Daimon strode towards the gate, intent on closing it and stopping them.
His vision tunnelled again and he shook his head, waited a moment for it to clear before he continued. Blood tracked down his arm and he grimaced as he raked a third line in his flesh, adding more, aware that he was going to need it.
Lightning rocked the ground and he wobbled, his left knee buckling. He staggered in that direction and managed to remain upright.
Daimon grunted as something smashed into him, knocking him onto his side.
His head whipped towards it.
A growl tore from his lips as the winged scaly daemon lunged for him again, sharp black talons slashing towards him. He rolled across the dewy grass, the scent of his blood growing thicker in the air as he evaded the daemon’s blow. Daimon raised his right arm and ice shot up from the earth, tinged red with his own blood.
Huge leathery wings beat the air towards him as the male lifted off, elevating himself away from the reach of Daimon’s ice, fading into the night.
Daimon scoured the darkness, remaining still on the grass, anticipating another attack.
When it didn’t come, he rolled onto his knees and pushed off, rushing towards the gate.
Air whooshed.
Daimon ducked, sweeping his upper body to his right as the daemon cut across him. Fire streaked across his back and he cried out, the fog in this head growing thicker as blood leaked down his side. He stumbled onwards, eyes locked on the gate as another ring formed.
The daemon swooped again.
A bright explosion of light struck the male and he flew through the air, fire licking over his wings as he tumbled and twisted.
Ares growled and launched another fireball at the daemon. “You all right?”
Daimon managed to nod.
Another two winged daemons plunged from the darkness, both of them aiming for Ares. His brother launched another two orbs of fire, hitting one but missing the other.
Daimon stretched his arm out to the gate as the daemon barrelled into Ares, lifting him off the ground and into the night.
Damn it.
He peered into the darkness, scouring it for his brother, his heart shooting into his throat.
A huge burst of flame flashed about eighty feet above him and then it was gone.
He pivoted on his heel as he heard Ares grunt somewhere behind him, spotted him close to Marek as he tackled three daemons, battling them with spears of solid earth.
Shadows sliced through the daemons, severing limbs, and swirled around Ares, forming a protective wall as he struggled onto his feet.
Lightning blinded Daimon as it forked from the sky, splitting into a dozen jagged white-purple points. Daemons shrieked as the bolts connected, the sound carrying in the still night air.
Mortal authorities would be coming. By now, someone would have reported the sounds of the fight coming from the park.
He had to move quickly.
Keras could freeze time for any human in the vicinity, but he couldn’t do it when he was fighting too. His oldest brother would have to focus, and that wasn’t going to happen when dozens of daemons were coming at them in waves, forcing him to use his shadows to protect himself, the gate and his brothers.
Daimon wasn’t sure Keras could freeze time even if he could concentrate.
Valen had told him about what had happened in the villa outside of Rome, how Keras hadn’t been able to completely stop time for the daemons there. Apparently, even Keras had his limits.
Daimon glanced at the daemons surrounding them, doubting his brother would be able to stop them.
Shadows ripped through the ones nearest Keras.
His brother might not be able to stop them in their tracks, but he could stop them in another way.
Agonised bellows filled the night as Keras went to town on the daemons.
Satisfied that the enemy were occupied and he had time, Daimon turned back towards the gate.
Grunted as pain spread across his stomach.
He looked down at the delicate feminine hand close to his hip.
Gripping a blade that sank deeper into his flesh as she pushed forwards.
Daimon swayed towards her, blinking to clear his vision as he struggled to lift his eyes to the woman before him.
“She said not to kill you,” Melody hissed as she leaned closer, bringing her mouth to his ear. “She didn’t say anything about not maiming you a little.”
She yanked the violet blade free of his flesh, jerking him forwards with it, and he staggered and fell into her, was quick to grab her. She screeched as his ice swept over her bare shoulders, shoved him in the chest and broke contact with him. Her purple eyes brightened dangerously as she inspected her reddened shoulders and narrowed as black bruises formed beneath the ice that melted on her skin.
“Bastard.” She backhanded him.
Everything went dark for a second and then the world was sideways.
It took him a moment to realise he was on the ground.
Melody grabbed him by his ankle and dragged him.
Towards the gate.
He tried to teleport, but nothing happened. Tried to summon his ice, but his head turned and he almost blacked out. Heat spread through him, a strange sensation that stemmed from the wound on his stomach. He blinked to clear his wobbly vision and looked at the blade she clutched.
The wraith’s blade.
Toxin.
She had hit him with the poison that coated it.
If he wasn’t healed soon, he would die from it.
He angled his head to his right and stared at the gate as they approached it.
Although he had a sinking feeling that death would come for him before the toxin could kill him.
The furie lifted her arm and he flew over her head, slammed into the earth in front of her and grunted as blood burst from his lips, his vision dimming again before it came back.
“Daimon!” Valen’s frantic bellow echoed in his ears and he sought his brother.
His eyebrows furrowed as he spotted him, Marek, Ares and Keras fighting Meadow and the horde of daemons spilling from the portal that had opened between him and them.
Daimon weakly
