And now that I had him…
Shit, I had no idea what to do.
I felt completely empowered, suffused with fresh, otherworldly energy, but I had not one single clue how to channel it into something offensive.
But Lucifer was back on his feet, hellfire rippling in his eyes.
He hadn’t had enough time to get used to the wings I’d so rashly unchained.
And now it might cost both of us our lives.
Odragir saw his opponent upright and prepared to pounce. He bucked again, giving a powerful shake that finally dislodged me. I went flying past his snapping teeth and slammed into one of the withered trees.
Pain erupted in my ribs and skull when I hit, knocking the air out of my lungs. I rolled to a stop at the base of the tree, looking up through a haze of pain—
And struggled to clear my blurred vision.
Was I too rattled to process what I was seeing?
Lucifer was rabid, frothing hellfire as he lunged for Odragir. But instead of the ungraceful instability he’d demonstrated before, he now seemed to… float.
I blinked, rubbing my eyes hard.
No dice.
I could see the thin golden chains again, wrapped around each wolf.
But enormous black wings spread from Lucifer’s shoulder blades, extending over the wolf’s back.
They beat hard, lifting him, giving him enough air to leap over the fire and crash into Odragir.
Unable to adjust for the weight in time, Odragir crumpled to the ground.
Lucifer seized the advantage and clamped his teeth into his neck, biting down hard enough that I could hear bone and muscle grinding as his teeth sank through.
Odragir went limp.
Lucifer was back in his demon form and at my side in a blink.
He checked me over, running his hands along my head, fingers parting my hair as he looked for a wound.
“I’m okay, just dizzy.”
“How could you jump between brawling wolves like that? Have you lost your mind?”
Oh, hell no.
“You were about todie, Lucifer. All because your wolf couldn’t compensate for the added weight of your wings.”
“How do you… you could see them? Even when I’m in my wolf form?”
“Not until after I knocked my head. Again. I swear, I have to have four concussions at this point, all right on top of each other.”
Odragir stirred.
“You have to finish him. If you don’t, he’ll be right on our heels into Ossean territory.”
Lucifer gave a quick nod and stood to shift, but he stilled.