As one, the creatures flew over the trees, drawing closer and closer. I held my breath. Earlier, the others hadn’t seemed to see through the camouflage magic, but maybe they’d simply been distracted by Xilneth’s approach.
This time was no different. This new batch didn’t circle my area. They flew past without slowing down.
I let my breath out, relieved but still concerned. Where were they going? The others were still searching the mountainside.
A familiar aura brushed my senses.
Zav! I cried out telepathically before I could catch myself. I crossed my fingers that the creatures hadn’t detected that, but they were flying… Crap. They were flying toward Zav. And was that Xilneth I sensed too? The two dragons were at the edge of my range.
My mate! Zav responded. Are you well?
I’m okay. I lost my sword, but I’m going to get it back. Watch out. Undead minions are coming your way.
I see them, he replied grimly. I will battle my way to you, and Xilnethgarish will attempt to assist me instead of impeding me or fleeing in a cowardly manner.
He wants to prove himself and be heroic.
We shall see. I must battle now. Be ready. I am attempting to reach you so I can create a portal and take us back to my world.
I hesitated, not wanting to leave until I got Chopper back—especially now that I worried the lich would get it and destroy it—but I didn’t want to distract Zav. Not when the creatures were almost upon him. Also, maybe it was foolish to want to stay, to risk my life for a sword. It was a valuable sword, but still…
I’m ready. We could figure out the rest once we were together. Maybe we could plan a return from the safety of another world. Be careful, Zav.
They had better be careful. I will utterly destroy them for daring to challenge the might of a dragon in his prime!
Uh huh. I’ll get out in the open where you can fly down to me and make a portal.
Do this. Yes.
Come on, Sindari. I waved for him to follow me back to the road. Zav is going to try to pick us up.
Lord Zavryd is being attacked by the creatures.
I know. He promises to destroy them utterly.
There are eight of them, and they are not easy to destroy.
I know, but he has backup. I hoped Xilneth was a better fighter than Zav believed. And that he wouldn’t attempt to impress the undead creatures by singing to them.
As I jogged down the road, looking for a spot where Zav could easily reach me if he had to hurry—and where the sky might be open enough for me to see the battle—I worried for him. If he had been closer, I would have run toward him instead of away, and used my remaining bullets to distract his enemies. But he was two or three miles away and not near the road. I wouldn’t be able to get there in time to help.
The road sloped upward, and Sindari and I came out of the trees into an area where only charred snags and logs remained, the victims of some past wildfire. The craggy black slopes and cliffs of the mountainside loomed ahead, blocking out half of the starry sky and casting deep shadows. I almost missed seeing several carcasses of animals similar to deer lying on the road. I hoped whatever had killed them wasn’t crouching nearby.
After skirting them, I slowed down, aware that we’d drawn closer to the other group of creatures. They must not have found Li yet, or they wouldn’t still be out there. I couldn’t sense her or Chopper. That didn’t mean they weren’t there. When I’d worn Chopper, it had camouflaged itself from other people. Now, if it was on Li’s back, it would camouflage itself from me. That gave me a twinge of betrayal, but it wasn’t a pet, just a magical object.
When I spotted a rocky hill to one side, I veered off the road. The top was out in the open, which made my shoulder blades itch, but it would be easy for Zav to reach me.
I sensed him flying about behind me, and Xilneth as well. They’d managed to get closer, but the creatures were all around them, harrying them and keeping them from advancing toward the mountain. Toward me.
As soon as I reached the top of the hill, they came into view over the trees, the dragons lighting the night—and the undead creatures—with their fire. One of their enemies had crashed into the treetops and wasn’t moving, but that left seven more in the sky with them.
I drew Fezzik, hoping they would come close enough that I could help. Even if all I could do was ping those skeletons with bullets that did no damage, maybe it would draw one or two away.
Xilneth broke away from the battle and flapped back the way they had come, his flight crooked, one of his wings damaged. Two of the creatures took off after him. The rest stayed near Zav.
He flung a wave of power at two, and they tumbled away, somersaulting through the air. Two other creatures he bathed with his fire. I hoped it blackened and incinerated their bones.
For a second, none of them were attacking him. He broke away and flew straight toward me.
I am coming for you, my mate. His telepathic voice sounded pained, and I winced, knowing he was risking his life to come get me.
Four of the creatures gave chase, flapping their wings hard enough to keep up. I hoped Zav would have time to form a portal. I’d seen him do it before, and it never seemed to take more than a few seconds, but it had never been when he was in the middle of battle and had enemies nipping at his heels—his talons.
A human scream came from the mountainside where the other creatures were hunting. Li.
“Shit.” I turned, scanning the dark slope, but I still couldn’t see or sense her.
Blue light flashed. Chopper’s blue light.
I glanced toward Zav, torn between waiting for him and wanting to go help Li. This might be my last chance—my only chance—to get Chopper back.
Magic pulsed beside me, and I jumped. But it was a portal forming, not an enemy.
Leap through, Zav commanded me as he turned to snap at two minions that had caught up to him and were clawing at his backside.
Not without you.
They were in firing range now. I lifted Fezzik, aiming at one of the creatures but waiting for an opening. They were too close to Zav, and I couldn’t risk hitting him.
Sindari, I thought as an opportunity came, and I fired at one of the minions’ skulls, can you try to get Li? It looks like she’s less than a mile away.
I will try. Do you wish me to assist her or only get your sword?
My bullet streaked away, its magic leaving a blue trail in the air, and it slammed into the creature’s skull. It jerked its head and flapped away from Zav, momentarily distracted. Zav turned and threw his full power at one of the others, hurling a wave of magic that I sensed from hundreds of yards away.
He roared, the mighty sound echoing off the mountainside, and spewed fire at two more creatures.
Help her if you can, I told Sindari, not voicing the cold thought that popped into my head, that my problems about an ownership dispute with Chopper would be over if Li were dead, but I don’t want you fighting eight of those things.
As Sindari sped down the hill and toward Li’s position, one of Zav’s enemies spiraled down in flames, crashing in the trees like a World War I biplane.
I fired at another creature that had caught up and was aiding its buddies against Zav. My bullet streaked away, flying into one of its empty eye sockets and—I hoped—cracking through its skull and out the other side.
The blow did little more than cause its flight to falter for a few seconds, but that gave Zav time to whirl on another foe, snapping his mighty jaw down on the vertebrae of its neck. He shook his head and tore through magic and bone. The creature’s skull tumbled free, plummeting to the trees, and when Zav released the body, the rest of it followed.