Page 44 of When Monsters Rise
“Enough!”Shemgrowled, low and menacing. “Moderateyour tone when you speak to her.”
“Really?”Baraqelsaid. “You’dmake the samemistaketwice?”Heflicked a glanceJilyana’sway.
“Whatis your fucking problem?”Beeasked him.
Baraqelmade to turn on her, butTumielstepped forward, baring his teeth in warning.
Beearched a brow and crossed her arms as if to say,Takethat, bitch.
Baraqellooked fromBeetoTumielthen back again. “You’reall insane.”Histone held no heat now.Infact, he sounded tired, as if this whole deal had become too much. “Trustthe djinn if you want.I, for one, will reserve my judgment.”
Hedidn’t get it. “Thisisn’t about trust.It’sabout decency.IfJilyanabetrays us, then trust me,I’llbe the last person standing in her corner.Butuntil then, we put away the fangs and the claws, okay?”
Baraqelsnorted softly. “IseeShem’sbeen training you in pretty words.”
“Whatwe need now is shelter,”Penemuesaid, blatantly changing the subject. “Somewherethe humans can stay while we go find the final piece of the relic.”
“Wedon’t even know where the final piece is,” one ofBaraqel’sscouts said.
Kabielwould have known, butKabielwas probably dead.He’dsaved my life and paid for it with his own.
Iwas sick of having to be saved.Iwanted to be the one doing the saving.Kabiel’ssacrifice couldn’t be in vain. “We’llhave to try to locate it using theMorningstarpower.”
“Whichcould take weeks,”Baraqelsaid.
“Whichis why we need to find somewhere for the humans,”Penemuereiterated. “Somewhereclose.Thelonger we travel with them, the more of them we’re likely to lose.”
Baraqellifted his chin. “Mytroop andIwill protect them.”
“Wecan’t leave you in the city, though,”Tumielreplied. “It’stoo dangerous.”
“We’llall have to go,”Shemsaid. “They’llbe safe at location twelve.”
Twelve?Thatrang a bell.Wait, that was the church where the relics were hidden.Thesame church whereShemandIhad first…yeah.Thatzone was safe because the celestials and monsters avoided it or didn’t seem to see it. “Twelvewill be safe once we get there, but the journey won’t be.”
Shemfixed his startling blue gaze on me. “Wedon’t have a choice.”
Silenceclaimed the room for long seconds.
“Howfar is it?”Jilyanaasked finally.
Zaqreplied, “Aday by air, but more like three by foot.Maybelonger, depending on how fast the humans walk.”
“Imight be able to transport a small group of people,” she said. “ButI’dneed at least a day to get my energy levels up.AndonceI’mthere,Iwon’t be able to port for a while.Thedistance and exertion will deplete me.”
“That’sfine,”Shemsaid. “Wejust need you to make the one trip.”
“Isit safe to wait a day?” one ofBaraqel’stroop asked. “Won’ttheDominionsend sentinels to find out what happened to the first troop?”
“Theywill,”Shemsaid. “ButIthink waiting a day would be in our favor.Letthem scour from above.Theywon’t risk landing to investigate deeper.They’llsee nothing, and they’ll leave.”
“Wecan send the children with you,”Penemuesaid to her. “Andsome adults to watch over them.”
“Andyou andAmaros,”Shemadded, looking toJilyanato check if that was all right.
Shesmiled tentatively. “Ican manage that.”
“Andthe rest?”Zaqasked.
