Page 59 of When Monsters Rise
Igripped his jaw and forced him to look into my eyes, which blazed with heat. “Let’sget one thing straight,Shem.I’mnever,everleaving you, you understand me?”
Ipressed my palm to his chest and opened the channel to theMorningstarpower.Itblazed bright, stealing my vision and flooding me with intense heat.
Someonescreamed loud and shrill.
“Rue.Rue, let it go.Closeit.Youneed to close it.”
Butthe door was wide open, the power flooding out, eager to be free.Icouldn’t do it.Icouldn’t shut it.Itwas too heavy.Itwouldn’t budge.
Igot you.Shem’spresence bloomed inside my mind, his chest pressed to my back, his hands over mine asIshoved at the door.
Togetherwe slammed it shut.
Islumped in his arms, inhaling the sharp iron scent of his blood.
Thedeath cries of the razor beaks filled the air asShemheld me to his chest, his heart beating hard and fast.
“Ohfuck, thank fuck.”Bastianstroked my hair.
Islowly lifted my head, my gaze grazingShem’sjaw, then rising to meet his eyes, where a tumult of emotions danced.
“You’reinsane,” he said gruffly.
“No,”Bastianreplied for me. “She’sa scout, and we never leave a man behind.”
Ilooked up at him and smiled. “Ilove you.”ThentoShem, “Ilove you both so fucking much.”
Behindus, the razor beaks fell to the earth one by one.Theground trembled with the impact, andShemandBastianheld me tighter.
Thewatchers remained in the sky for a moment, their forms silhouetted by a rapidly setting sun, but there was something different about them thatIcouldn’t define.Asthey came in to land and the sun was no longer sat at their backs, the difference became apparent.Hornsand tusks were gone, and their skin was more a rose color rather than orange or red.
Everysingle one of them had evolved a little.
I’ddone this, and although tired,Iwasn’t hurt by it.
I’ddone this, andIwasn’t unconscious.
Yes, something had changed.
Butwhat?
Chapter28
SHEM
Thesun is setting, and the woods are getting darker.Wemove silent and fast, humans flanked by watchers like sheep being herded.
Thereare so few of them left, and we can’t afford to lose any more.
Iwon’t fail them.
Ournext hideout is a couple of hours away on foot, but if we keep up this pace, we might make it there sooner.Nowthat we’re not in the bus, we can take shortcuts.
Zaqleads the way, scouting ahead to check for danger, butI’mno longer sure it matters, becauseI’mno longer certain that danger won’t simply materialize in front of us out of thin air.
We’reall thinking it, but there’s no time to discuss it.We’vegot to stay quiet and keep moving.
Ruewalks betweenBastianand me.He’sobviously just as loath to be away from her asIam.Anotherpair of eyes on her is good.
