Chapter 25
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Sarq had an arm around Shem’s waist, bracing him as they walked. My gut told me that this was bad, and my words came out in a rush.
“What did you do? What’s wrong?”
Shem looked down at me, his mouth twisting in a wry smile. “Careful, little human, you sound like you care.”
I bristled. “It’s called self-preservation. We need you.”
“Of course you do. I will be fine once I’ve slept.”
Sarq said something to him in the foreign language and Shem’s focus on me sharpened.
“You will sleep with me,” he said.
“What? No way.”
He lurched toward me, lips peeled back to expose his fangs, the same fangs that he’d buried in my neck yesterday. “You’ll do as I fucking please.”
I pulled my head back, anger biting at my senses. “You know what? I’ve changed my mind. I hope you keel over and die.” I smiled sweetly at Sarq. “You’ll get me to the gates, won’t you?”
He blinked in surprise and then his mouth tightened in an expression I could have sworn was him trying to bite back a smile. “Your deal is with Shem. It would serve you well to accommodate him in this request.”
“What request?” I didn’t know why he’d want me to sleep beside him, and my annoyance was more with his tone. “He demanded, and I don’t do demands.” I glared at Shem. “Ask me nicely.”
The world had gone silent. I felt all eyes on us. Felt them burning a spot between my shoulder blades, and yes, this was insane. I was needling a monster but like fuck would I roll over and be walked on by anyone. Ever.
Shem studied me for long, agonizing seconds in which my pulse hammered my throat hard enough to make me dizzy, but I stared back, resolute.
Something lit up his eyes, a gleam that made my stomach quiver in…
excitement. He exhaled through his nose and slow-blinked.
“Will you lie beside me tonight, little human?” His tone was a soft, alluring purr that teased gooseflesh to life up my arms. He leaned in, his warm, fragrant breath kissing my lips.
“Please.” The word was a rumble that shot straight to my core.
My mouth went dry, but I resisted the instinct to lick my lips and met his gaze levelly. “As you asked so nicely, I’ll consider it.”
I spun on my heel and stalked back up the line to Bastian and Jamie, who were both watching me with conflicted expressions.
“What?” I snapped.
They shook their heads in unison.
I continued walking. “Come on, it’s getting dark.” I ushered everyone to keep moving. “We need to get to shelter.”
So I could lie down with a monster.
The warehouse came into view less than twenty minutes later. The sun was setting and the shadows were lengthening. The group was beginning to flag, but the sight of our rest stop gave us all a second wind. We picked up speed toward the building.
The warehouse was surrounded by an empty lot housing a couple of abandoned lorries. The building itself was single-story with boarded-up windows. The doors were closed.
As we got closer, Zaqiel shot off and launched himself into the air to vanish over the roof.
We were still a couple of minutes out, led by Tumiel, who was still carrying little Sammy.
The boy was asleep, cradled in Tumiel’s arms. His mother, Clara, walked with a hand hooked in the crook of Tumiel’s arm.
They looked like a diverse family, a monster and his wife and child.
Tumiel glanced over his shoulder and zeroed in on me, as if he could sense my regard, my thoughts even.
His emerald eyes seemed to gleam brighter in the gloom for a moment.
I raised a hand, but he looked away.
“Hmmm,” Javier said.
I frowned at him. “What?”
He shook his head. “Later.”
The doors to the building opened as we approached, and Zaqiel stepped back to let us into the dark interior.
No one questioned whether we should go inside this time, too weary, too done to protest. Besides, these creatures had proven that they meant us no harm. They’d protected us time and time again.
We wandered into the warehouse, worn boots scuffing the ground, shoulders stooped, heads bowed with exhaustion.
I’d expected a rundown, dirty space. Cement floors, maybe some rusted equipment or shelving units stripped of anything useful, and I was half right. There were shelving units, but they were lined with boxes. Bastian hurried to the closest one and tore off the tape sealing it.
“Fuck.”
I hurried toward him. “What?”
He pulled out a rolled-up thing covered in plastic. “Sleeping bags.”
Jamie tore into another. “This one has sneakers in it.”
“I found tinned goods!” Javier said. “This was a warehouse supplying some of the local supermarkets. I guess no one made it here to strip it, being in the deadlands and all.”
