in a red shirt pushed his way through the crowd. “I’m a doctor. Let me take a look.”
Milo edged closer to Destiny. They needed to get the hell out of here while the attention was on Kinross. The mood of the crowd was volatile. It wouldn’t take much to turn the tide against them. Before he could speak, Silas straightened, his face expressionless. He stared at Destiny. “He’s dead. You can let go of your weapon. There’s no need for it now. You can go free. I’ve no argument with you or your friend.” He turned to the guards. “Fall back,” he said. “Let them go.”
The soldiers drew back and lowered their weapons.
Destiny’s hand dropped to her side and she slid the detonator back into her pocket. Her shoulders slumped and she blew out her breath. And Milo heaved a sigh of relief. He hadn’t really believed she would destroy them all. On the other hand, she’d given a pretty convincing argument.
Time to move.
As he reached out to take her hand, a voice called out across the crowd. “Stop them!” Sekongo shouted from the pulpit. “In the name of our Everlasting Lord, stop the abominations!”
Destiny looked at him, a frown forming between her eyes. “Does he mean us?”
“I’m afraid so.”
The crowd closed in behind them, and he swore.
“You heard what our great leader, Luther Kinross, said,” Sekongo again. Why didn’t the asshole shut up? “She’s not human and he’s a monster.”
A murmur ran through the crowd.
“There will be a reward for anyone who captures the abominations. Come into the grace of God.”
Goddamn Church. “I think we should leave,” Milo murmured.
But talk of a reward had turned the tide of feeling. The muttering grew louder, and the mob shifted restlessly.
Christ, he wished he had his wand. Though he did have a grenade. He held it up. “This might not be a nuclear bomb, but it will still kill a few of you. Back off.”
The people nearest backed away, pushing into the ones behind them and clearing a path. Destiny inched closer to him, and side by side they moved slowly through the press of people.
When they reached the edge of the crowd, he grabbed her hand. “Run!”
Chapter Forty-Five
“It’s necessary to have wished for death in order to know how good it is to live.”
—Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo
What happened?
She’d thought it was all over. Kinross was dead. Didn’t that mean she was safe?
Obviously not.
She could feel the crowd behind her, a mob screaming for her death. What had she ever done to them?
Milo all but dragged her behind him. But they were in the trees now, weaving between the trunks and leaving their pursuers behind. Finally, Milo pulled her behind a thick tree trunk. He stood with his back against it, breathing hard. Then he turned to her, lowered his head, and kissed her. “Thank you.”
“For what?” she asked breathlessly. She’d hardly done a good job of saving him. In fact, she’d totally messed up. But at least she hadn’t nuked the whole planet.
“For putting me first,” he said.
“You are first.” She glanced at her comm unit. “We’re only minutes from the deadline with Rico. And no way will we make it on foot. Can you magic us there?”
“Not without my wand.”
That wasn’t good news. She peered around the edge of the tree. Through the forest, she could see the flickering lights of torches. A cry rang out as the mob caught sight of them. And they were baying like hounds.
“Run,” Milo said again.
He raised his wrist as they ran and spoke into the comm unit. “We’re not going to make it. Get the hell out of here. We’ll find another way.”
She recognized where they were now. Heading toward the entrance to the tunnels. If they could just make it then they would be hidden.
They dived into the entrance and Milo stopped so abruptly she crashed into him. He turned her in his arms, pressed her against the cool rock of the wall, and kissed her.
Outside, she could hear the crowd milling about, restless. Their voices rising and falling. She wished she hadn’t woken them up now. This was gratitude for you. It would teach her not to try and do good deeds in the future.
They just had to wait it out, then find a way off the planet.
Someone shouted above the crowd. She recognized the priest’s voice. “There! A tunnel. They’ve taken to ground. Hunt them out.”
“Shit,” Milo said. “The wards have failed. Get to the ship.”