Page 56 of Wings of Lies
“Go! Get out of here!” Brock yelled.
A loud, throaty squeal punctured the increased yips until it stopped, along with my heart.
We were stuck.
They slammed into us again and again, rocking the carriage but unable to tip us with Cacus and Bael distributing their hulking weight. A slam splintered the wood near my princely jailor’s face.Their growls became louder. Almost as if they were excited by the wreckage.
Was no one going to answer me?
“What the hell is attacking us? Wolves?”
The growls quieted for a moment, followed by the clang of metal and grunts. The prince cursed, lunging for me just before the next hit. His arm wrapped around my waist, hauling me to the center, away from the shuddering walls. He pressed my back tightly against his chest, refusing to let me move. The pounding of his heart hammered into my spine, quickening my own.
With his free hand, he reached for the pommel of his sword, unleashing a long blade with scrolling blue symbols lit up with the flame that wreathed his eyes. Heat pulsed off the fiery waves, scalding my exposed skin. I shrank back into the prince, unable to escape his vice-like grip.
“Hellhounds,” he finally replied.
Cacus and Bael snickered like they enjoyed that fact. I couldn’t say I was surprised. They seemed both dimwitted and gruesome enough to enjoy our possible demise.
The growls and slams died down while the clanking metal increased. He released me, giving my flushed skin sweet relief.
“We need to leave this carriage and help Brock.”
“Wait, what?” This carriage was the only thing separating us. “Is that our only option?” Brock could rot in hell for all I cared. I wasn’t going out there. I didn’t know how to fight. I didn’t even have a weapon. Not to mention, my powers were currently out of commission. I’d been zapped so many times I assumed only an immense amount of fear or anger would get them going, and even then, the damned cuffs prevented that!
My jailor scrutinized me, jaw muscles pulsing. “This carriage will be splinters of wood if we don’t leave it. They don’t eat animal meat. They killed our horses to prevent us from moving.”
The wooden carriage abruptly rocked. I fell into him. His fingers dug into the sleeves of my shoulders.
“They feed off fresh angel blood, so they won’t stop. And Brock is alone out there.”
“I don’t care!”
He placed me behind him, turning his pissed-off fiery eyes on the black and red runed backs of Cacus and Bael.
“Take off my cuffs,” I demanded, palms sweaty.
He shot me a glare. “No.” Then yelled, “Now!”
Cacus and Bael pushed open the splintering doors, jumping out one after the other. Their feet pounded the ground with their weight. The prince landed softly behind them, sword raised and ready. I refused to move from my spot.
“Cacus, go help Brock,” he commanded.
One of the black beasts lumbered away toward the sound of a fight at the front of the carriage. And despite wanting nothing to do with the beasts, I wished Cacus would stay.
I crumpled to the planks.
Skeletal hounds surrounded us. Shadows undulated around their bones, like a messed-up kind of fur. Although, that did nothing to soothe the thoughts of death as their chests were at the same level as the ledge of the carriage.
“Get out,” he demanded, giving me a quick, narrowed glance before returning his attention to the skeletal death hounds.
“Take off my cuffs,” I begged, scooting closer, holding them out. So what if I looked pathetic or weak?
Fleshless bony heads snapped their jaws. They bayed and licked two-inch-long fangs, staring with blood-colored eyes. My bladder threatened to give out at their piercing sounds and did, just a little, as they prowled toward us.
“No.”
“Aspen, please!”
