Page 68 of When Monsters Rise
“Andyou do?Whatare they planning?”
“I’mnot sure, but we have pieces of information.Oncewe get to this safe zone of yours, we can put them together.Oneof thePowersthat helped us escape gave me this.”Heheld up a small silver object. “Itcontains information on theDominion’splans.Butwe’ll need a computer to access it.”
“Andwhere will we get one of those?”
Hissmile was tight. “Thereis a place we can go, butI’llshare that information with you all once your humans are safe in the church.”
“I’mglad you found us.”
Hesmiled, and my heart beat a little faster.Therewas no denying his beauty.Noescaping thatIfound it appealing.
“SoamI.”Hisgaze heated. “Didyou thinkIwas dead?Didyou worry?”
“Iworried, yes, butIknew you were alive.I’mnot sure how…Ijust…did.”
Hisattention dropped to my mouth, and my pulse fluttered in my throat.Hereleased my hands and sat back in his seat with a neutral smile.
“Thebond can be useful for such things.It’showIwas able to track you.”
Thathad been the plan all along: for him to find the relic we’d thought we were leaving behind, then join us outside the city walls by tracking me and…Oh…
Thestrange niggly thought that had been working its way to the surface suddenly broke free.IfGabrielcould track me using the bond, then it stood to reason thatMichaelcould trackBeejust the same.
Howhad we not thought of that?
“Whatis it?”Gabrielasked. “You’vegone pale.”
“MichaelandBeeare bonded too.”
Hisfrown cleared. “Shit.”
“Whatdo we do?Hecould find us at any moment.”
“Thereis only one thing we can do,” he said, his expression solemn.
“What?”
“Wehave to sever their bond.”
Butthere was only one way to sever the bond. “No!”
“Yes.Rue, we have to killBee.”
Chapter32
Wakingup my best friend to tell her thatIneeded her to die hadn’t been on my to-do list for the day.
Tobe fair, she took it better thanIwould have, at least onceIexplained the situation.Butthen,Beewas more pragmatic than me.Shewas the level head that made sureIdidn’t lose my shit.Evenback at base, back on scout duty, she’d been my anchor.
Sonow, whenIexplained what needed to happen, she took it in stride, even though the rapid pulse fluttering at the base of her throat told me she was freaking out.
Iwas, too, and it wasn’t me who had to have my soul yanked out of my body by a reaper, hoping he could successfully put it back.
Tumiel,Bee,Gabriel,Erelim, andIgathered in the kitchen with the door closed to discuss our simple but terrifying plan.
“Thebond isn’t just physical,”Gabrielexplained. “Butthe death of the body that houses it will end it.”
“I’llextract your soul, which will cause death to your body,”Erelimexplained. “ButifIcan put it back quickly, then you should live once more.”