Zaqiel walked over to Bastian, who was trying to open the sleeping bag packaging. He held out his hand.
Bastian frowned. “Seriously? You want to hoard this stuff?”
Zaqiel sighed. “Sleeping bags are no use to us.” He flicked his wrist and his talons sprouted. “I merely wished to help you open the packaging.”
Bastian’s shoulders relaxed. “Thank you.” He gave the package to Zaqiel. “And sorry.”
Zaqiel shrugged and tore open the plastic with ease. “Trust is earned.” He handed the sleeping bag back to Bastian. “I hope that we have earned yours.” He looked at me when he said it, his warm hazel eyes filled with questions I wasn’t sure how to answer.
When I didn’t say anything, he ducked his head and turned back to Bastian. “Pass me that box and I will open more for you.”
I left them to work on the bags and headed over to Jamie, who was handing out tinned fruit and beans.
“I have a tin opener!” someone called out.
“Oh my God, I found chocolate!” someone else called out.
The mood in the warehouse was high. Finding creature comforts made the nasty outside world feel like a dream.
“Rue?” Sissy appeared at my elbow. “Can I have a word?”
“Sure, what is it?”
She drew me to one side. “I just wanted to say…thank you. Not just from me, but from the others too. What you did, taking the deal to save us…I can’t even imagine…” She exhaled and glanced at Tumiel, who was gently lowering Sammy onto a sleeping bag. “I don’t think…we don’t think they’ll hurt you.”
I looked across at Tumiel whispering softly to Clara and was forced to admit what my gut had been telling me for a few hours now. “Yeah, me neither.”
“But you didn’t know that when you made the deal, and it still means that…that you won’t be with us in the golden city.” She frowned.
“What is it?”
“I just…” She glanced over her shoulder at the other people setting up their sleeping areas. “I’m not sure about us going there.” She winced as if admitting it hurt somehow.
“What do you mean?”
“We don’t know anything about that place.” She searched my face, looking for a reflection of her doubts. “We have no clue if they’ll even let us in, or what happens when they do…”
“Sissy, what are you saying?”
“I don’t know, I just… the unknown is scary.”
“I know.” I placed a hand on her shoulder. “I feel the same about the golden city, but my dad trusted them. All the settlements did. The celestials fought for us when the monsters came.”
We both looked to the monsters walking amongst us.
“They’re different,” Sissy said.
“I know they are. I just wish I knew why and how.”
“Maybe Shem will let you out of the deal?” She looked hopeful. “Then you can come with us.”
I smiled, forcing it to reach my eyes, and told her what she wanted to hear. “Yeah, maybe.”
But I knew without a shadow of a doubt that Shem would never let me go. I just didn’t understand why.
It was amazing what a full belly and some decent bedding could do. The warehouse was a silent hum of low conversation and soft snores. Javier, Bastian, Jamie, and I had made our own little cozy spot and consumed a couple of tins of peaches and some tinned beans.
“Better not have too many beans,” Javier said with a grin.
“Why not?” Jamie asked with a frown.
“They’ll make you toot.”
“He already does that,” Bastian said.
Jamie shrugged, unfazed. “You’re one to talk.”
“Well, ladies do not toot.” I stuck my nose in the air.
Javier snickered.
Jamie arched a brow at me. “I beg to differ.”
I glared at him in horror. Had he just suggested…
Bastian burst out laughing as I smacked Jamie playfully on the shoulder. “Bitch.”
Jamie grabbed me and pulled me into a side hug. “Love you.”
He said it equally playfully but then went still, as if he’d realized a faux pas. My heart squeezed painfully, and I leaned up and kissed his cheek, wanting to say the words back, feeling it in the spot between my diaphragm but afraid to voice it.
We locked gazes and he frowned, mouth parting as if he could see into my heart. I looked away, staunching the panic that rose with this unwanted revelation. Not here. Not now.
Please let it go, Jamie. Don’t ask. Don’t push.
He smiled and held a spoonful of beans to my lips. “You best fuel up. Maybe you can use your toots as a weapon.”
Javier giggle-snorted and the tension was broken.
My heart felt lighter, and I was beginning to think that I might actually get some sleep tonight when a shadow fell over us.
I looked up to find Sarq staring at me, his granite features emotionless. “Shem is ready for you now.”