Page 77 of When Monsters Rise
“Noidea.Butwe’ll be safe, and hopefully if you’re with us you’ll be able to see the church and get inside it.”
“WhataboutKabieland the devolved?”Bastiansaid.
“Asmuch asI’mgrateful toKabiel, it would be unwise to allow them inside the church with so much fleshy temptation around.I’msure he’ll agree.”
“There’swoodland close by,”Bastiansaid. “Isaw it onZaq’smap.”
“It’llhave to do.We’llget everyone settled, and first thing tomorrowI’llneed to go out and scout for the relic piece.”
“Howwill you do that?”Gabrielasked.
Hewas askinghownotwhy.HadShemtold himIcould fix the relic?Orwas he working on the assumption that having all the pieces was still wise, that we might find another way to heal it?Eitherway,Itrusted him, and he needed to know. “Ican fix the relic, in case you were wondering whyI’mstill determined to find all the pieces.Ican find a safe spot and open the channel for a few moments.”Gabrieldidn’t look surprised, which meantShemmust have told him.Hehadn’t mentioned he knew when we’d spoken in the kitchen, but then we’d been side-tracked by my revelation thatMichaelmight be trackingBee. “Jilyanacan help me find the pieces.”
NowGabriellooked confused. “Jilyana?”
Hedidn’t know about her.Shemhadn’t told him. “Jilyanais a djinn, and theDominionused her to makeShembreak the relic.”Ifilled him in onJilyana’spart in all this, in her relationship withMichaeland how he’d betrayed her to theDominionand how theDominionthen used her to seduceShem. “Shegot into his head and controlled him.Madehim see things while she used his body to break theMorningstar.Butwhen it fractured, a piece of it lodged inside her.Thatwas the pieceKabielsaw in his vision.”
“Shewas inside theGoldenCity?”Gabrielasked.
“Yes, and she used me to get out.”
Hiseyes narrowed. “Howcan we trust her?”
“Shesaved my life twice.Itrust her.She’sat the church already.Shetook the children there.”
Helooked like he wanted to say something but was holding back.
“Spitit out,Gabriel.”
“Idon’t think we should be so quick to let our guard down,” he said. “Thiscreature deceivedShemfor her own gain once; what’s to say she isn’t playing another game of deception?”
“Bysaving my life?ByhealingShem?Bykeeping our children safe?”Anger, sudden and unexpected gripped me. “Shemade a fucking mistake.Onemistake by lovingMichael, by trusting him with her truth, and it got her incarcerated.Itput her in the bastardDominion’sclutches, and they used her.Theypromised her freedom and used her.She’sbeen locked away for decades, and she deserves to be given a second chance.”
“Verywell,”Gabrielsaid.
Buthis tone suggested otherwise.Whatever.Hecould be wary if he wanted.He’dsoon see thatJilyanawas genuinely on our side.
Werounded the bend in the road, and the church came into view in the distance.
“Isthat it?” someone cried. “We’rehere.”
“Idon’t see it,”Gabrielsaid. “There’snothing there.”
Thecelestial power in his body was too strong, and it was blinding him to the church.
“Focus,”Bastiansaid. “Maybeif you believe it’s there?”
Wecrossed the road onto the stretch of overgrown land that led to the neat church with its white picket fence.
“Stillnothing,”Gabrielsaid.
Ireached out and took his hand on a gut feeling. “Iwant you to see it.”Atingle passed down my arm and through my palm.
Hesucked in a breath. “Whatthe…Isee it.”Helooked down at my hand then back at the church. “Howdid you know to do that?”
Ishrugged. “Itfelt right.”
Wewere almost at the fence now, and all my people had picked up the pace.
