Page 54 of When Monsters Rise
“Youshould get some sleep too.”
“Nah.”Sheleaned back in her seat. “Ikinda feel likeI’veslept a little too much, you know?”
Wasshe referring to her time in the mixer?
“Doyou thinkMichaelmade it?” she asked suddenly.
“Ihope not.”
“Metoo, but…Ithink he did.”
“Thebond?”
“Yeah,Ikinda feel likeI’dknow if he hadn’t…”
“Yeah,Ifeel the same way aboutGabriel.He’salive…I’mjust not sure for how much longer.”
“Ifhe’s as savvy as you said, then he’ll make it,”Bastiansaid. “Atleast long enough for us to finish our mission.”
Ourmission.
Yes, that’s what this was.
Thebus swerved, andBastianrighted it quickly. “Yeah,Ithink one of you might need to take the wheel.”
“I’lldo it!”Beesaid eagerly.
Bastiandecelerated soBeecould take the wheel and settle into the driver’s seat, then claimed her vacated spot and beckoned me to join him across the aisle.
Snuggledbeside him, it was impossible not to relax.
“Sleep,” he said. “I’llwatch over you.”
Iwanted to protest, but my eyes were already closing, the familiar lethargy of oblivion seeping through my limbs.
Sleepsounded good right—
“Watchout!”Bastianbellowed.
Beescreamed.
Thebus swerved and then something slammed into us with enough force to send me andBastianflying into the window.
Chapter26
SHEM
Wedon’t see the creature until it’s too late.Itappears as if out of nowhere—at least seven feet tall and five feet wide, on all fours.Andthat’s the extent of my assessment before it slams into the bus with a sickening crunch that makes the side of the vehicle crumple inward.
Thewatchers on the roof are thrown off and join me in the air as the bus topples onto its side.Theawful sound of metal scraping on cement assaults my ears as the bus slides several feet before coming to a halt.
Myheart shoots into my throat, cutting off my warning cry, and the humans’ screams rend the air as if to compensate.
Thebeast rears back, and jets of pale pink goop hit the underside of the bus.
It’ssomething new.
Somethingwe’ve not come across before.
