Page 74 of Captured By the Monsters
Righting the wrongs of The Above while being able to restore Paratiisi was a dream come true.
“So, what’s your plan?” Axton asked eventually as he gently lifted me off of him and tucked me into his side.
I knew it would have to be sound and compelling for him to agree, and I was surprised he was even entertaining the idea, but there was no swaying my mind.
“We go to The Above, talk to the leader, and try to negotiate a new treaty.”
I could feel their disapproval in the air as Sylan and Rowen came to join us on the bed.
“What?! It’s a good plan! Men always want to shoot first and ask questions later, but I think everyone underestimates the power of asking.”
“Precious, what do you think the leaders are going to do when they see Rumilus back on their land?”
“Pause,” I responded.
“Pause?” Rowen repeated. “Please explain.”
“Well, the last time the leaders saw you, the Rumilus were turning into Specters, right? Humans knew something was wrong with your kind and took advantage of your weakness. When we go to The Above, I think your presence will make them stop and think—and that pause is exactly what we need to plead our case and make the leader see reason.”
Sylan sighed. “Sera, I think you’re operating under the impression that the human leader will want to cooperate—”
“I know it’s a long shot, Sylan, but again, we can’t know if we don’t ask. If we don’t try. What if you three had given up? If you hadn’t kept coming back to the cave after every new shipment of women came from The Above? The crystal never would have connected me to you. You would all be Specters still.”
“You’re right,” Rowen agreed, surprising me for a second time. “We never gave up. Axton, Sylan, and I were determined to find our mate—you. I still think this is a risky plan, but I also understand where you’re coming from. It’s not just a matter of speaking to the human leader, though. How do we get to The Above? Before the Great War, Rumilus used human transport to go there.” He trailed off as his words lit a light bulb in my brain.
“We can use the transport shuttle that brings the human women here!” I exclaimed in excitement.
My monsters pondered my words before I felt Axton nod behind me. “Yes, I suppose we could do that the next time one arrives.”
“Then it’s a plan!” I crowed in delight, but Sylan shook his head.
“I don’t think this is a good idea. We should go back to the castle, present you, and then get some Rumilus on our side to join us.”
“No,” I argued. “As I said, the three of you will make the humans pause, giving us a small window of opportunity to try and talk to the leader. But if more Rumilus come, it will look like we’re trying to start a war. At the end of the day, Specters are still stronger than humans, and in your Rumilus form, you’re even more so, right?”
“Yes,” Sylan permitted, “but we’re still susceptible to human weapons, just as you are, if we’re hit.”
I nibbled my lip over this new worry. Would the leader of The Above shoot my Trifecta without provocation? I’d seen the torture that leader representatives had inflicted on the lower castes and anyone deemed a ‘rebel,’ so I didn’t doubt what they were capable of.
The humans might fear the Rumilus, but the human leader wouldn’t kill them outright, in my opinion, until he proved they were of no use to him.
Greed surpassed fear, and the leader of The Above was the greediest of us all.
