whatever fate she finds in there.”
Spider and I had similar reactions. Jackson grabbed the boy by the shirt, before he could attack Eli and possibly get hurt. Daniel grabbed me, before I could do the same, though I had no doubt Eli would be the one doing the hurt. Daniel had to hold on tighter to me to get me to stop. It was not inhuman anger that made me strong – it was love for Alex. I fought against his touch, eager to give Eli what his comment, and actions, deserved. Eli didn’t smirk or try to rub in his comment. He merely looked at Spider and me as if he couldn’t understand our reactions.
It was not us that Eli needed protection from, however. Reaper, cool and calm, despite the anger in his silver eyes, stepped in front of Eli. Reaper looked Eli in the eyes for a brief second then he punched Eli as hard as he could.
Eli flew back and hit the opposite wall with a resounding ‘thud.’ Dirt and rock fell on top of him as he bounced off the wall and hit the cave floor. Silver blood trickled from Eli’s nose. Eli wiped at it angrily and a second later, it was healed.
Reaper kept his place, not caving in to the desire in his eyes to hit Eli again while he was down. I knew how strong of a desire it was. If Daniel had not been holding me around the waist with both arms, I would have run over to Eli and kicked him a couple of times, just to make sure he got the point.
“You are talking about one of my people,” Reaper said. “You will watch your tongue.”
“Do you even know what she is?” Eli asked. “Do you know what sort monster you keep in your company?”
Reaper looked at me for a second. His glance was questioning. It was also strangely aware. He knew we were keeping Alex’s condition a secret – he just didn’t know what kind of secret we were keeping. The use of the word ‘monster’ startled him. He was not prepared for such strong words – not in relation to Alex. He didn’t let the question in his eyes linger long. He had a point to make. He looked at Eli again.
“Do you think it really matters?” Reaper asked. “She is a Saint; one of mine. That’s all I need to know.”
Eli clamped his mouth shut and pushed off the cave floor. Serenity looked at Eli in a warning; her glance suggested she was disappointed in him. They had obviously talked about starting fights over Alex’s ability to change in to a Nightstalker. She had warned him to keep his mouth shut and not start a fight he could not win. I could see how difficult it was for him. It took a tremendous amount of willpower to hold his tongue, especially with the rest of us looking daggers at him. His anger went beyond anger for being hit. Eli was prejudiced against all Nightstalkers – one had killed his mother. He had never found the killer, so he took his anger out on all Nightstalkers. It was his personal mission to eradicate them from the world. That mission happened to include my best friend.
Eli stepped back in to his place behind Serenity without another word. His glare spoke volumes. Reaper did not return the glare as he took a couple of steps back to join Sara and Preacher. Reaper had made his point. He didn’t waste time pushing it beyond what was necessary. Reaper thoughtfully looked at the darkness of the tunnels.
“Someone should follow her,” Reaper pointed out. “We can’t leave her here. There’s no telling what could happen.”
“I’m going,” I said. “I’m the only who can find her.”
“I thought you were gung-ho about rescuing Han and Beatrice,” Daniel said, trying his best to distract me from the danger of following an enraged Nightstalker in to an unknown cave system.
“I am,” I said. “But, let’s be serious for a minute. You know Serenity will never take me in there. It isn’t just because I’m not as Watcher-y as the rest of you. She won’t risk me dying and abstaining from my end of the bargain.”
“She’s right,” Serenity agreed. “I was thinking Jackson, Daniel, me and
Spider and I had similar reactions. Jackson grabbed the boy by the shirt, before he could attack Eli and possibly get hurt. Daniel grabbed me, before I could do the same, though I had no doubt Eli would be the one doing the hurt. Daniel had to hold on tighter to me to get me to stop. It was not inhuman anger that made me strong – it was love for Alex. I fought against his touch, eager to give Eli what his comment, and actions, deserved. Eli didn’t smirk or try to rub in his comment. He merely looked at Spider and me as if he couldn’t understand our reactions.
It was not us that Eli needed protection from, however. Reaper, cool and calm, despite the anger in his silver eyes, stepped in front of Eli. Reaper looked Eli in the eyes for a brief second then he punched Eli as hard as he could.
Eli flew back and hit the opposite wall with a resounding ‘thud.’ Dirt and rock fell on top of him as he bounced off the wall and hit the cave floor. Silver blood trickled from Eli’s nose. Eli wiped at it angrily and a second later, it was healed.
Reaper kept his place, not caving in to the desire in his eyes to hit Eli again while he was down. I knew how strong of a desire it was. If Daniel had not been holding me around the waist with both arms, I would have run over to Eli and kicked him a couple of times, just to make sure he got the point.
“You are talking about one of my people,” Reaper said. “You will watch your tongue.”
“Do you even know what she is?” Eli asked. “Do you know what sort monster you keep in your company?”
Reaper looked at me for a second. His glance was questioning. It was also strangely aware. He knew we were keeping Alex’s condition a secret – he just didn’t know what kind of secret we were keeping. The use of the word ‘monster’ startled him. He was not prepared for such strong words – not in relation to Alex. He didn’t let the question in his eyes linger long. He had a point to make. He looked at Eli again.
“Do you think it really matters?” Reaper asked. “She is a Saint; one of mine. That’s all I need to know.”
Eli clamped his mouth shut and pushed off the cave floor. Serenity looked at Eli in a warning; her glance suggested she was disappointed in him. They had obviously talked about starting fights over Alex’s ability to change in to a Nightstalker. She had warned him to keep his mouth shut and not start a fight he could not win. I could see how difficult it was for him. It took a tremendous amount of willpower to hold his tongue, especially with the rest of us looking daggers at him. His anger went beyond anger for being hit. Eli was prejudiced against all Nightstalkers – one had killed his mother. He had never found the killer, so he took his anger out on all Nightstalkers. It was his personal mission to eradicate them from the world. That mission happened to include my best friend.
Eli stepped back in to his place behind Serenity without another word. His glare spoke volumes. Reaper did not return the glare as he took a couple of steps back to join Sara and Preacher. Reaper had made his point. He didn’t waste time pushing it beyond what was necessary. Reaper thoughtfully looked at the darkness of the tunnels.
“Someone should follow her,” Reaper pointed out. “We can’t leave her here. There’s no telling what could happen.”
“I’m going,” I said. “I’m the only who can find her.”
“I thought you were gung-ho about rescuing Han and Beatrice,” Daniel said, trying his best to distract me from the danger of following an enraged Nightstalker in to an unknown cave system.
“I am,” I said. “But, let’s be serious for a minute. You know Serenity will never take me in there. It isn’t just because I’m not as Watcher-y as the rest of you. She won’t risk me dying and abstaining from my end of the bargain.”
“She’s right,” Serenity agreed. “I was thinking Jackson, Daniel, me and
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