The Deal with the Demon Prince

*Chapter Thirty-One*

*Chapter Thirty-One*

Gabriella released the arrow. It shot through the air and impaled the creature's throat. Something buzzed close to her ear, and she spun around. A bee the size of her fist was neatly cut in half by Daniel.

"We need to get out of the woods."

Gabriella nodded in agreement and loaded another arrow. Her arm was getting sorer by each passing minute, and she knew Daniel was almost at his limit as well. The huge crowd of mutated animals did not diminish at all. The human decapitated a large snake's head and motioned for her to run. The two sprinted as fast as they could. Who knew it was going to be this bad?

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"You should be able to fly, right? Can you get us somewhere higher?"

"I can, but there's no way I'll be able to pass all that layer of branches and leaves while carrying you." She turned back and fired an arrow. It shot through the large seven-legged spider's many eyes. "We need to get to somewhere less covered by plants above us."

Something wrapped itself around her ankle, forcing her to trip over. She automatically reached back to her quiver only to find nothing but air. A shadow fell over her. Her head snapped up just in time to see a lion with three eyes charging at her.

A force hit her side, and she rolled over. Daniel grabbed her hand and practically dragged her to her feet. She was running before she could even find her balance.

"Thanks."

"Save that when we get out of her alive."

"You're so negative."

"Says the person who was about to get eaten."

Plants thinned around them, and the ground beneath them seemed much rougher. They were at the edge of the woods.

Literally.

The cloudless azure sky stretched out in front of Gabriella, and the ocean, just a slight shade darker than the sky, glimmered slightly under the afternoon sun. The salty scent of the ocean wafted towards Gabriella, soothing her nerves.

The angel closed her eyes and felt the familiar push on her back. It'd been a while since she last shifted, and she unfurled her wings behind her. She grasped onto Daniel.

"Hold tight."

She stooped slightly right at the edge of the cliff. The lion crouched, and with a mighty roar, hurled itself forward. Gabriella hissed as the sharp claw scratched at her right wing.

A bead of sweat trickled down the side of her face, and she furrowed her brow in concentration. Who would have guessed that flying while carrying a weight almost equal if not more than her own would prove to be much more difficult than she had anticipated? Nevertheless, she successfully managed to get them both airborne. She dipped her wing, and the two made a sharp turn back towards the island. Gabriella made sure the animals beneath her got the image of her sticking out her tongue childishly before flying over them.

"This is not going to last long," she warned. She could already feel the strain this was causing her. "I'll have to land soon."

"We need to group up with people we can trust. This is getting way too risky."

"Indeed." She flapped her wings once, letting the thermal do the rest of the job. "I think I know just the right person."

Cade watched as Elena hurried towards him. She squatted and laid down the bunch of flowers she'd gathered around the forest. It took them a lot longer than he expected.