Page 58 of Carved
I lay, gaping at where I’d flung Azote intothe gas pumps. Small bursts of sparks continued to arc through myfingers as he started to climb back to his feet. The ground beneathme quaked from the impact of the beasts I’d seen racing towardus.
My heart thundered at the sudden appearanceof this new enemy. My body was more bruised and battered than ithad ever been before. I’d just had my ass handed to me by an angel,and now I’d have to fight off these new creatures too.
The beasts howled as they rushed past me,rattling my eardrums and causing some of the ghosts inside thetruck stop to flit away from the windows. I’d never seen anythingso amazing or impressive as the dying flames trailing behind themassive creatures.
Azote regained his feet a second before thefirst one leapt at him. The creature’s mouth was wide open and itssix-inch hooked claws were ready to rip into Azote’s flesh. Thebeast pounced on him, sinking its fangs into Azote’s forearm. Itthen began to roll across the pavement like an alligator in a deathroll with Azote hanging out of its mouth.
The other creature stopped to watch theaction with a tilt of its head before it changed direction andcharged toward me. I scrambled backward on my elbows beforestaggering to my feet. They had been set on attacking Azote whenthey’d first arrived, but maybe they were as indiscriminate aboutwho they killed as the madagans had been. My hands flew up, readyto blast this thing away from me, but before it reached me, it spunaround to stand directly between Azote and me.
I stood gawking at the creature as it roaredagain, revealing fangs that would make a sabre-tooth tiger cower.Its sleek black coat shone as its hackles rose and the front of itsbody hunched down a little. The brilliant amber of its eyesreminded me of…
Kobal!
My head shot up, and my eyes scanned theroad, but because of the complete darkness out there and thebrilliant light before me, I could barely see fifty feet away fromme. He was out there somewhere, he had to be, and these were thehounds he’d told me he harbored within him.
Hellhounds.As I stared at the gigantic head before me, I could see exactly whythey were called that. It had a head that looked like a wolf’s, buta prehistoric wolf, one who could shred a T-Rex. Its head came upto my chin and its broad shoulders were at my chest.
This thing could crush me with one blow, butit stayed in front of me, its claws clicking on the pavement as itprowled back and forth, eager to join the fight. The other one hadpinned Azote; its claws curled into his stomach to tear into thesensitive flesh. It had to be excruciating, but Azote didn’t make asound as his hands held open the jaws trying to clamp down on hishead.
I didn’t see it, but I felt the blast ofpower Azote released to launch the hound off of him. The creatureskidded across the earth and crashed against the side of thebuilding. More ghosts zipped away from the windows before returningto cautiously peer out again.
The hound before me released a hair-raisingsnarl and launched forward at the same time something leapt out ofthe shadows beyond the pumps to land on Azote’s back. It took me asecond to recognize Kobal as his face was twisted into a mask ofpure fury and his eyes burned amber fire. Despite my concern forhim, relief and love swelled within me. He was okay; he washere.
Fire licked up his wrists and across hisforearms and shoulders. The tips of his four fangs glistened beforehe sank them into Azote’s throat. Azote screamed; his hands beatover his head in an attempt to dislodge Kobal. Releasing his biteon Azote’s neck, Kobal spit out the chunk of flesh he’d torn fromhim.
His claws tore across Azote’s chest, slicingopen flesh and spilling more blood onto the ground. The houndspaced anxiously before him, their tails swishing as the scent ofAzote’s blood permeated the air. Kobal seized Azote’s throat,lifted him off the ground, and then smashed him into theasphalt.
Azote released another blast of telekineticpower I could feel from where I stood. Kobal’s hold on him wasknocked off and he was propelled a few feet back, but he didn’t goflying across the parking lot like Corson and the hound had. EitherAzote was tiring or his power didn’t have the same effect againstKobal.
The hound guarding me pounced on Azote andbit down on Azote’s head. Azote howled; his hands beat against thebeast in an attempt to dislodge it. Shaking off the stupor clingingto me since I’d thrown Azote across the parking lot, I pulled mykatana from its sheath on my back and ran toward them.
Arriving at Azote’s side, I gripped thehandle tight before lifting the katana and swinging it down withall my might. The sword whistled through the air before buryingitself into the side of Azote’s neck. I assumed one swing wouldcleave his head from his body, but it barely sliced more than twoinches into him before getting stuck on sinewy muscle.
Azote’s fingers scrabbled at the blade,tearing flesh to the bone. Kobal stepped beside me, nudging me outof the way as he wrapped his hand around the handle and yanked theKatana free. Lifting it up, he swung it down with enough force toslice Azote’s head from his body. The hound swallowed it down inone gulp that caused my stomach to turn.
The katana clattered to the ground when Kobalreleased it. He grabbed hold of my arm, dragging me against him.The sickness in my belly eased when he wrapped his arms around me,lifting me into his embrace. My arms slid around his neck, and Iflattened myself against him as I clung to him. The hounds roamedaround us, rubbing against my legs as they dangled in the air overthe beasts.
Despite everything that had transpired, mybody instinctively reacted to Kobal’s. The overwhelming demand toget closer fell over me like rain. My hands frantically ran overhis shoulders and back as I sought to reassure myself he was reallyhere.
“Kobal.” The coppery smell of blood and thestench of gasoline filled my nose, along with his natural, fieryaroma when I buried my face in his neck.
He nuzzled my hair as his lips traveled overmy cheek, and his fingers took hold of my chin to turn my mouth tohis. My heart beat a staccato rhythm in my chest when his goldeneyes blazed down into mine.
Need.
Sensing this, his mouth took ruthlesspossession of mine in a kiss that seared straight into the core ofmy soul. His tongue slid against my mouth and his fangs scrapedover my lips, drawing blood, but I didn’t care. My fingers slidinto his hair, tugging him closer as I felt the rigid evidence ofhis arousal rising to press tantalizingly against my achingcenter.
I forgot all about where we were and all mybumps and bruises, as my world became centered on him. He was all Icould taste and feel as our breaths mingled together until theywere inseparable. My hands fell on his bare shoulders as he graspedmy hair and pulled my head back to deepen the kiss.
“Oh,” I sighed against his mouth.
His tongue, heady and demanding, thrustagainst mine in a powerful dance that left me weak and trembling. Icouldn’t get enough of him. I’d refused to allow myself to think Imay never see him again, but it had been a constant worry in theback of my mind. Now, I never wanted to let him go.
One of the hounds growled, piercing throughthe haze of desire and bringing me back to the reality of where wewere. Kobal’s breaths were ragged against my lips when he broke thekiss. He stared at me for a minute before lowering me to theground.
Clasping my face, he cradled it gently withinhis hands as his black claws retracted. “Are you okay?” I barelyrecognized the roughness of his voice, the desperation in hiseyes.
“I’m fine. The others…” I recalled the cry ofpain I’d heard when Azote had turned those bullets back on them.“The others!”
