Demon Revealed (High Demon Series #2) Read Online Free Page B

through the trees when he reached that
spot. More had been waiting there and he was cut off. Piles of spawn dust
littered the rock and shale around the cliff, but there were too many of the creatures
remaining for Aurelius to turn his back on them and attempt to climb. More
could be waiting at the top, he realized; he was too afraid to use the ability
he had to Look and find out.
    Six spawn attacked at once, forcing Aurelius to use his speed
and vampire claws to behead them. His eyes were red and he was hissing, he knew.
While that might frighten any normal humanoid, it had no effect on spawn. If
they were instructed to attack, then they would attack, with no fear for their
lives. Aurelius knew something was directing these—they never acted in concert
like this without something more intelligent behind them. More came walking out
of the jungle, stalking him. Aurelius might have been able to take down fifty
or so alone, but there were more than that. Many more. Aurelius prepared
himself for what was to come.
    * * *
    "Aurelius!" I was shouting his name and my
Thifilatha was running through a rainforest, even as I swept spawn aside with
my arms. I was burning them, too, whenever I touched them—they were screeching
and dusting if they came in contact with any part of me. There had to be
hundreds of them, at the very least. With my height as Thifilatha, I could see
Aurelius backed against a rocky cliff, fighting them off as best he could.
    If Gavril hadn't described what vampires looked like when they
fought, I might have been frightened. Aurelius' fangs were showing, as were his
lengthy claws. His eyes were red, too—Gavril explained that it happened
whenever a vampire fought or was in danger. Aurelius was dealing with both
those things.
    "I'm coming, my love!" I was using Aurelius'
endearment for me. Stooping low, I flung out my arms and killed another swath
of spawn. Some thought to attack me. It was their last thought. Aurelius was
still fighting—I think he was regaining hope that he might live over this. I
was nearly there, too, when the spawn that had been waiting at the top of the
cliff leapt over the edge, dropping down upon Aurelius.
    * * *
    Aurelius stared in shock as Reah, in full Thifilatha, leapt toward
him, her beautiful, translucent gold wings spread out, catching the spawn that
now fell from the sky. The ones that hit her wings burned and winked out of
existence, like fireworks on a clear, summer night. It might have been lovely
to watch, except for the shrieks the spawn made before they dusted. Aurelius
stood at the foot of the cliff while Reah stood over him at fifteen feet in
height, spawn striking her wings by the dozens, bouncing against her head and
body before screaming, burning and dusting.
    Spawn dust hit the cliff face like a sandstorm, causing
Aurelius to hunch down and cover his head to keep blasting particles from his
eyes. He hoped the mass dusting wasn't blinding Reah—she'd come to protect him.
There wasn't any way he might have lived through this, otherwise.
    * * *
    "Reah my love, are you going to change back now?" Aurelius
patted one of my huge, gold-scaled arms. I'd sat down wearily against the cliff
face after the last of the spawn had been killed. The piles of spawn dust surrounding
us were several hands high. I'd learned, too, after changing this time, that I truly
could burn what I chose and hold back the burning if someone I trusted wished
to touch me while I was Thifilatha. Aurelius was touching me now.
    "Four feet," Aurelius read my thoughts and nodded at
my estimation of how deep the spawn dust was that lay about us. "And I am
grateful you can hold back that talent you seem to have," he added with a
tired smile.
    "Auri, please teach me your measurements sometime,"
I sighed. I wanted to hold my head in my hands—it hurt. Karzac was going to
have a fit when we got back—he hadn't released me yet, but there wasn't any way
I would leave Aurelius to die. I loved him. I knew that for