Page 46 of When Monsters Fight
We’re almost under the battle when the gunfire turns on the watchers.
“They’re shooting our people!” Bee sounds incredulous, and I’m incensed for a moment until it hits me. They don’t know the watchers are with us. To them, the watchers are monsters just like the razor beaks.
“Open the door!” Bee orders. “I have to stop them.”
The last razor beak is down, but the gunfire continues, aimed at the watchers, who desperately try to avoid thebullets that might not kill them but could seriously hurt them, leading to days or maybe weeks of recovery.
We need them.
We need all the muscle we have. I flip the lever to let Bee out. We’re not going fast enough to cause her any damage as she leaps out and runs toward the fallen beaks, arms waving in the air to get the hidden operatives’ attention.
“Stop. Stop! They’re with us!” she yells so loudly I can hear her over the engine, but can they hear her over the bullets?
Fuck. I swerve off the road and bring the vehicle to a halt.
I’m out the door and running toward her, yelling for the gunfire to stop. No heroics Rue had said, but this is Bee. I can’t let her be hurt.
The earth trembles, and a screech batters my eardrums as a crabine bursts out of the ground to our left.
I barely have time to grab hold of Bee when it rushes us. My stomach drops, heart fit to burst because there is no escape.
The gunfire ceases for a beat, allowing the whoosh of wings to rise above everything, and Bee and I are suddenly surrounded by watchers, their wings flared like protective shields.
Gunfire explodes outside our cocoon of safety, and then silence reigns. The only sound is that of our breath and the rush of blood in my veins.
The watchers step away to release us, and a quick scan shows that the guns are gone.
“Bee?” Tumiel sounds odd, his voice strained as he reaches for her.
“Tumiel?” Bee holds his hand as he buckles. I grab him but almost lose my grip because his torso is coated insomething wet and warm. The coppery scent of blood hits me. No…Oh no.
I hit the ground with my knees, cradling his limp body.
Blood coats my hands, bubbling out of the wound in his chest.
He’s been shot.
“No. NO!” Bee cups his face. “Tumiel. Wake up. Wake up. You have to heal. You have to heal!”
Rage blooms inside me. “He’s one of us! One of us, and you shot him!” Bee clutches Tumiel, sobbing and mumbling at him to wake up as I stand and stride toward the spot where I know the hatches are housed.
“Calm.” Erelim places his hand on my shoulder. “They are protecting themselves. If we want sanctuary, we must not be viewed as a threat.”
With Bee’s sobs echoing in my ears and an image of my friend’s glassy eyes in my head, it takes every ounce of my will to push down my indignant rage.
“We’re with Gabriel.” I rattle off the code. “Gabriel sent us here for sanctuary. There are people on the bus. Supplies. Food. The creatures with us are called watchers. They’re celestials on our side.” I take a breath, suddenly so weary that standing up is an effort. “Please. Let us in. I can tell you what’s happened and why Gabriel hasn’t been in touch recently.”
The ground rumbles, and an area several feet behind the gun hatches opens.
A voice booms out. “Humans only. Your celestials can wait until we have spoken to you.”
“We have an injured watcher here. He’s…He’s my friend.” My voice cracks. “Please, we need medical attention.”
Silence greets me for several beats. “You may bring theinjured watcher inside. All other non-humans must remain above ground.”
“It’s fine,” Erelim says. “We’ll be fine up here. Take the humans in.”
My shoulders sag. This will have to be enough for now. “We accept your terms.”
