Page 6 of When Monsters Rise
“Shem, we need to talk.”Hergaze settles on me for a beat, and even thoughIsense her tension, there is warmth in her eyes for me.
Guiltwrithes in my belly, butImask it with a smile.
“Weneed to call a meeting,” she says.
“Yes,”Shemreplies. “Iwas coming to find you to suggest the same thing.”
There’sa special heat in the smile that she bestows on him, a private heat that makes me want to look away. “Greatminds,” she says.
“Yes,Rue, great minds.”Hername is a caress on his lips, and something inside me twists painfully.
Theyare intimate.Ofcourse,Iknow this.Butthe way he speaks to her.Theway he looks at her…Thisis more than intimacy, andIknow in that moment thatIwill use it against him when the time is right.
Chapter4
RUE
Shemwaited, arms crossed over his powerful chest, while the watchers settled into seats in the cinema room.
Hisskin, which had been a rose hue whenI’dleft him to go after the third relic piece, had darkened to a deeper red once more, and the golden highlights in his chestnut hair were gone.Hewas devolving again, just like the other watchers who were standing on the far side of the platform, farthest from the main exit.
Tumiel’steeth were looking sharper,Sarq’shorns were thicker, andZaq’stalons looked longer.Howmuch would they have devolved without my intervention, without being able to feed off the residual energy seeping out from the gaps around that door thatIkept closed between myself and theMorningstar’spower?
Ifthey hadn’t found me in time…
Idreaded to think of them in the tunnels withKabiel.Thesemales had become my family, andI’ddo whatever it took to keep them safe.
“You’rethinking too hard,”Bastiansaid from beside me.
Ileaned against him and tipped my head so that it touched his shoulder. “Ihave a lot on my mind.”
“Youcan tell me all about it later on tonight.”
Iclosed my eyes briefly, reveling in the promise of our quality time together.Itwas more than sex.Morethan lovemaking.Itwas a time of shared memories and stories.Atime when we remembered our past.
Iloved my nights withBastian, but the seed of dread inside me grew daily knowing that those nights were numbered unlessIfound a way to save him.Ilooked up at his strong profile, familiar and beloved to me.Iwould do it.Iwould save him.
Mystomach dipped with despair.
No.Iwouldn’t allow it to surface.Notyet.
Hishand slipped into mine, and he squeezed gently as if he knew…as if he sensed my thoughts.
Michaelcaught my eye from across the room.Hestood with the watchers, but a little apart from them.Hisgolden hair was brushed back from his face and secured in a bun, and his sapphire eyes were dark with emotionsIcouldn’t define.Hedropped me a nod and half a smile before turning his attention toShem.
Besideme,Beeshifted from foot to foot, impatient for the meeting to start.I’ddragged her in with me, wanting her to be a part of this.She’dalready demanded to come on the next relic fragment hunt, so she needed to be a part of the decision-making process, even if it was just to listen.
“Settledown,”Shemordered, and the room fell into silence. “We’vewaited a week forGabrielto find us and bring the third piece of the relic to us.Hehasn’t joined us, and we can only assume that something has gone wrong.Wecannot wait any longer.”
Amurmur of agreement skittered over the crowd, andShemwaited for it to die before continuing. “We’llbe moving forward with finding the location.”Hisgaze flitted my way, and my stomach tightened becauseIknew what we needed to do.
Thequickest way to find the location of the relic piece was to helpKabielwith his visions, and that meant going into the tunnels to find him.Itmeant channelingMorningstarpower into him.Butthe devolved watcher had made it clear how he wanted me to do that…what he wanted from me.
“Oncewe have the fourth piece,”Shemcontinued, “we’ll storm the city using the secret passage.Havingthat piece should increase the residual power thatRuecan produce for us.”
“Youknow this for sure?”Baraqelasked.
“Itmakes sense,”Amarosreplied forShem. “Themore pieces we have, the stronger the connection to theMorningstarpower.Havinganother piece, be it the one in theGoldenCityor the one of unknown location, will provide us with an edge.”
