“I believe I see your little Warden, brother,” Kees said, satisfaction ringing in his voice. “And I believe she has just managed to ensure that no more demonic scum will be joining us for this morning’s festivities.”
Dag felt a surge of relief and renewed purpose. He knew his Kylie was strong and more powerful than she believed, and he couldn’t wait to rub her nose in the evidence.
For a moment rage and disbelief flashed in the Demon’s stolen eyes, but it was quickly masked behind another taunting smile. “Oh, don’t worry, Guardians. The fun isn’t over. I still have a few tricks up my sleeve, if you will. In fact, let me show you one of them.”
Lifting its fingers to its lips, the demon whistled shrilly. All at once, the chaos in the room went silent, like a television turning off. A glance showed that every remaining living human in the room had frozen like a statue where they stood. A moment later, Dag heard the sound of wings cutting through the silence. Not Guardian wings, but something smaller and faster, something that stirred the air with the scent of old blood and rotted meat. Just as the smell registered, a thump shook the stage to his right and a snarling, cursing witch appeared at the Demon’s feet. Immediately, it grabbed her by the hair and hauled her close, and a small dagger appeared in the hand pressed to her throat.
Kees immediately leaped high and dragged the winged minion out of the air, snapping its spine and tearing its heart from its chest with his bare fangs. As it dissolved into ash at his feet, he roared his displeasure into the Corruptor’s laughing face.
“Tsk-tsk,” the Demon chided. “That temper could get you into trouble one of these days, Guardian. You wouldn’t want that, now would you?” The hand at Wynn’s throat shifted and a thin line of red appeared, drops of blood welling to the surface.
“UNHAND MY MATE!”
The thunderous roar shook the stage and rattled the lights in the rigging. Knox swooped in from above like death, covering the distance from the back of the auditorium in two beats of his powerful wings. He landed on the edge of the stage in a crouch and let out another cry so loud and so fierce that even Dag felt the need to bow to his fury.
“Careful, Guardian,” the Demon said, smile tightening and eyes flashing red. Its hand pressed tighter to Wynn’s throat. “Make me nervous and I might just slip. No one wants any accidents.”
“I’m fine, big guy,” Wynn reassured her mate. Her voice shook, not with fear, but with anger. “Don’t worry about me. Just stick to the plan.”
The Demon chuckled. “Oh-ho, there’s a plan, is there? That just sounds so precious. Would anyone care to enlighten me on the details?”
“There really aren’t that many.”
Dag’s heart stopped in his chest as his tiny mate climbed up on the stage at Knox’s side and stood facing the ultimate corruption of Nazgahchuhl with nothing but a few feet of space separating them.
Kylie stood as she always did, with her head high and her shoulders back, looking like nothing so much as a bored college student facing off against an arrogant professor. He wanted to grab her and kiss her and tell her how proud she made him; then he wanted to turn her over his knee and beat the stuffing out of her for putting herself in danger and scaring millennia off his life.
“Not that many details, I mean,” Kylie continued. “Mostly it was just a matter of come here, kick your ass, then go home and eat babka.”
Nazgahchuhl turned his attention to Kylie, and Dag rumbled a warning. He couldn’t help it. It escaped without his permission, but at least he maintained enough control not to leap at the Demon’s throat, thus jeopardizing Wynn’s life.
“So you’re the little thing my servants were trying so hard to find,” the Demon mused, tilting his head as he gazed at her. “I can see how they overlooked you. You’re quite insignificant, aren’t you?”
“Short jokes? Really?” Kylie scoffed, which made Dag twitch. “You’re, like, as old as time, and the best you can come up with are short jokes?” Kylie looked at her mate and jerked a thumb in the Demon’s direction. “Is this thing for real?”
“I can assure you I am very real,” the Demon hissed, leaning forward over Wynn’s captive head to glare at the Warden. “If you don’t believe me, I’m certain your friends can share with you a few of my greatest achievements.”
While everyone concentrated on the conversation between the Demon and Kylie, Dag became aware of more movement. From the floor of the auditorium, Fil approached with Spar by her side. They climbed onto the stage between Kees and Knox, providing the last pieces in a wall of opposition to Nazgahchuhl and his plans.
The Demon saw them—everyone saw them—but its reaction was not what Dag had expected. Instead of growing more tense in the face of the combined power of four Guardians and three Wardens, the Demon smiled and seemed almost to relax.
“Well, now, I see the gang is finally all here,” it said, sounding almost cheerful. “Excellent.”
Once again, Kylie’s mouth took off. “What? You were waiting to ask for our autographs?”