as I bring my hooves crashing down to crush our assailant. The fairy hound snarls, its narrow muzzle opening wide to display its vicious teeth as it attempts to bite down on one of my forelegs. It yelps, however, when a hoof connects with its belly, sending it scurrying into the brush.
“Let’s go!” Steph shouts into my ear.
I do not need to be told twice. With a leap forward, I take off once more, aware that the hunt has used that opportunity to close in on us. They are drawing closer on our trail, the sounds of the hunt deafening within the dark forest.
Chapter 26
Steph
I’m practically petrified as I watch the weird dog slink away. That’s not like any dog I’ve ever seen. Large, about the size of a pony, it’s ghostly white with enormous jaws like some sort of hell beast and glowing red eyes. Even the scruff around its neck and the fur running down its back seems spiked in a way that almost looks like quills. But it’s the snapping fangs and deep, resonating snarl that captures my attention the most. In a word, it’s horrifying, and I wanted to cheer when Eliph’s hooves made contact, crushing bones before sending it scurrying away.
For someone who loves dogs, I don’t even feel bad about it, because damn! When its huge maw opened up, I was sure that was it—that Eliph would get bitten and brought down, and I would be stolen away by the fairies bearing down on us.
There sure as hell isn’t just one this time, not with all that noise.
That means there’s no easy escape like last time. Our only chance is to get to safety before they overwhelm us. I only hope we can make it in time.
The silver pillars still seem too far away, glowing in the distance dispassionately. They promise safety and yet there is no warmth to that cold light. That it will save us almost seems ironic, but I’m not going to question it now. It’s not like we have many other options. If our destination is on the other side of this damn kingdom and we’ll be safe from the fairies here, then I’m all for it.
Leaning forward, I cling to Eliph’s neck as he races through the trees for it. My head is angled slightly downward, so I’m startled when I see something like a little man with a distinctly boar-like face, with the flat nose, tusks, and everything burst out of the trees toward us. He’s heavily armed and swings a mace up in preparation to strike out at my mate’s legs and cripple him.
“I don’t think so,” I snarl, with a surge of protectiveness toward my mate as the creature races right up to our side.
Drawing up my leg, I kick him in the head with all my strength. The demi-hogwal thing squeals as it stumbles and falls to the side. I’m forced to turn to continue watching it, but it’s only for a second before Grimsal drops on it lethally from a poof of dust. Grabbing the hobgoblin by its shaggy mane of hair, he yanks its head back and drags his bloody blade across its neck. Dark blood splatters, and the goblin gives me a jaunty wave before he disappears again in another poof.
Leaning forward again, I speak in a rush to my mate.
“Looks like the demi-hogwals are with the fairies. How the fuck is that happening?”
Hobgoblins are opportunistic. They will throw their lot in at a whim in hope of reaping rewards. I suspect that these are no different. Strike if one comes near as you did but don’t put yourself at risk, just hold onto me, whatever happens. Do not worry, Ahandral. I will go down fighting before I allow any of them to have you.
“Let’s not with heroics,” I hiss in alarm. “I don’t want you going down at all. Don’t you dare even think about it. Just be on the lookout for them is all I’m saying. Permission to skewer and everything.”
His amused chuckle warms me, even as he drops his head and hops as he skewers one of the nasty hobgoblins with his horn, but I go cold again when I see a brilliant flash at the pillars ahead. What the hell?
“Uh, Eliph, what…”
The light suddenly bursts forward like a heat-seeking missile toward Eliph, and I duck my head down against him, cringing at the impact to come.
I hear Eliph’s gasp in my mind, but rather than blow us to