Page 67 of When Monsters Fight
Sarq exhaled heavily. “This world has become my home now, and you’re a part of that. I swear it, Rue. If there is a way for us to stay, then we will.” He looked at Tumiel and Zaq. “We all have reasons to want to stay now, after all.”
Mira leaned against Zaq, and he put his arm around her. She’d joined us a little while ago after bawling out the guards who tried to keep her away. She’d entered with all the others yesterday, only because Zaq had insisted, but now he was here, there was no way she was leaving his side unless she had no choice.
“I wish I could go with you,” she said now. “I wish I could help.”
“You help by being here,” Zaq said. “You’re my person to come back to. My person to stay on this world for.”
“Maybe Lucifer will be able to help with that once she’s free,” Bee said hopefully.
It was all we could do. Hope.
Hope that we’d survive tomorrow night.
Hope that Lucifer would be able to fix our world.
Yeah, a lot was riding on hope’s shoulders.
There wasa communal washroom in the east sector, a long room with an open shower area as well as some smaller stalls. I showered quickly, wanting the grime of the journey gone, then dressed in fresh clothes secured by Mira, who was already making connections among the human population here.
Tomorrow night would test us all, and I needed to make sure that the watchers were fueled up. With Shem gone, I was their only connection to the Morningstar power, but I suspected my connection might be cut off soon. The Dominion were up to something with the relic pieces, and my gut told me I needed to make as much use of the power as I could now.
I started with Sarq, Tumiel, and Zaq, then moved on to Baraqel and his watchers. I worked in batches, having them hold my hand, my arms, and my wrists while I opened the channel for a minute or two at a time. The power didn’t rush out like before, but the steady stream was still enough.
Once everyone on the upper floor was fueled, I headed to the lower floor where Kabiel and the devolved watchers had set up camp.
I went to Kabiel first, but he shook his head. “Do the others. I’ll wait.”
“My connection is weakening; I’m worried I might not be able to channel much by the time I get to you.”
“Then I’ll be fine,” he said. “The others need it more.”
“We’ll wait too,” Asbeel said, glancing toward Kokabel, Yomiel, and Matarel.
I worked in batches again, and each time I channeled, it got harder. By the time I got to Asbeel, Kokabel, Yomiel, and Matarel, the power was a thin stream, but I held the channel open for three whole minutes, pushing as much into them as I could.
Finally, it was Kabiel’s turn. He drew me away from everyone and into a small room set aside from the main bunk chamber.
I reached up to cup his face, my go-to when it came to him, but he gently grasped my wrists before I could make contact.
“You’re exhausted,” he said. “I can wait a few hours.”
I shook my head. “You don’t understand. I may not be able to access the power by then.” He smiled wryly. He knew? “Kabiel, you need to be fueled. You’re leading a team, and you were expending so much energy in Gehenna. We need you, and I’m not willing to risk you devolving now.”
He sighed and released me, allowing me to press my palms to his cheeks. His eyes fluttered closed as I opened the channel and let the Morningstar power out.
It trickled, weak and barely there. I needed more.Come on. A slight surge of power, then the thin stream again. Not good enough.
He opened his eyes and gripped my wrists again. “It’s all right, Rue. I’ll be?—”
“Kiss me.”
“What?”
“Just do it and make it good.”
His brow arched. “Good?”
Shem had fed his watchers residual power through his connection to the one relic piece he’d managed to keep hold of until he’d found me—a human housing the piece of his soul that had a direct connection to the Morningstar power.
