Chapter Thirty-Six
––––––––
UNWILLING TO STAND around while Camriel did all the work, the others helped him. They squeezed four dismantled beds into the truck, then tied the mattresses on top of the pile.
“We’re lucky we don’t have to drive far,” Zoe said once they were done. “The wind would probably tear the mattresses loose if we had to drive on the interstate.”
“I’ll go slowly and carefully,” Camriel promised.
“It’s not going to make it around the huge boulder near our base,” Grace predicted.
“She’s right,” Amaros agreed, eyeing the mattresses that hung over the sides. “We’ll have to adjust them before you try to drive past the second boulder.” This was why he’d suggested they use the smaller vehicle.
“Do you want to drive, brother?” Camriel offered.
“I trust you,” Amaros said.
It was obvious how much the blond warrior valued his commander’s opinion. Camriel grinned at the confidence booster. They climbed into the small truck and headed the short distance home.
“Everyone out,” Camriel said when he came to a stop a few yards from the second large boulder.
“We won’t take long,” Amaros told him before exiting the truck.
Zoe and Grace got out as well. They helped the knight move the mattresses to the right side of the truck and tied them securely. Amaros thumped on the side of the vehicle to signal his second to take off.
They followed on foot, holding their breath as Camriel edged around the huge rock. The tires had plenty of clearance, since his ride was so much smaller than Amaros’ tank.
“The mattresses definitely would have scraped against that boulder,” Grace said, judging how far they stuck out to the right.
Camriel halted to let them back in, then drove the rest of the way to their base.
He’d left the containers of fuel sitting out in the open.
They couldn’t keep it in the building for safety reasons.
It needed cover, so they would have to come up with a solution before the late afternoon storm arrived.
“Grace and I can handle the beds,” Zoe told the guys. “Maybe you should build a shed for the fuel.”
“That’s what I was thinking,” Amaros said. Zoe felt a flush creep up her neck from the warm approval in his voice. “We found a lot of wood in a lumberyard,” he went on. “We should be able to cobble something together.”
“This is going to be fun,” Camriel said, rubbing his hands together.
“First, we’ll patch the roof properly,” Amaros added. “That takes precedence.”
Leaving them to it, Grace and Zoe began carrying the mattresses and beds inside.
Zoe was determined to claim the bedroom she wanted, but she needed to cover the window first. “I’m going to see if I can steal some wood before they use it all,” she said after Grace had helped her carry her bed into the room.
“I’ll pick a room for myself,” the teen decided.
“You don’t want to sleep in here with me?” Zoe asked in surprise.
“From the googly eyes you and Amaros keep giving each other, I doubt you’ll be sleeping alone in here for long,” she said with a smirk.
“You’re hilarious,” Zoe said with a scowl.
“You should see how red your face just went,” the kid taunted her.
Ignoring her, Zoe headed outside and crossed to the black truck. The men were unloading all the supplies they’d appropriated earlier. “Can I have some wood to cover up a window?” she asked.
“Of course,” Amaros said immediately.
“Show us where you want it,” Camriel added.
Their instant willingness to help was refreshing. “I picked a bedroom that I want to stay in,” Zoe said. “It’s facing the cliff and it has a great view.”
Amaros picked up a sheet of wood, while Camriel grabbed a large toolbox. Hammers, nails, screws, a battery-operated drill and all sorts of useful items were crammed inside it. They followed her to her room and examined the opening.
“We need to attach this from the outside,” Amaros decided.
“Rain will get inside if we nail it to the wall in here,” Camriel agreed.
“Be careful,” Zoe warned them. “There’s not much room to move out there.”
Amaros leaned out the window and it took all of her willpower not to stare at his butt. “We should have enough space to walk along the side,” he said.
Camriel gave Zoe a knowing grin, as if he could sense her attraction to his boss. “What?” she asked him crankily.
“Nothing,” he said innocently. “It’s just nice to have females caring about us.”
“Camriel!” Grace called out. “I need your help!”
He was gone in an instant, rushing to the kid’s side further down the hallway. “What is it?” he exclaimed.
