Page 5 of When Monsters Rise
It’staken a few days, but by staying in my lane and helping whereIcan,I’vegarnered more ofShem’strust.NowIhave a map of this place in my head, oneIcan use when the time is right. “Andthe tunnels are infested?”
“Yes.Ventureforth at your peril.Thewatchers who’ve mutated are hungry for flesh.Therunes keep them penned in…for now.”Heleads us away from the restricted zone and back toward the heart of the mall.
“IsKabieldown there?Isthat how you knew where the relic piece was?”
Helooks across at me sharply, and for a momentIfear thatI’vepushed too far, but then he sighs and nods. “Kabielsacrificed himself to protect this sanctuary.Sofar, he’s staved off devolution and managed to control the watchers in the tunnels.Butfor how much longer?”Heshakes his head. “Weneed to find the relic pieces.”
Butthere is another way to bring order.OnethatIwill implement.Iwant to tell him.Toshare my plans, but he won’t understand.He’llsee it as a betrayal.
No.Imust hold my own counsel for a little longer.
Lightsabove us flicker and crackle, and we round the corner to findTumielandBastianstanding by an open metal box fixed to the wall.
“Iseverything all right?”Shemasks.
Bastiangrunts in response, his focus on the wires in the metal box.
“Nothingwe can’t handle,”Tumielsays.Hisgaze flicks to me briefly.
Ican tell he doesn’t trust me.Yet.
ButIdon’t need his trust ifIhaveShem’sandRue’s.
Wepass the pair and head toward the center of the mall.Thisplace with its back corridors and its wide-open spaces filled with shuttered rooms and the scent of human occupation has a certain charm that’s absent from the clean, clinical corridors of the tower in theGoldenCity.Andit’s not due to the environment, but due to the people—humans and watchers living side by side in harmony.Afar contrast from the way the celestials choose to live alongside humans.
Thisplace is truly something special.There’sno doubt thatShemhas done good work here.
WorkIplan to continue. “Iwant to help protect this place.I’llbe able to do that if you give me my sword.”Shemmakes a noncommittal sound, andIstaunch my irritation. “Iwon’t be able to wield it much longer.Mycelestial light is dying.Ijust…Itwould be nice to hold it one last time…”
“You’llget it once we’re ready to go after the final piece of the relic,”Shemsays.
We’vewaited a week forGabrielto bring us the third piece.WaitedbecauseRuehas confidence in him, but she doesn’t know…Shecan’t know. “Idon’t thinkGabrielis coming.Ithink something must have gone wrong.”
“Yes.Ibelieve you’re right.We’vewaited long enough.”
It’staken three days of gently pushing and probing to get him to this point, to admit that we need to move forward on the relic hunt.Ineed to know where it lies, andIneed my sword.
Weclimb a short flight of stairs and come out on a balcony looking down on an area of the mall that’s gloomy.It’sin the process of being cleaned to make room for the humans to spread out.Acouple of humans look up atShemand smile.
Theysmile at him, despite his monstrous visage yet give me nothing but wariness.
Indignationsits hot in my chest.Iam a celestial.AnArchangel.Thesepeople know nothing of whoIonce was or the powerIwielded.
Letthem look.
Letthem be wary.
Itwon’t be long now until they understand the true magnitude of—
“Oncewe have three pieces, then we’ll have enough power to go after the one hidden in theGoldenCity,”Shemsays. “It’swhat we should have done in the first place.”
He’sannoyed withRue, and for some reason, this gives me a stab of satisfaction.Icould push him to sit more firmly in his doubts, but my instincts tell me that any word spoken against the female could be detrimental to the tenuous trustI’vefostered with him.
Instead,Iplay the advocate. “Ruewas saving your lives by coming with me.”There’sno denying that the woman has the heart of a lion.Iwish that things could be different.ThatIdidn’t have to betray her, but the worldmustcome first. “Shemade the right decision at the time based on what she knew.”
Onceagain,Shemmakes a non-committal sound, but this time,Isense a hint of approval.
Weenter the corridor that will lead us to the central chamber of the mall, where the fountain with its bell is situated.Rueappears, striding toward us, her jaw set in that determined way of hers.
