Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 142916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 715(@200wpm)___ 572(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 142916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 715(@200wpm)___ 572(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
Tora would be able to counter the spell and better protect her dragon, but Silke could feel Peony’s distress right along with Lily’s. Even Tora was having trouble with the sheer number of insects crawling through the scales, stinging and biting. It didn’t help that the demons had grown aggressive, certain they could kill the dragons the moment they brought down the barriers Tora had erected around the two creatures. They surrounded the large bulks, pounding on the transparent shells, jabbing at them with razor-sharp spears. Two even began to build a bomb to set under the dragons.
Silke reached for the tiny creatures. As a child, she had practiced connecting with all kinds of insects and reptiles. As a slayer, it was a requirement to be able to control bugs, animals and birds. It required a quiet mind. She had to pull out of the mage, so she marked the pathway to his mind and reached for the insects. Because it was a familiar path, she connected almost immediately.
She tuned herself to the group. Many were nestmates. She couldn’t use odor to communicate so she chose substrate vibrations, using the scales of the dragon to warn the insects to leave immediately, that there was danger to them. The bugs responded by backing out of the scales and flying straight at the invisible barrier.
Are the insects abandoning Peony?
Yes.
Take down the barrier around their heads. That will allow the insects to leave and give both dragons the opportunity to slay those attacking them if we time it perfectly.
That meant complete coordination between the two dragons. She didn’t want the insects smashing themselves on the barrier, so she sent another signal to them, giving them the exact route to get out of the trap they were in.
Tora brought down the front of the shield, and the insects poured out in a black cloud, rising fast to escape back to the meadow. Peony and Lily swung around, vengeful, furious, sweeping a circle of intense, steady fire around them, igniting the demons that had been trying to kill them.
Instantly, Silke felt the mage’s fury. His voice swelled in a summoning chant. The demons joined with him, raising their voices to call. Her heart dropped. This was going to be bad. Of course Lilith had a contingency plan should anything go wrong. Between the two dragons all but about fifteen of the demons were gone. That last sweep had ignited most of those in the yard.
He is summoning something from the underworld, Tora said.
Silke didn’t need to be told. The ground was consecrated. No creature could use it to come through. That meant whatever the mage had summoned was coming from a distance.
Hurry, Tora, we have to try to get to the ones on the roof before their help arrives.
She needed to get back inside the mage’s mind quickly and find out exactly what they were about to face. She was already tired, both mentally and physically. She knew both Lily and Peony were. Tora rarely showed signs of fatigue, but even she had to be on the brink of exhaustion. They had been fighting off the demons for far too long.
She made her way back to the mage’s mind, careful to enter slowly. Her energy was low, and it helped that she really felt drained. There were only fifteen demons left. Six had remained on the roof, still taunting her. She was certain they were bait to draw her in. At first, she thought the mage would be one of the six. On the roof, one had a clear view of the yard. It was the porch roof, so not as high as the main roof.
That gave her pause. Wouldn’t the mage want the best view? The best view wouldn’t be the porch roof, it would be much higher. Much, much higher. The roof was covered in moss and greenery. There were many places to conceal oneself—but the plants were used to Silke and Fenja. They guarded the house along with the stones and mythical creatures.
Deliberately, Silke expanded her energy, sending it out searching for the mage. She had the pathway to his mind that she followed, but she also allowed her mind to encompass the roof. She wouldn’t see him, but she was part of the mycelium network. The plants growing on her home would inform her if there was an enemy hidden among them. She hadn’t checked with them because it seemed futile with so many replicas. But if one was isolated on the roof…
Lily, bring me close to the main roof, close enough that I can reach it. You’ll have to maneuver carefully. I know it isn’t easy. I’ll watch out for the demons trying to attack you.
The armor was still around Lily, but they would have to shed it soon. She couldn’t fly properly. Tora was having trouble getting Peony around to sweep fire across the porch roof. She kept the pressure on, giving Silke the time that she needed to examine the mage’s memories. As she did, Lily tried to get in close to the roof to allow Silke to touch the plants. Silke couldn’t do both at once. It was impossible. She needed all of her concentration to follow the path to the memory without getting caught.