Page 38 of When Monsters Rise
Ittook a moment to register what she was saying, but then…then it all made perfect sense. “You’rethe relic thatKabielsaw.”
“Bullshit,”Shemsaid. “I’dfeel it if a relic was near.”
“Wouldyou?”Jilyanaarched a brow and then a prickle ran over my skin—power, hot, insistent, and as familiar as theMorningstarenergy thatIchanneled.
Itcut off abruptly after a moment.
Shemsucked in a sharp breath. “Shit.”
Jilyanasighed. “Ican mask it ifIwish, but it allowed me to sense you,” she said to me. “Imanaged to connect with you when you were asleep and draw you to me.Ifelt theMorningstarpower.Yourbeing close allowed me to build a bridge between us, andIwas able to use it to escape from my prison.”
Flashesof memory flitted through my mind.Thefight with the crabine, being knocked unconscious, then… “Youforced your way into my head…Intomy body!”
Shem’schest rumbled. “Youinvadedher?”
Herbrows came down in a frown. “Isaved your life.Andagain today.”
Shehad a point. “Youdid.Andyou’re here.Youhave the relic piece.Itmeans…Itmeans we’re almost done.”
“Giveit to me,”Shemdemanded.
Shetook a breath and looked him dead in the eyes. “Ican’t.”
“What?Whynot?”
“Becauseit’s a part of me now.Theonly way to extract it is to bring me to the other three pieces.Oncethat happens, it’ll be drawn out of my body.”
Thenthat’s what we’ll do. “Yousaved my life twice.Onceto save your own, but the second time…Youdidn’t have to do that.”
Hermouth turns down. “Anythingto see that bastardMichaelfail.”
Shemmade a sound of agreement.
Istepped around him to face her, and this time he didn’t stop me. “You’repart of our team now,Jilyana, which means no secrets and no lies.”
Shelooked atShemwhen she spoke. “Neveragain.Iswear it.”
IfeltShemrelax behind me. “Ibelieve you.”
Shemcould sniff out a lie easily, and yet she’d tricked him into believing that she loved him…unless…Unlessher love for him hadn’t been a lie at all.
* * *
Sarqhad healedandAmaroswas healing too, but slowly.Tooslowly.Wewere a mere hour away from sundown, and this building wasn’t a secure place to stay the night.
“Ican channel and heal him.”
“No.You’vechanneled enough today,”Shemsaid. “You’veprobably done internal damage.Youneed to heal.”
“Ican help him,”Jilyanasaid. “Ican speed up his healing.”
“Please.”Penemuelooked up at her with red-rimmed eyes. “Pleasesave him.”
Ithit me that throughout our whole interaction withJilyana,Penemuehadn’t said a word.Hiswhole focus, every iota of his attention had been onAmaros, and now…Nowthat look in his eyes was as if his whole world was crashing down.
Heloved him.Itwas as clear as day to me now.
“Doit,”Shemsaid.
