I landed on the stone quay and dropped the illusion. My friends appeared, scattered all over the quay and retrieving their weapons.
Without speaking, everyone gathered into their assigned teams and headed toward the city. Caro saluted just before she peeled off toward the accountant’s office, Ali and Haris in tow.
Jude led Aidan, Roarke, and Ares toward the part of town where we thought the other records would be held. Cade had given her a full rundown of everything we remembered from this place, so hopefully she’d be quick in finding it.
I joined Ana, Cade, Nix, Cass, and Del, then led them around the row of warehouses toward the main part of the city.
I led them in a single file line down the street, following the call of the eternal flame. Its magic was strong, the signature distinct. It was a mirror image of the flame in Kart-hadasht in the real world, and the magic felt exactly the same, drawing me forward. It was like the smell of bacon in the morning—easy to follow.
As agreed upon, we stuck to narrower streets and alleys—the places that were less likely to be inhabited or contain guards. With the city intact, it gave us many places to hide.
“That’s a strong magic,” Nix murmured from behind me. “And a strange one.”
She wasn’t wrong. It shivered across my skin, at once familiar and repellent.
The shadows deepened as we entered a narrower alley bordered on both sides by wooden houses. The city streets were quiet this time of night, and it was a bit strange to walk through something so historic.
When the first fireball exploded on the ground in front of me, I jumped.
“From above!” Cade said.
I looked up just as another sailed down, straight for me. I lunged left, but it hit my calf. Pain burned.
From behind me, Ana’s magic flared. Her glowing shield appeared overhead. A fireball slammed into it, sending white stress veins through the shield. I couldn’t see where the attacker was hiding exactly, but the fireballs seemed to be coming from only one source.
“I’ve got this.” I sprinted out from under Ana’s shield, then called my wings to action. I leapt into the sky, flying toward the roof two stories above.
A demon crouched there, so focused on my friends below that he didn’t see me. I drew my dagger from the ether and hurled it. As if he had super senses, he looked up just in time to dodge.
My dagger barely missed him.
He hissed, and threw a fireball at me. I lunged left, the flame barely glancing off my wings. The smell of burnt feathers turned my stomach, but I didn’t hesitate, just drew another dagger and threw.
This one sank into his eye.
Blood spurted and he fell backward, crashing onto the roof.
Ew.
As often as I pulled that move, I should’ve been used to the result. But that one had been particularly squishy.
I left the dagger in his head and flew back to my friends. It’d be gross when I called it back to the ether, but I didn’t have time to be persnickety.
I landed with my friends. Ana let her shield drop.
“Nice work,” Cass said.
“Thanks.” I turned and started down the alley again.
The buildings turned from wood to stone, indicating that we were probably entering a wealthier part of town. Maybe the business district, though I had no idea. Doug and Veronica would have loved this place.
Tension tugged at my muscles as we went. There would be more attacks—there was no way around it. I just wanted them to start already, and save me this suspense.
Eventually, we spilled out into a square. As soon as I stepped over the threshold and out into the alley, magic popped against my skin.
“Oh damn,” I murmured.
Next to me, Nix raised her bow and arrow. “Yep. That’s gonna be a problem.”
Cade joined me, smelling the air just slightly. “Demon beast.”
I sniffed, getting a hit of sulfur. I winced.
A roar sounded, deep and bellowing.
Yep. Our cover was shot.
Chapter Fourteen
A huge monster crashed into the square, breaking down a wooden building to the right. The creature was shaped like a boar but covered in yellow scales. Serrated back tusks extended out from its face, ready to slice.
Next to me, Cade’s magic surged. “I’ll distract him. You kill.”
He shifted into his wolf form, and charged. On my other side, magic swirled around Cass. She, too, turned into a giant wolf, and I recalled that she was a Mirror Mage, someone who was able to mimic another person’s magic.
She joined Cade, charging across the courtyard and leaping for the monster’s neck. Cade got a bite into the belly of the beast, but it wasn’t enough. The creature thrashed, shaking Cass off its neck. Beady black eyes landed on us.
I shot into the sky, drawing my dagger from the ether. I’d have to throw hard and be sure to hit an eye. I flew overtop of the creature and aimed.
Before I could throw, Del ran out into the middle of the courtyard, her Phantom form glowing blue. Her magic surged, and she hurled a massive icicle at the monster.
It plunged through the beast’s neck like a harpoon, increasing the damage that Cass had already done. Cade’s wolf leapt onto the beast, throwing it to its side. One of Nix’s arrows flew through the air, piercing the monster through the eye. She stood on the other side of the courtyard, brown hair blowing in the wind.
I stashed my dagger back in the ether. With friends like these, who needed to fight?
I rejoined my companions on the ground as Cade and Cass shifted back into their human forms.
“Let’s get a move on. Reinforcements will probably be coming.” In fact, it felt like the magic here had increased, as if maybe more Rebel Gods were showing up already.
That would be bad.
I hurried from the square, heading for an alley. We crossed several streets before coming to an amphitheater on our right. We stood at the top, and the seats stretched down to a stage that butted up to the waveless sea. An eerie silence filled the emptiness.
We were halfway past the amphitheater when Del stopped, shushing us.
We halted dead in our tracks.
“Someone is coming,” Del said.
I perked my ears, but heard nothing.
“Super hearing,” Cass said.
I nodded. “I’ll scout it out. Stay here.”
Everyone stood silently as I shot into the air, calling upon my illusion to conceal myself. I stopped about two hundred feet up, surveying the terrain. The city was built on a grid, and at first, I couldn’t see the attackers.
Then something moved in the shadows.
A contingent of about thirty demon soldiers was coming our way.
Crap.
Too many.
I searched the city, hoping a solution would hit me. A large fountain spewed water in the center of town, directly in line with the amphitheater and the sea. If the demons kept going the way they were, and turned onto that street….
I flew low and whispered to my friends, “Clear out! Away from this street!”
They hurried out of the way, pressing their backs against the buildings. I shot into the air, spotting the demons as the last one turned onto the desired street.
Jackpot.