Eternal Rider - Larissa Ione [93]
Something wrapped around her throat and jerked her backward. Gasping, she reached up to yank on the rope, digging in her heels as a gray-skinned demon reeled her toward him. A flash of black fur, teeth, and claws sailed past her, and the demon who had captured her screamed as Hal tore him apart.
“Cara!” A creepy demon with hooks for hands swung at Ares, one hook burying itself in his armor. Ares fell backward as he struck out with a dagger. It didn’t even scratch the creature. “Your presence is—” He broke off to slam his fist into another demon’s flat face. “—Affecting my ability to fight.”
She made a run for the gate, but two feet from the entrance, a green-skinned, scaly demon tackled her. She hit the ground hard enough to knock the wind from her lungs. Fire replaced air as she struggled to breathe, and then terror iced down her blood at the sight of a wicked, serrated blade slicing in a downward arc toward her throat.
A roar blasted through the air, and then Ares was there, his foot smashing into the demon’s head. The blade flew out of his clawed hand, and Cara rolled out from under the now-bloody demon. She grabbed the dagger, shoved it upward as another demon swung at her. It caught the spindly creature in the gut. It screeched and fell, and another replaced it. Once more, Ares took the demon’s head off, and if that was how he fought while handicapped, she couldn’t imagine what he could do normally.
Hal ripped into another demon that launched itself at her, and blue blood splattered on the ground. A rain of arrows fell, and she looked up at Guardians running toward them, some firing crossbows and others wielding bladed weapons.
“Gate!” Ares shouted, and yes, she was trying. In the midst of the bloodbath, she crawled, finally reached the shimmering curtain of light, and went through.
She came out on Ares’s Greek island. Hal followed, landing on top of her. He was covered in blood, and she immediately put her hands on him, seeking injuries. He had a few minor cuts, and without even summoning her ability, it flashed hot and channeled into him. She hissed in both surprise and brief pain as Ares’s staff came running, and how crazy was it that demons were coming at her, and all she could feel was relief?
“Cara!” Limos ran toward her, still in her armor. “Where’s Ares?”
Cara pushed to her feet. “Demons attacked us. He’s fighting them—”
“Okay, let’s get you inside.” She grabbed Cara’s arm, and Hal let out a vicious snarl. Dancing aside, Limos went for the dagger at her hip.
“No!” Cara seized Limos’s hand. “Don’t provoke him. Hal, it’s okay. Be good. These are friends.”
A blast of annoyance came off him, but he stopped growling. Where are we?
“Safe,” she replied, blinked when she realized she’d understood him. Just like in the dreams. “This is Ares’s island.”
I patrol. I keep you safe. He slipped away, skirting the Ramreel demons and disappearing into the brush.
Cara allowed Limos to take her inside. “Will Ares be okay? There were a lot of demons. Maybe you should help.”
Limos snorted. “Trust me, he’ll be fine.”
“But there were a lot of Aegi. Ares was worried about a trap.”
“Listen up, human.” Limos brushed her fingers over her throat, and her armor melted away, leaving her in the Hawaiian gown again. “He’s immortal. As long as there weren’t any hellhounds there—”
“There were,” she lied.
Limos froze. “What? Are you sure?”
“Yes.” Cara swallowed, feeling bad about the lie but not willing to risk Ares’s safety. “Please. Help him.”
“Fuck.” Limos threw a gate, but before she stepped through, she stabbed a finger at Cara. “Stay here, and don’t leave the house for anything.”
“Cara told you what?” Ares snarled at Limos as he pinned the last demon to the ground with his sword as if it was an insect in a display case. All around them, Guardians were cleaning up from the battle, triaging their own. Looked like all were injured, two critically, and one was dead. Dead, along