He eyed the seven-foot tall cliff that I needed to get over and nodded, then grabbed me around the waist and practically threw me over. I scrambled up as he pulled himself gracefully onto the rock to my left.
Wind whipped as I turned to face the buildings. They rose behind the jutting rock and scraggly grass ahead. Shouts sounded from the largest one, a long building made entirely of stone. The walls curved inward at the top to form a curved roof. Aidan and I charged it, stooping low under the small door.
The dimness blinded me for a moment. Candles illuminated the space, shining light on the combatants. There were at least a dozen monks, all clad in drab brown robes, fighting five dudes who looked like special ops goons from an action flick. Though fighting was a bit of an exaggeration. Despite their numbers, the monks were heavily outmanned. Most threw ineffectual punches while others launched weak blasts of power.
“Demons,” I said when I spotted their dark gray skin. Good. I hated fighting other supernaturals because I was scared I might kill them and take their power. Demons didn’t really die, so they couldn’t transfer power.
These looked a lot like the one that had called me a FireSoul, but most species of demons had gray skin. There wasn’t a sun in most of the hells. I’d wait to see if they threw smoke before I got nervous.
I glanced at Aidan. “Leave one alive?”
“Yes. I want to know why the hell they’re here.”
I pulled my daggers from their sheaths and charged into the fray, toward a tall demon grappling with a monk. I wanted to throw Righty, but they were moving too quickly. Nailing a man of God with my dagger sounded like a bad idea.
I jumped onto a bench and launched myself off of it, crashing down on top of them. I shoved the monk out of the way with my foot and plunged Righty into the demon’s left shoulder. He roared, his ugly face twisting in pain.
Agony seared my side and stole my breath. Warm blood soaked into my clothes. I assumed he’d swiped me with a knife but didn’t look. His fist crashed down on my back, a punishing blow that sent pain radiating through my body.
That was why I liked to throw my knives.
I grabbed one of the demon’s horns, pressing his head back onto the stone floor and stabbing him in the throat with my other knife.
Warm blood sprayed my face and I gagged.
Ugh. The worst. I scrambled off the demon. A second later, he strangled in his last breath. He’d disappear soon, his body returning to its hell. With my sleeve, I scrubbed some of the blood from around my eyes, then bent down to snag Righty, which protruded from his shoulder. Pain sang through me from the demon’s blows. I glanced at my side and saw a long gash along my ribs. My back ached. Felt like a few broken ribs, damn it.
At least he hadn’t gotten his blade between them. I was going to live, so I considered it a win.
A demon shrieked and I spun, startled by the sound of fear. Demons were never afraid. They were single-minded, inhuman in their desire to accomplish their goals. Fear didn’t usually affect them. It was one of the main reasons they were used as minions to guard treasure or to carry out evil deeds.
“Holy hell,” I breathed.
An enormous griffon stood at the side of the room, twice as big as a lion. It was beautiful, if you didn’t mind being terrified. Enormous wings stretched out from its powerful back, arching up over a massive, leonine body. Its head was almost birdlike, but that was no delicate beak. It could pick up cows with that thing.
Where the hell had it come from? I glanced around.
Aidan was gone.
Oh, hell no.
But of course. That was Aidan. My sidekick was a freaking griffon. Though if he was a griffon, I was probably the sidekick in this situation.
Beast-Aidan launched himself off the floor and leapt upon two demons, grabbing each in a powerful front claw and smashing them against the ground.
Since it seemed Aidan had that side of the room well taken care of, I spun and eyed the other side. A demon was shaking a monk by his robe, demanding, “Where is it?”
The monk babbled in Irish, seeming unable to understand English.
Rage seethed in my chest. I didn’t like bullies. This was the demon I’d save for questioning. I couldn’t be sure the griffon would keep any alive.
I pushed aside the pain that throbbed at my back and side and charged the demon, flinging Righty as I ran. It sank into his arm. The demon grunted and looked up at me, then glanced around at the carnage Aidan and I had wrought. Only one of its brethren remained.
Nope, none. Aidan had ripped its head off with his beak. The head bounced across the stone before finally disappearing. I swallowed bile and looked at the remaining demon.
His eyes widened. I lunged at him, tackling him to the ground. He was enormous and sweaty beneath me.