The splashes of blood across the stone floors were the strongest scent Gideon could smell as he sprinted through the palace corridor. It clung to the air thick, metallic, and fresh telling him the battle was still raging fiercely. The cries of the wounded and the clash of steel echoed up the walls like the palace itself was trembling.He burst out onto the rooftop terrace.His friends were already fighting for their lives.The moon shone through a break in the clouds, casting a silver glow over the chaos. Kai, Seraphina, Jareth and Lucinda were surrounded, the ninja demons moving like streaks of black lightning across the roof tiles. Their claws scraped, hissing, each step faster than the last.One demon lunged at Gideon from behind silent, knife raised. But the reflection in a pool of blood caught Gideon’s eye. He spun around, the Dragon Sword slicing a sharp arc of silver. The blade cut clean through the demon’s torso, scattering its shadowy form into black mist that dissolved into