Page 51 of Amaros

“We can come back for the rest of the romance books later,” Zoe joked.

“We’ll have to use the carpentry books to learn how to make bookshelves,” the teen said.

“I’ll build you whatever you need, little sister,” Camriel promised.He carried an armful of tomes, so they waited for him to leave the store first.Zoe closed the door, then hurried over to the truck.The warrior stashed the books in the back, then they tied the tarp down again.

“Another storm is building,” Amaros warned them, peering at the mountaintops.

“I hope we make it back and unload the tank before the hail starts,” Grace said worriedly.

“We need to build shelter for our trucks,” Camriel mused.“My brain is telling me there are kits we can build ourselves.”

“My neighbor bought one for his car,” Zoe confirmed.“He had to get someone to pour the cement slab first, though.”

“We’ll figure it all out,” Amaros said, then increased his speed as he pulled away from the curb.

A popping noise made Zoe duck instinctively just as something whizzed past the window.

“That was a bullet!”Grace exclaimed, ducking down as well.“They’d better not ruin any of our books,” she said in annoyance.

Amaros floored it and sped around the corner just as another shot was fired.“Stay here,” he ordered as he pulled over again.“This won’t take long,” he added, flicking a look at Camriel.

The knights climbed out and took off running.Zoe was amazed all over again at how fast they could move.

The girls stayed low as they listened to the sound of a human running in panic.“Die, demons!”he shouted and fired another shot.Glass shattered, then they heard the thud of a body hitting the ground.The man screamed in terror, then a familiar sickening crack sounded.

“He won’t be a problem again,” Grace said in satisfaction as she straightened up.

They’d seen so much death by now that they were growing numb to it.“We’re lucky he was a bad shot,” Zoe said.

Camriel appeared a moment later and checked on them.“Are you girls okay?”he asked.

“We’re fine,” Zoe replied.

“Look what I’ve got,” he said with a grin.“My first gun.”He held up a shiny new rifle proudly.

“Very nice,” Grace complimented him, then gave Zoe a subtle eyeroll.

Amaros’ dark eyes were flashing with anger when he returned to the truck.He climbed in without a word and took off again.Zoe knew he was seething about the ambush.“The world is going to be a lot more dangerous now,” he said.“Unfortunately, we’ll need to treat everyone like they’re our enemy.”

“I already do,” Grace told him without an ounce of humor.

“It sucks that all of the good people are gone,” Zoe said mournfully.

“You’re both good,” Camriel said.

“You don’t know us,” Grace said in denial.“I’ve done a lot of bad things.”

The warrior turned to face her.“That doesn’t make you evil.I can sense you’re good beneath the surface.Amaros wouldn’t have taken you in if you were truly bad.”

“He would have snapped my neck like that loser back there,” she figured, hiking her thumb at the corpse they’d left behind.

“Exactly,” Camriel agreed in satisfaction.“If any of the other cambions turn out to be evil, they won’t be welcome at our base.”

“Maybe they’ll be like me,” Grace pointed out.“Maybe they’ll just be bad on the surface.”

“Amaros won’t execute anyone who doesn’t deserve it,” Zoe said firmly.“Neither will the other knights, right?”

Camriel slid a look at his commander.“Sure,” he said unconvincingly.