Origin of Magic (Dragon's Gift: The Protector #3)(51)

“Who wants a ride?” Cass grinned and shifted into her griffon form.

Aidan followed, his golden magic bright in the dark night. He towered over Cass’s smaller griffon, able to take two passengers. Claire and Connor climbed onto his back, while I scrambled onto Cass. Roarke picked Del up into his arms and spread his dark wings.

“I can climb it,” Ares said.

I didn’t see how that was possible, but he proved me wrong, finding toeholds and finger crevices that he used to quickly scale the wall. Cass pushed off the ground and we soared upward. She landed on the top of the wall with a thud and I scrambled off.

A shiver raced over my skin. The magic was darker here, stronger. As if we were closer to the source.

“Well, this is weird,” Cass said.

“Yeah.” I studied the single large tower that sat smack in the middle of the courtyard. There was nothing else within the exterior wall—no outbuildings or houses like you’d usually find inside a castle wall. Just one single tower surrounded by an open expanse stretching to the castle wall. The wall itself was circular and massively thick, at least twelve feet wide with plenty of space for an army to stand while guarding the castle. But there was no army.

“It’s too empty,” Ares said.

“Too quiet,” Roarke added.

Which meant shit was about to get real.

The earth shook, as if it could read my thoughts. The ground surrounding the castle vibrated and shifted, packed black dirt breaking apart and rising up. Monsters—honest to god monsters of a type I’d never seen before—burst to life from the ground, born of the earth like this was some kind of crazy Greek myth.

There were three of them that I could see, each guarding a section of the empty ground, their backs to the towers. There was probably one on the far side of the tower that I couldn’t see. Each was easily twenty feet tall and vaguely human shaped. Their fronts were rough gray skin, while their backs and arms were covered in long grayish white hair. Massive claws tipped each huge hand and foot, and their fangs were easily a foot long.

“Is that the Yeti?” Cass whispered.

As if he recognized his name, the one nearest to us roared. The sound pounded my eardrums, and I flinched.

“He’s not as cute as the one in that claymation Christmas movie.” He was downright terrifying. Not just in his size and strength, but he was ugly as Nosferatu in the sunlight. I stepped back from the wall as the beast approached. “We have to get past.”

“Aidan and I can fly people over while the others defend,” Cass said.

“Are you—”

The Yeti leapt for the wall, cutting off my words. His great claws gripped onto the edge and he began to pull himself up.

“Oh crap!” Cass fired a blast of flame at the Yeti’s claws.

He roared and dropped back down. The other Yetis thundered over to join him, their footsteps shaking the ground.

Quickly, Cass shifted into her griffon form. Aidan followed. I lost no time in scrambling onto her back. Ares leapt onto Aidan, looking slightly uncomfortable. It was an intimate thing to ride a shifter. You got a peek into their souls in a way, and saw who they really were. Cass was my deirfiúr so it was no big deal, but Ares hadn’t really known Aidan that long. Not that he was willing to let it stop him. And on the bright side, they’d probably be buddies after this.

If we survived.

Connor withdrew potion bombs from his satchel and passed them out to Claire. “Go on, we’ve got your back!”

Claire hurled her potion bomb at the closest Yeti. The beast roared and ducked back.

Cass and Aidan took off, pushing up into the sky. We were only about ten feet in the air when a Yeti pulled a maneuver straight from Cirque du Soleil. He bounded toward his comrade and leapt off his back, hurtling high into the air with his claws outstretched.

The massive paw slammed into Cass and Aidan, hurtling them out of the air. We flew wings over tail as we plowed toward the ground. Cass flailed her wings, only partially managing to break our fall against the hard ground.

My bones ached and my mind swam as I scrambled awkwardly to my feet. Though everything hurt, all my limbs still worked. Ares was already up, while Cass and Aidan were struggling to stand. One of Cass’s wings was bent oddly, but I didn’t have time to inspect.

The Yetis had turned and were closing in, pounding toward us on massive clawed feet. From the wall, Del hurled huge icicles at them. Though most shattered off their thick hides, one managed to pierce a Yeti in the lower arm. The beast roared, swinging around to find Del.

Roarke leapt off the wall, his wings carrying him toward the Yeti. He was going for the beast’s eyes, I’d bet.

Beside me, Cass shifted back to her human form.

“Go!” she cried. “We’ll cover you!”

“I’ve got your back,” Ares said.

I took one look at my friends, who planned to stay here with the deadliest beasts I’d ever seen. They were so damned brave. “Thanks.”

“We’re a team.” Cass shrugged and hurled a massive fireball at the Yeti who was only ten feet away. The beast batted it out of the way.

Shit. This was going to be tough. I felt like I was leaving them to their deaths, but I had to find Drakon and this was our only shot.

I spun and ran for the big tower, Ares guarding my back against the Yeti who thundered after me. I didn’t risk a look back until I’d reached the black door at the base of the tower. Only then did I turn to see Ares, clinging to the back of the Yeti’s neck and going for the eyes. I had no idea how he’d gotten up there, but if anyone could climb a Yeti, it was Ares.