Page 10 of When Monsters Rise
Inod. “Iwas following orders.”I’mnot sure whyIfeel the need to explain myself to this tiny human. “Itwas not an actIenjoyed.”Again.Whatis wrong with me?
“Whyare you here?” he demands. “Youshouldn’t be here after what you did.”
“David!”Awoman rushes over and gently takes his shoulder. “Itold you not to speak to it.”
It…Shecalled me anit.
Shelooks up at me with barely concealed hatred. “He’sjust a child.Hedoesn’t understand the nuances of war.Especiallywhere one side is completely unarmed.”Sheputs her arm around the boy and draws him away, leaving me with a pit in my stomach.
I’veleveled cities at heaven’s command and felt nothing, and yet now…now this child spawns guilt in my gut over a mere purge.
Thiswill not do.
Ihave a higher purpose, and nothing can derail that.
Ihurry to my quarters and lock the door before retreating to the single wooden chair pushed up against a metal desk.Iclose my eyes and focus on my purpose, and suddenlyI’mback in the chamber ofAuthority.Blinding, blessed light and celestial energy fill my limbs.I’mon my knees, with the voice of theDominionin my head.
“Youhave done well in coming to us with this information,Michael.Shem’splan could ruin us all.Butyour plan to stop it will put you in the belly of the beast.Youdo not need to go through with it.Wecan end the girl now.Withouther,Shemwill not find the final piece of the relic, and he will never get the piece we hold.”
Yes.Iwent to them.IrevealedGabriel’splan because it was the only way to save us all.Irecall my reply to theDominion’ssuggestion.
“Shemdoesn’t needRueto find the pieces.Theyhave a prophet, and she’s channeled enough power into him to allow him to see again.Wemust cut the head off the snake.Retrieveall the relic pieces and captureShem.He’sthe only being who can reforge theMorningstar.”
Silencestretches. “Youwill undertake this task?”
“Iwill.Oncethey take me to their base,Iwill find my sword and use theWord, given to me by theDominion, to summon my troops with it.”
“Thenyou have our leave to go.Youwill not be stopped, and once you return, full glory will be yours once more.Onceyou return, you shall sit at our side where you truly belong.
WhereItruly belong.
Yes.
Iwill claw my way to that seat no matter what it takes, and no human child, no human female, no sanctuary will keep me from my goal.
Sacrificesmust be made for the greater good.
Thathas always been the way.
Whenthe dust settles, this world will understand.Whenit settles, the humans that remain will thank me.
Chapter7
RUE
Bastian’slarge hands gripped my hips asIrode him.Mybody tightened, webs of sensation spreading across my inner thighs.Iwanted to throw back my head and abandon myself to the sensation, but that would mean breaking eye contact with him, andIcouldn’t bring myself to do that.Ineeded to devour every nuance of his expression—the way his mouth parted on every sound of pleasure and the way his eyes fell to half-mast as he fought his own instinct to close them and sink into himself.
Weremained connected, not just in body but in mind too.Therewas a unique pleasure in that, and when release found us, we experienced it together, completing the circuit in a kiss where we shared our ragged breath and swallowed each other’s gasps of gratification.
Theafterglow was my favorite part.Justlying in his strong arms, cocooned by his larger frame, safe and warm as our bodies found the same rhythm of breath.
“Whenyou do this withShem…”Bastiansaid. “Whenhe’s…inside you, do you have to control the channel to stop theMorningstarpower coming through?”
“Whatmade you think of that?”
“I’mnot sure.Itjust popped into my head.”
Wedidn’t speak about my nights withShemand what we got up to, just likeIdidn’t speak toShemabout my intimate time withBastian.Theywere agreeable to sharing me, but our relationships remained separate.
