Lingering Haze (The Elusive Strain Book 1) by James Berardinelli

Author:James Berardinelli [Berardinelli, James]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-04-17T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen: Ill Wind

“It’s coming.” No sense hiding the inevitable. “It’s coming because it knows I’m here and I’m its target.” In effect, that answered the question about the earth reavers and Aeris. They had attacked because I had been there. I may have saved the town but I had also put it in danger. They were better off now that I was gone but my companions were in danger.

What I said next, I didn’t want to say. It terrified me. But if these six people stayed with me through the inevitable confrontation and any of them died because of that, I knew I wouldn’t get another restful night for the remainder of my life. “I think it would be best if we split up. I can stay here, wait for it. The rest of you can head directly for NewTown and wait there for me. I’ll follow when I’m able.”

“I can tell you ain’t no tactician,” said Gabriel. “That’s probably the dumbest plan I’ve ever heard. It’s more likely to get us all killed than save even one.”

I didn’t know whether to be embarrassed, relieved, or angry. “If we split up, it will come for me and leave the rest of you alone. And I should be strong enough to beat it.” I didn’t know that, of course. The air reaver was likely to be a bigger challenge than the earth reavers. Victory wasn’t a given.

“Hogwash,” said Gabriel. “You’ve got no idea whether we’d be safe if we left you. You weren’t anywhere near here when I was traveling north and that didn’t save me or my horses. It might come for us first - easy prey - then move on to you. Or, if it killed you, we might be next. The way I see it, we fight it together. Maybe in the end, you’re the one who kills it, but we stand a better chance seven-against-one with a Summoner than in any other configuration.”

“She thinks it will be her fault if one of us dies,” said Esme, making an accurate estimation of my concerns.

“And she’ll be right.” Gabriel’s tone was harsh. “But that’s the nature of leadership. Deciding who lives and who dies. It’s a lesson she’s got to learn. Like it or not, she’s a Summoner and that makes her a leader. If she lives long enough, people around her are going to die. The objective here is to kill that thing and that means coming up with the best battle plan. You don’t retreat before the enemy has been engaged, especially when you’ve got a numbers advantage.”

I stared shamefacedly at the ground, feeling like a little girl who had just been scolded by a teacher for a wrong answer. He was right, of course, and that made it all the more galling. Splitting up was a stupid plan. I’m sure they all knew it. Only Gabriel, the outsider, had exhibited the forthrightness to openly object, to call it what it was.

“You’re going to need our help, Janelle,” said Samell, his voice gentle but no less insistent.

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