Page 29 of When Monsters Rise
Igrabbed his arm. “IfShemdies, we’re all lost.”
Hecupped my face. “No.Nowe aren’t,Rue, because you can do it.Youcan put it together too.Heneeds you to know that now.”Hepushed me again. “Go!”
Everyfiber of my being wanted to stay.Everyfiber wanted to search forShem, to tell him how muchIloved him.Tohold him once more, but the world was in a chaos of streams of light and the slash of claws.
Theywere going to die.Allthe watchers were going to die unless…
Oh…Ohgods.
Iknew what needed to be done.
* * *
Islammedthrough the red door and into the tunnels, boots slapping on cement, then over metal grill and through the dark pipe leading to the ominous arch cordoned off by cones and painted with runes.
Istopped, doubling over, hands on my knees asIcaught my breath.
WhatwasIdoing?
No.Ihad to do this.
Itwas the only way.
Thecelestials would kill my friends.Myfamily.
Shem…
Ihad to save them.
Thishad to work.
Iscuffed runes with my boots and wiped at them with my hands, smudging them as much asIcould because this had to disrupt their power, right?Thishad to stop them working.
Theseconds ticked by, and my breath came faster, heart beating urgently.Comeon.Comeon.
Afrisson of awareness raced over my skin, and the air was suddenly lighter.
Wasthis it?HadIdisrupted the wards?
Istepped back, retreating to the tunnel that would lead me back to the red door and the mall.
Thearch remained empty.Ineeded to call the devolved.Drawthem out.Avise tightened around my chest and made it hard to breathe.
Focus,Rue. “Heregoes nothing.”Ireached for theMorningstarpower inside me, to the door thatI’dfinally learned to keep closed, gripped the handle, and yanked it wide open.
Powerblasted through me.Hot.Potent.Fillingmy vision with light.Myheart filled my chest, ribs aching with it.
Iheld it open for one, two, three—
Screechesfilled the air, drifting from down the tunnel, and the loud scuttle of a multitude of limbs made the ground vibrate.
Holdit.Holdit,Rue.
One, two, thr—
Thefirst devolved watcher appeared at the mouth of the tunnel and slammed into the area where the runes began.
Once.
