Page 96 of Cats Never Fly

VanandDillonwere both in their hellhound forms.It’dbeen centuries sinceI’dseen a shifted hellhound—theywere magnificent, although not as magnificent as my beautiful mate.Firedripped from their black, canine-like bodies.Touchingthat fire would scorch the mage, but they couldn’t seem to get through the mage’s shields to get to his body.Theyclawed at the shimmering cage but couldn’t crack it.

Nelsonwas also in his ethereal, shadowy form, floating around the mage’s shield like the guy’s own personal black cloud.Hiswispy form opened only enough to allow the hellhounds through.Atleast if the mage couldn’t see the others, it would hinder his attacks against them.

Gage,Hayden, andIsaacwere fighting to free the enslaved demon.Assoon asAdrianfinished dragging the bear shifter over toDavina’spile of captured supes, he bounded toward the demon.

“Wegotta get the demon away from here,”Haydenshouted.

“Onit.”Gagegrunted.Hisfatigue was showing.Sincehe was tethered toWillowLake, he wouldn’t be as strong outside his territory.

Thetrapped demon looked atGage, as if begging for death.Instead, a portal opened behindGage.Gage’steam looked alarmed, soIhoped it wasGage’sportal.ThenGagewrapped his arms around the other demon and dragged him through.

“Fuck,”Haydenshouted as he lunged after them, only to have the portal snap shut before he could get there. “Gagetook them toWillowLake, didn’t he?”Haydenshifted quickly and pulled out his phone from the back pocket of his torn and grease-stained jeans.Aminute later, he was issuing orders to people to findGageand help himsubdue the strange demon.Hisfear for his people was palpable.Hemay not consider himself the alpha, but he was.

Themage was still fighting, but he was clearly weaker than he had been when the demon was there.Hetried backing away but ended up tripping on the motionless bear, which sent him sprawling right to me.Hismagical shield faltered, just for a moment, but that was enough.Icouldn’t shift yet, but that didn’t meanIwas useless.Myfires had ignited inside me again.Iunleashed it and my fiery electricity flowed over the mage.Myattack wasn’t as strong as it had been against the bear, but my efforts were enough to stop the mage from creating another shield.Isqueezed every bit of magicIcould muster into my fire and electricity.Itpoured from me for a long moment before sputtering to an end.Itwas spent.Iwas spent.Ihad nothing left.Ihoped it’d been enough.

Van—at leastIwas sure that one wasOfficerHellhound—sprang forward and clamped his teeth around the mage’s throat.Istared, waiting for him to rip through the tender flesh.Hedidn’t.Hesimply held tight, as if waiting for the mage to surrender.Idoubted that would happen.

Themage’s ring pulsed.Putridgreen energy surged around us.

Fuck.

Theonly way to stop this was to get that ring.

Iwrapped my hand around the ring.Therising magic seared me.Thiswas not a blessing of theEternalMagic; she would never create something as twisted and dark as this.Icried out but didn’t let go.Mypalm melted aroundit.Thesmell of burning flesh—myburning flesh—assaulted me.Ihad to get this ring away from the mage.

Itightened my grip and pulled as hard asIcould.Thering came away… but so did the mage’s hand.Itcame away like his limbs were no stronger than those of a paper doll.

Huh.

Mydragon form and fires may have abandoned me now, but at least my strength hadn’t faded again.IfI’dbeen in my dragon form,Iwould have undoubtedly bitten his hand off.Atleast this way,Iwouldn’t have to digest any part of the guy.

Still…Ihadn’t planned to do that.Oops.Asblood spurted from the ends of the limbs,Iprayed thatSimonhadn’t seen whatI’ddone.IwishedIcould shoot a cleansing flame over my blood-splattered scales, butIcouldn’t even gather enough heat to form a smoke ring.

Idropped the hand.

Awild and defiant look fell across the mage’s tear-stained face.Hisnostrils flared.Thenhe pushed his neck against the hellhound’s fiery and razor-sharp teeth.Hedidn’t even cry out as he severed his carotid artery onVan’scanine.

Vangagged at the rush of blood in his mouth and dropped the mage, but it was too late.Themage was dead.

Ilooked away.Therewas a time in my life when the sight of blood and death didn’t faze me, but it’d been a long time sinceI’dbeen a warrior.Peaceand laughter and love were whatIwanted in my life now.Iwas an entertainer for a reason;Ienjoyed making people feel good.

Inever wanted to see death and suffering again.This…Ishuddered.Thiswas not my life anymore.

Simonleaped into my arms, as if he sensed my turmoil and wanted to comfort me.Igrabbed him tight and pressed his face against my chest.Myinnocent little kitten didn’t need to see the blood pooling around the mage any more thanIdid.

Unfortunately, we could still smell the blood.

“It’sdeja-fucking-vu, isn’t it?”Isaacsaid as he shifted and dropped to his ass beside us.

“Weknew this was coming,”Vansaid.He’dshifted too and was wiping his mouth on his sleeve. “Jake’svision told us this would happen.”

“I’mgoing to need a fuck ton of apples to help heal that many people.”Teaguerubbed at his forehead as he rejoined us.Ittook me a minute to realize apples must be what he used to balance his magic.Eachsupe had something, usually a food, that helped them replenish their magic after they used it.

“Didyou get them all out?”Vanasked.

Teagueshook his head. “Onlya couple.Wehave the key, but none of them are opening as easily asOgden’scage.I’mhaving to use a lot of magic, but at least with the key we don’t needGage’smagic too, like we did last time.”

“Theymustn’t have finished the spells onOgden’scage after they abducted him again,”Vansaid, eyeing the stacks of cages.