest-ranking, most lethal demons Lilith had in her arsenal, and she would be doing it most likely as her father died.
I am ready.
That was his only warning. She was in his mind, just as he was in hers. She felt the last of the men fall. Thirty dead or dying. Rupert relayed the information to Lilith. She screeched her triumph loud enough that it echoed through the valley. The sound was so disturbing it once more set off the hounds. They lifted their massive heads and bayed and howled wildly. Animals and night raptors took offense, shuddering and protesting with squawks and cries. Insects buzzed and crackled, chirped and whined, adding to the cacophony of noise.
Safia took advantage of the unrest, entering straight into Rupert’s personal space, so close she nearly brushed against the sidestepping, baying hound. Rupert had all he could do to control the two-headed beast. The massive animal continually shook its heads, each going in the opposite direction, causing the broad back to sway and buck, nearly unseating Rupert.
For the first time in his centuries of fighting vampires, Petru found he was distracted, part of him concentrating on Safia as she moved in carefully, not expending energy to draw attention to herself as she polished that one scale on Rupert’s thigh to remove the hyssop oil before backing away and flying across the valley to her right to get to Shock and remove the oil before the chaos was quelled.
Petru felt her subtly feeding the hellhounds’ unrest. Not just the hellhounds but all the animals, including raptors and insects in the vicinity. Once she had polished the scale on Shock’s thigh, she shot across the valley to the left side to do the same to Bos. He was quite vicious with his hellhound, raking at the beast with his spiked feet and punching at its hide with a curved spear until blood stained its side. The animal was almost mad with pain.
Safia increased her speed, trying to suppress her energy as she did so, flying across the valley to the last remaining general, Grog, who waited just out front to close the trap. She barely had time to clean the oil off his scale before Lilith was screaming her orders at Rupert to release the hounds.
Kill them all. Kill everyone. I want them all dead. Every single member of her family. Order the beasts to the farmhouse and tear them all apart, Lilith commanded.
Safia sent her own orders to the hellhounds. Get the Valk from your backs. Attack their thighs; there is an open scale you can penetrate. I will aid you. Attack all demons on the battlefield and destroy them. Do not touch any of those with my blood or those belonging to this land. She visualized the instructions clearly to them, showing them how to attack the generals.
The hellhounds reacted instantaneously, as if they’d been waiting a lifetime for just such a command. The leader of each pack began to bay, a peculiar, different note in the voice, all the while whirling wildly and pitching much like an untamed stallion. Steam rose from its nostrils, and the eyes glowed an evil yellow-orange.
Rupert and the other generals began to utter foul curses as they struggled to stay on the backs of the brutish hellhounds determined to unseat them. Members of the packs slammed into them, nearly driving the leaders off their clawed feet and shaking the Valk generals from their perches.
The second hit sent Rupert tumbling to the ground. Instantly the hellhound sank its massive jaws around his thigh, one razor-sharp tooth penetrating deep, right through the open scale. The same thing happened with each of the other generals. They were pinned to the ground by a hellhound crushing their thigh and holding them there.
Safia materialized, standing out in the open, making Petru’s heart pound. She raised her crystal sword toward the sky, and instantly the dark was pierced with light. She looked like an angel, with her dark hair falling around her shoulders and her face illuminated by the crystal.
Rupert, I can’t see what’s happening, Lilith said sharply. Let me see.
The hellhounds had done their work, stomping on the demon generals, goring while using their massive jaws and teeth to crush the thighs and open the scale to the blue flame of Safia’s sword. They rushed the demons in the valley, turning on them. Petru’s army doused themselves with hyssop oil to avoid any contact and pulled back to allow the hellhounds to attack the demons on the battlefield.
Safia began to chant, her voice musical, a perfect pitch as blue flames began to flick around her sword.