Page 65 of Secrets of Ruin

Brokk’s heart lodged in his throat when she staggered forward and went to her knees. Ripping his sword free of the one who collapsed on Orin, Brokk sprinted toward Kaylia and brought his blade down across the cat’s back, severing its spine.

Before he could kick it off her, one of the giant, lumbering monsters that chased them into the white goo leading to the mirror realm broke free of the underbrush. It thrust its horn forward, spearing a witch before stampeding a warlock and dark fae.

The size of a human’s tank, the earth quaked beneath the thuds of the creature’s hooves as it pounded at full speed. Orin remained trapped beneath the cat as Kaylia tried to pull herself out from under the one that had fallen on top of her.

The cat’s front legs pawed at the ground as it tried to drag itself away, but its back legs remained useless. And the beast was barreling toward them.

“Get her!” Cole shouted as he sprinted toward Orin.

A group of gremlins darted from the undergrowth and launched onto Cole’s back. It was a mistake they only had a few seconds to regret before the shadows enveloped them, ripped them away, and tore them to shreds.

Brokk released his blade and seized the cat’s head to drag it off Kaylia while a tanklike monster closed in on them. Every encroaching thud of its hooves vibrated the ground more until Brokk rose and fell a foot or two at a time.

He didn’t look back to see how close it was getting as the cat twisted its head to the side and snapped down on his arm. He bit back a yelp as its teeth sank through his flesh.

Having dropped his sword, Brokk had no option but to continue pulling the thing away. When he finally freed Kaylia, she scrambled to her feet and staggered to the side as the ground heaved.

Needing to break free, Brokk delivered a series of blows to the feline’s head before the beast finally released him. Hot air blew against his neck as he leapt to his feet and sprinted toward Kaylia.

As he ran, he teleported to within a few inches of her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and threw all his weight against her. He sheltered her head with his arm as he sought to protect it while they bounced across the ground and away from the beast looking to squash them.

Brokk tried to catch his breath, but remaining still was the equivalent of death in this place, so he rose. Extending his hand, his gaze traveled over Kaylia, but aside from some cuts and bruises, she was all right.

The armor-plated monster thundered past them, taking down trees and more immortals before running into the blaze the dragons had created. The flames swallowed it.

When it didn’t immediately reappear, Brokk started to smile as he realized the stupid creature had plunged into its death. That smile never fully developed as a shadowy figure rushed from the depths of the fire and the beast reemerged.

Not one burn marred it as it tossed the charred remains of the witch from its horn. Pawing one of its hooves, it snorted as it eyed the immortals gathered around it, fighting for their lives.

“Shit,” Kaylia breathed.

CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR

Brokk enshrouded himself and Kaylia in shadows as the creature barreled through a couple of lycans and a merman who weren’t fast enough to get out of the way. He had no idea how to destroy these things if fire didn’t affect them.

They didn’t get far before two more tanks charged onto the scene. This keeps going from bad to worse.

Keeping Kaylia in his arms, he ran with her back toward where Cole had freed Orin from the cat. Cole, Orin, and Varo were now calling for a large group of their army to cluster together to fend off the gremlins, cats, and prehistoric tanks.

Sahira, Del, Ryker, Maverick, Tucker, and Elsa stood at the front of the group as the gremlins and cats approached. Their prowling movements didn’t matter, as the tanklike creatures could easily divide the group.

Brokk and Kaylia had almost made it to the group when a thunderous bellow vibrated the air and drowned out all other sounds. Brokk looked up as a dozen dragons emerged from a portal in the sky and swept toward them.

He recognized the flex of yellow decorating Alina’s belly before he spotted Lexi bent over the dragon’s neck and her braid whipping out behind her. Alina turned to the side as she prepared to come at them.

He and Kaylia made it to the group as Alina swooped toward them. Brokk released the shadows and bent to claim a sword from a dead siren.

“Fuck!” Cole’s voice came out a mixture of his and the shadows.

Brokk didn’t know if that mixture meant the shadows were starting to take over or if it was a brief slip because his brother didn’t want his fiancé here. Either way, he didn’t like hearing it.

Smoke choked the air around them as the fire crackled only ten feet away from their backs. Its heat only added to the oppressive air of the jungle as more sweat broke out on his back, cleaving his shirt to him. When it beaded across his forehead and slid down his face, he wiped it away before it got in his eyes, but it was a losing battle.

The roar of the blaze drowned out almost all other noise as the tops of trees broke off and crashed to the ground. Sparks and falling debris rained down on them, and a couple of times, he had to slap them away before they caught on his clothes. One burned his cheek before the small blaze went out.

The fire, gremlins, cats, and tanks racing toward them kept them trapped. They had two options: open some portals and leave or stand their ground. Some of these monsters would escape through a portal with them, but they should be able to take care of them before they fled into the realms.

When Alina swooped low through the trees, their broken and scorched tops enabled her to get closer to the ground than the dragons before her. She unleashed a torrent of fire on their enemies.