The salty, pungent scent of the ocean became stronger as I made it to the beach, but Raine’s scent still carried on the wind, indicating that I was headed in the right direction. As I barreled forward, the gray sand crunched under my paws, and then I was running into the water, leaping over shallow waves. When I was submerged up to my chest, I began to swim, swiping my massive paws in the water. The ocean soaked into my shaggy brown fur, weighing me down, and the salty spray stung my eyes, but none of this mattered.
My legs stroked through the water, pushing my huge body deeper until I sighted Raine ahead, swimming in the water. Relief crashed through me, but the pain in my chest reminded me she was in danger. From a short distance, it was clear she was exhausted and hardly keeping herself afloat, her head barely above the water. I could feel her life force draining from her and knew she might have serious injuries.
As I neared her, Raine’s eyes widened as she stared at me. “Kade?” she rasped in surprise. Without so much as a growl, I circled behind her and sank below the water, moving beneath her. When I rose back up, I lifted Raine out of the water, and she sprawled on my back. Her shaking fingers gently grabbed the fur behind my head, and I began swimming back toward the beach, a growl of approval rumbling in my throat now that she was with me.
Garan’s gargoyles passed over us, soaring toward the outlier, and I folded my ears back when the outlier’s warbled cries filled the air. Internally, I thanked all seven devils they were there.With the gargoyles on the offensive, I knew they’d be able to bring down the creature. With this thought, I relaxed at the idea that Locke was still out there and thought only of Raine as I paddled back to the shore.
Asher was there to greet us when we made it to the beach, and he carefully lifted Raine from my back before placing her gently on the sand. Wasting no time, I shifted back to my human form and crouched, my gaze raking over her. A growl rumbled from me when I took in her ashen face and the long, open gash on one of her legs. Her blood leaked from the wound, sliding down her leg and staining the sand crimson.
“It’s nothing,” she rasped weakly and went to sit up, but her arms collapsed. Before her back landed on the sand, my hand slid under her, and I propped myself at her back.
“Darian and Locke,” she said, peering up at me with worry.
“Fuckin’ Enzal, is Darian out there too?” Asher commented, running a hand over his horns as he squinted out at the ocean.
I shot him a look when he peered back at us, and he cleared his throat. Squatting, he added, “Oh, ah, don’t worry, Sharachi, I’m sure they’re all right,” and he began inspecting her wound. Blood slipped between his fingers when he tried to press the two sides of the wound together, and he gave me a grim look. “We need to get her back, Kade. This doesn’t look good.”
“I know,” I said, nodding at him.
I waited as Asher pulled his shirt over his head and tore the fabric into strips. His deft fingers quickly used them to bandage her wound, and when it was done, I went to lift her.
Raine shook her head. “No, wait. Not yet.”
A loud explosion sounded, assaulting my sensitive ears, and I followed her horrified gaze over the ocean, watching as the remains of the outlier’s mutilated body crashed to the water. Above the scene, gargoyles were spread across the sky, watching on with stony faces, and I spotted Locke amongst them. A silver mass also glinted in the water, and I was relieved when I made out Darian’s form.
“They’re all right,” Asher said reassuringly. He was staring out across the ocean as well, and he had one hand covering his eyes to help shade against the sun. “Locke and Darian better give us all the gory details later.”
Raine’s body sagged against me at Asher’s words, and I rubbed my hands up and down her bare arms.
“Who are the gray monsters?” she asked, squinting at the sky.
“Gargoyles,” Asher said with a grin, turning back to us. I lifted Raine then, and Asher kicked at the sand, burying her blood. The last thing we needed was anyone seeing the red blood and coming to conclusions that may or may not have been true.
“Garan’s team of gargoyles are the main flyers who watch the city from the sky and maintain the guard towers,” I elaborated, shifting her in my arms.
“Gargoyles…,” she mused aloud.
Asher lifted one of his hands to rub at his chest, and then he stepped forward. “We can’t wait any longer. Let me have her.”
My body tensed, my arms tightening protectively around her.
“You just swam half the ocean to get her,” he exaggerated and gave me a pointed look. “We’ll be faster if I carry her back.”
I hesitated for a moment longer, but then I gave him a curt nod and let him take Raine. One of his hands slid under her legs while the other gripped behind her back, and he turned, carrying her toward the mountain. I could have easily managed, but Asher was right when he said we’d be faster if he took her. Still, I didn’t miss the way Asher’s face softened when Raine let her head fall against his chest, and a slight smile teased my lips as I wondered whether he’d just used speed as an excuse to have a chance at holding her. I also didn’t miss the fact that Raine didn’t protest at the idea.
Asher lifted her a little higher in his arms, and he moved swiftly across the beach. I kept pace with him, keeping my senses heightened just in case there were any other surprises in store for us.
“I knew Locke planned to put me through hell, but I didn’t expect that. What is that thing?” Raine asked as she tried to crane her neck and peer back at where the outlier continued to burn above the water.
My lips pulled to a thin line. “That wasn’t Locke’s doing.”
“It’s a fuckin’ outlier,” Asher supplied as if that was an answer he thought Raine would understand. “Biggest one we’ve seen yet.”
She frowned. “An outlier?”
“It’s a long story,” I said. “Let’s wait until we’re back in the rooms.”
Raine didn’t seem impressed by my suggestion, but her mood improved when Darian appeared behind us minutes later, once again in his human form. Shortly after, Locke dropped from the sky and began walking beside him, both of them with only scratches and black blood smeared on their sodden bodies.
