Seconds were lost as he shifted somewhere between human and dragon. He wasn’t getting his hide through the narrow space.
Crouching low, he pulled her near motionless body toward him, placed her belly to his back. Deo didn’t have time to wonder if she’d be able to hold on, but when he fastened her arms around his neck, she clasped her hands. She was following on some level, even if she appeared to be missing in action.
As he secured one leg with an arm, he stood and readied himself to sprint. Pulling in a lengthy breath, he let his fire cover the entire space. Next, he chased his fire and prayed to the goddess that Jenn would survive.
Sharp pain stung his sides as things lashed out, scratching him beyond the barrier of his frame. They needed out.
He reached out to his brothers once more as they hit the landing.
Brothers?
Nothing, but then a voice that brought him a sense of hope.
Aisha?
17
The vice around Aisha’s ribcage released at the sound of Deo’s reply.
Aisha is that you?
Relief washed over her. It was his voice in her head. All the shouting to the wind hadn’t been for nothing. Halfway here she’d wondered if she was a helium atom short of an electron, unstable, but finally it all paid off.
Yes, it’s me. I can hear you.
The sick feeling in her stomach persisted, and it had little to do with the dips the dragon she rode took.
“Aisha, he’s reaching out. They found him,” said Maddie.
“I know. I can hear him, he’s here.” She pointed to her head as she bit back tears. He was alive.
Maddie smiled. “Finally,” she said.
Kal took off suddenly as the dragons changed their positions. Aisha watched as they moved, flying two by two.
She burped and covered her mouth trying to keep her stomach where it was as she watched the ground grow closer
Aisha? I need to hear your voice.
Right okay. Whatever he wanted.
You’re okay? We’re coming. I think we’re close, she thought.
There was a silence for a moment and then her head swam. No. She wasn’t going to sleep this time. Wait. No. This wasn’t her, this was Deo.
Deo, fight it. Fight the feeling. We’re almost there.
The feeling cleared.
Yes, close. You are close. I feel you.
She looked around as they hovered over what looked to be an old factory, or rather a small abandoned group of industrial buildings.
Deo. Talk to me? Are you okay?
A soothing calm came over her for a moment. It faded as quickly as it came on her. Instead she shuddered as images, broken and disjointed of teeth surrounded and snapped at her. Razor sharp, monstrous.
Deo, what is that? Is that what you see?
Instead of an answer, she held in a scream as the images blurred. He was running, but running where? She couldn’t tell.
Deo, we’re almost there.
Nothing but more images of oil-slicked creatures screeching and writhing every way he looked. Oh, crap. What the hell was that?
Without warning, her body jerked forward, her hands biting into the dragon's scales.
As they landed, Aisha followed the lead of the other women. Sliding off and stepping away.
Maddie’s mouth moved furiously, and she didn’t understand why at first. But she grabbed Aisha’s hand and began to pull.
In front of them were five very large and very pissed off men, or rather something between human and dragon.
They stopped, though, and Maddie flashed a look to Kal. A pang of jealousy hitting Aisha as she watched the exchange. She wanted Deo to look at her that way. A look of sheer respect and understanding.
Aisha was being dragged along and almost tripped as her eyesight flickered between normal and something else.
“Careful. Also, don’t let go of my hand. I’ve tethered our powers together,” said Maddie.
Okay. What did that mean?
Blinking, Aisha suddenly saw her eyes flicker between how she normally saw things to something very different again.
Whispering to the side, she asked, “What exactly am I seeing?”
Lilly smiled.
“Maddie and I have figured out that both of us have ways to see demons through magic. I doubt either of our dad’s thought about that.”
Okay. Aisha would tell them they were crazy, but she was seeing this. Or seeing something. Also, this was the first time that anyone had made her feel like they saw her for what she was. A witch. A magical human, and they didn’t see her as useless.
“Am I helping?”
Maddie gave a half smile as they stopped at a metal door that presumably led into the building from the rooftop.
“Yes. Things have constantly gone wrong lately. We need all the magic we can get and you, Aisha, have a lot of untapped power. Also, if you stop and feel, you should be able to sense Deo. We need you to lead us to him. Now ladies, let’s pull up our big girl panties and go kick some demon ass,” Maddie said.
Lilly held a hand up to the door handle. The door wasn’t budging, but maybe they hadn’t expected it to? Lilly’s hand glowed brighter and brighter until Aisha had to look away.
She lost focus of what was going on around her as her vision shifted between the normal and this demon sight.
With her eyes closed though, Deo’s thoughts flashed through her head and she finally understood what he saw. Darkness swirled. Walls moved. Her senses jumbled, but only because she tried to see things the way a human would.
Deo?
It was him. The question was, would he answer her? He was alive, but she could sense him growing weaker. What exactly was he fighting? Nothing made sense, not as she was seeing it.
“Come on,” Maddie said, pulling Aisha along.
“What direction?” asked one dragon.
A moment passed until she realized all eyes were on her.
Aisha? I can sense you. Is it really you?
She
