Page 116 of Burn of Obsidian

Thunder roared, his tails splitting into distinctive, separate spikes.

Breathe, she thought, trying to calm herself.

“I think he understands enough,” Gideon chuckled. “Howl.”

Thunder’s claws scraped against the floor, retracting in and out as he waited.

“I said howl!”

Thea met Thunder’s eyes of silver, seeing nothing of Jax in his gaze. He howled, the sound harrowing and full of pain.

Breathe.

“Hmm.” Gideon lifted her higher, his lips brushing against the point of her ear. “I’d kill you, but I’d think keeping you alive will help me control him better.”

Thea stretched on her toes, legs shaking with the effort.

“Now, sit!” he barked towards the great beast.

Breathe.

She only had one chance. She had to take it. Praying to her wild magic, she hoped she’d calmed enough for it to respond. For her to recall…

Gideon snarled, his attention on Thunder. “I said – ”

His grip loosened, enough for her to throw herself to the side. Fur brushed against her back as she hit the wall, lasting only a second as Gideon’s scream filled the air.

There was a flash of red, heat from arcane appearing and launching Thunder back. Thea didn’t get to see where he’d landed, Gideon appearing in front of her with Jax’s pocket knife stabbed deep into his shoulder. Below it, he was missing his entire arm. It took a moment for him to realise, snarling before grabbing her with his other hand.

Her body jerked, brain taking a second to realise he’d drifted into the main hall.

Yanking the knife from his shoulder, he pulled her against his chest, the blade angled against her face.

Thunder appeared quickly, Gideon’s arm held tightly in his jaws. Arcane coated the fur on his front, the bright red with a heart of black flames eating away with every step he took.

“What have I said about not being invited to the party?”

Thea was jerked to the side, Lucifer appearing in one of the doorways with a large, grey beast at his back. He looked terrifying, his skin slightly paler than she remembered, with eyes that glowed. Horns, similar to those on Gideon, separated his dark hair, matching the bat-like wings that pierced from his shoulders.

“Xahen,” Gideon snarled. “I’m finding your defiance tiring.”

Lucy gestured to Thea, a gun held in his palm. “Hey shit-face. Still being a cunt, I see. Let her go, and we can settle this between us like big boys.”

Gideon laughed. “Just as in the Nether, Xahen. You are nothing. Weak. Pathetic. An insect destined to die beneath my boot.”

Lucifer chuckled. “You’ve been saying that for a millennia, yet I’m still here.”

The blade cut into her cheek, the pain sharp. Thunder noticed, going crazy.

“Back off,” Gideon growled, moving them slowly toward the pit. He risked a glance over his shoulder, and Thea noticed the chalice on the platform. In that split second, Thunder had creeped closer, Gideon’s arm still held in his jaws. He dropped it like an offering, muzzle peeling back with a wolfish grin as the grey beast prowled forward.

“You’re not going to shoot,” Gideon said, continuing to move them both back. “You know a bullet can’t stop me.”

Glitter appeared in her peripheral, and Thea carefully angled her head to stop the blade cutting her anymore.

“Nah, I’m not a great shot anyway.” Lucifer shrugged, lowering the gun. “But he is.”

A pop, Gideon shuddering as a bullet hit the side of his neck. It immediately broke through the other side, breaking into hundreds of little pieces of shrapnel.

---