“Can you cover this window when you’re done helping Zoe out?” Grace asked.
“Sure thing, little sis,” he replied. “But don’t you want to be closer to Zoe’s room?”
“Nah, I like my space and I feel a lot safer with a couple of ancient warriors guarding us now,” the teen said.
From the sounds of it, she’d decided on a bedroom closer to the front of the structure. At least they would still be in the same wing.
“Camriel dotes on Grace,” Zoe said quietly to Amaros.
He smiled and nodded in agreement. “We’ve never had females to look after before,” he said. “This is as close as the Knights of Order have ever come to having a family.”
“I can help you attach the wood to my window and Camriel can help Grace,” Zoe suggested.
“I’m already on it,” Camriel said as he headed to the truck again.
Amaros lifted the toolbox through the window and placed it on the ground. “We can climb through here, rather than walking all the way around,” he figured.
“Will the wood fit through there?” Zoe asked.
Together, they managed to maneuver the sheet of wood outside. Zoe climbed through after the warrior, wincing when a branch poked her in the side. Small trees and shrubs grew next to the cliff, covering most of the windows. She was lucky to have a clear view.
“Careful,” Amaros said, glancing nervously at the sheer drop just a few feet away.
“I’ll hold the wood in place,” Zoe said, then lifted it up.
The knight used the drill to screw the board to the wall once he figured out which setting and drill bit worked best. “That should do until we can get a window in place,” he said.
Camriel stuck his head out through a window further down. “I’ll need the toolbox,” he requested.
“We need to charge the batteries on the power tools,” Amaros said. “The drill should work long enough to get that sheet up.”
Since they were already outside, they forged their way through the foliage. Camriel handed them the sheet of wood and Zoe held it in place. Amaros screwed it to the wall, shaking his head when the drill became sluggish. “Good timing,” he said, getting the last screw in just before the battery died.
“You should be able to climb back in through here,” Grace said from the next window down. Their way was blocked by a large tree that grew next to the corner of the south wing.
Camriel squeezed in beside her, reaching out to take the toolbox from Amaros. “Is there anything else you need?” he asked Grace.
“Not right now,” the teen replied as they left the bedroom.
“After you,” Amaros offered, gesturing at the window.
Conscious of his eyes on her, Zoe’s foot got caught in a root and she tripped. He caught her around the waist before she could fall. “Thanks,” she said, breathless from his close proximity. Their eyes locked and the sexual chemistry Grace had teased her about rose.
For a moment, it looked like the knight was about to tell her something. Then he shook his head and released her. “I’d better get back to repairing the roof,” he said gruffly.
Disappointed without knowing why, Zoe climbed through the window. Grace was trying to carry a mattress by herself and she hurried to help her. Amaros strode outside and Zoe heard Camriel admonishing him about something. He was speaking too quietly for her to overhear him.
“I should have picked a smaller bed,” Grace said as they lugged her mattress into the room she’d chosen.
“We’re going to need a lot of furniture if there are going to be twenty knights and a bunch of cambions living here,” Zoe said.
“I wonder how many of our kind there are,” Grace contemplated as they returned to the red pickup.
The answer came to Zoe like one of the visions she received. “There are twenty cambions,” she said.
Amaros and Camriel looked over from the black truck that was parked under the trees. “How about that,” Camriel said. His tone sounded more like satisfaction than surprise.
“What a coincidence,” Grace said skeptically. “There just happens to be twenty male knights and the same number of female cambions.” She turned to the guys. “Are any of your warriors gay?”
“Nope,” Camriel replied. “A couple of the knights have experimented, but they mostly prefer females.”
“It’s almost like this is meant to be,” Grace said. Her tone was now suspicious.
Amaros kept his expression neutral and his mouth shut. Zoe had a feeling he wasn’t surprised by the information that had just been revealed. “Set the ladder up and we’ll start lifting the equipment onto the roof,” he told his second.
Camriel let out a loud sigh, then got to work. Zoe noted that Amaros ignored the rebuking look his warrior gave him. The man was determined to keep his secrets.