Baited, another of Salteaire’s serpents reared back, its fangs flashing for Mila as it sank forward. Mila dodged, and impossibly quickly, Salteaire sped around her.
After Mora.
“GO!” I shouted, and Mila was gone.
Sword in hand, Cyph and I tore after her, but Rozelyn caught me with an arm against my throat, shoving me back with impossible strength. One of her snakes snapped at Cyph, but it only latched onto the sleeve of his leathers.
I choked over the pressure against my windpipe, cursing the gorgon in wheezing breaths. Collecting myself, I gritted my teeth, but she smiled haughtily. And her eyes were shifting red.
With barely a blink to spare before she was fully transformed into her demonic form that would turn me to stone with one head-on glance, I ducked.
Cypherion was at my back, swinging his scythe between us. The blade whistled as it came down, barely missing the gorgon’s paling skin.
“Interesting weapon,” Rozelyn purred to Cyph, eyes glinting as she studied his scythe.
Lunging, he slashed at her. The gorgon deftly rolled away, but?—
Fear flashed through her reddening eyes at Cypherion’s pursuit.Fearas she took in the curved arc of his blade.
It was gone in a breath, and Rozelyn turned, disappearing into the thickening mist after the khrysaor.
As a bolt of silver-blue light tinted the wall of white, I caught Cypherion’s glance, canting my head as if to ask if he noticed the gorgon’s strange reaction. His lips pressed into a line, and he nodded. Then, we raced after her.
“Vale!” he bellowed, desperately slashing through the thickening mist.
Silver light flashed, parting the way, and we chased after it. Another tear was opening in the sky, leading a way for the gorgons to return to their master. Before it, wings flaring and sharpened claws ready to kill, Jezebel and Vale battled two airborne gorgons.
“Shouldn’t you all be busy spreading your legs for the god? Producing heirs, or whatever you want to call it?” I spat at Rozelyn as she swooped toward me.
A haughty laugh left her lips. “So naive to how our bodies and magic work, sweet warrior prince.”
“Don’t call me that,” I growled, lunging and avoiding her eyes. Only Mila—and occasionally Barrett—were allowed to utter that name.
Cypherion herded Rozelyn back, and Vale and Dynaxtar soared low enough for her to tell me, “Valyrie is holding off Echnid, but I don’t know how.”
“What do you mean?” I asked as feral growls ripped from the gorgons, and Zanox answered with his own.
Vale shook her head, keeping her voice low enough that no one would hear. “Her decision was to give him information to distract him. Something he’s been asking her to read for.”
“Fuck, that could be anything,” I ground out. And it could bebad. Something Echnid wanted bad enough to skip a chance to get Ophelia…
Worry wavered in Vale’s eyes as she nodded, then she and Dynaxtar shot into the skies, circling high enough to search for Mila and Mora. I turned back to the battle.
Rozelyn’s fangs descended, and I joined Cyph against her. Dodging her next strike, I pulled my ax from my belt. The khrysaor spat blue fucking fire through the air, one blast catching the wing of the other gorgon.
“Meghalle!” Rozelyn shouted as she crashed to the dunes with a shriek.
Zanox spiraled down after her. Sand flew up around his winged form as his claws dug in. He released a bellowing roar, his head lowering?—
And his jaw opened, preparing to snap her neck.
“STOP!” the shout sliced through the space.
Whirling, I found Salteaire shoving Mila to the ground, a blade in her calf.
And everything within me crashed to a roaring silence.
Another scar on her fucking body, thanks to these demonic women.
