Political Sky (The Exceptional Sophia Beaufont Book 13) by Sarah Noffke & Michael Anderle

Author:Sarah Noffke & Michael Anderle [Noffke, Sarah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9798885411257
Publisher: LMBPN Publishing
Published: 2022-01-26T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

The tropical forest was quiet when Sophia popped her head out of the bunker. It was too quiet for her liking. There were no sounds from the birds in the trees or the ocean crashing against the beach, but to her relief, the smoke monster didn’t appear to be in the vicinity.

Sophia’s relief was short-lived when the first noise from the forest met her ears. It was chanting, like that of a hundred monks in a temple. Their voices were melodic and the rhythm constant.

Sophia paused outside the entrance to the bunker, trying to discern which direction the chanting was coming from. Unlike the smoke monster, the sound didn’t fill her with dread. Instead, it anchored her to the present moment with a quality of reassurance to it.

She was about to ask Lee what she made of the chanting, but the assassin charged passed her, speeding in the opposite direction they’d come from, straight into the thicket of trees.

“Where are you going?” Sophia asked, running after her.

“That noise,” Lee said, moving faster and doing that weird run thing again. “I have to find out where it’s coming from.”

“But it could be dangerous,” Sophia called, speeding to catch up with Lee.

“No,” she argued, a conviction in her tone. “It’s not. It can’t be. I’ve never felt safer and more assured in my life.”

So the constant chanting made Lee feel the same way, Sophia realized. Still, she didn’t think charging deeper into the forest and into the island was a good idea. There were a lot of unknowns, and there was still a dangerous smoke monster somewhere.

Lee didn’t seem to have the same hesitation as she ran faster, her hands swinging back and forth next to her shoulders like she was doing some strange zombie dance. Again, Sophia had to stop herself from laughing at the display.

She was grateful she had when they abruptly exited the thicket of the tropical forest to find themselves at the edge of a lagoon. On the far side was an ancient temple. It was made of six levels with a staircase running down the middle and columns marking the entrance.

Dwelling around the temple were the monks responsible for the chanting. They were wearing red robes and moving in an almost robotic fashion as they did chores, carrying baskets, gathering water from the lagoon, or carrying other items.

Lee started forward again, moving around the body of water.

“Where are you going?” Sophia hissed.

The assassin glanced at her over her shoulder. “To go and meet the monks that inhabit the island.”

“Don’t you think it’s a little strange they live here, in this mysterious place with a smoke monster?” she asked.

Lee considered this. “Well, I don’t think they are going to harm us, and maybe they will have answers regarding where this moaning desmond flower is located.”

“True,” Sophia replied, wondering if it was worth the risk.

As they approached the monks, Sophia saw there was something peculiar about them. She shouldn’t have expected anything not to be weird about the island at this point.

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