Page 48 of Ramiel

It was late afternoon by now and the sun was beginning to set.“What’s that tall building with the lights all lit up?”Ramiel asked, peering through her binoculars.

She could see it even without assistance.“That’s the Empire State Building,” Caterina told him.“It’s where Governor Giamano’s headquarters is.”

“You mean Rahab’s human puppet?”Ramiel said with a sneer.“The human probably has no idea he’s being controlled by his master.”

He handed the binoculars to Caterina and she studied the area.“I can see a lot of people wearing white armbands,” she noted.“They’re moving in groups of eight or ten and seem to be searching the buildings.”

“They need food for their troops,” Ramiel said, then frowned.“I can hear a large group of humans approaching.”

Moving to the far side of the building, they watched around a hundred people marching towards Manhattan.They’d brought their own supplies with them, but they looked gaunt and weary.

Returning to the southern side of the rooftop, they kept track of the group.“I can feel someone coming,” Caterina said with a frown.“They seem similar to you.”

Ramiel gave her a startled look, then took hold of her hand.“We need to leave,” he said grimly, then sprinted for the stairs.Caterina did her best to keep up with the knight as he sped down to the first floor and exited from the building.They raced back the way they’d come, then heard distant gunshots.

“What’s going on back there?”she asked, casting a look over her shoulder while trying to keep her feet.He still had hold of her hand so he didn’t leave her behind.

“I believe the Soldiers of Chaos who just arrived are culling the humans,” Ramiel said.“Some of them looked sick and they wouldn’t have made very good slave labor.”

“Why did you seem so spooked when I told you I could sense one of the soldiers?”Caterina asked when he slowed down.

“I sensed ten of my enemies arrive just as we fled from the building,” he said.“If one of them stood out to you, it can only mean one thing.He has to be your sire.”

“Oh,” she said, then shivered.“I’m glad we left before he could sense me.”

“So am I,” he agreed.“He would have used his parental bond to control you if they’d captured us.”

“Not if I set him on fire first,” Caterina said fiercely.He’d told her all about how evil his enemies were.She wasn’t about to allow her red-eyed dad to take over her mind.Ramiel’s grin of admiration bolstered her spirits.They both knew how deadly she could be when she turned her magic against her foes.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

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RAMIEL WAS RELIEVEDthat they’d fled before Caterina’s sire had sensed her.Their skills had been boosted, which gave them an edge against their enemies.He had no doubt they would have been captured if they’d lingered for even a few seconds longer.

Now that he’d seen Manhattan for himself, it was obvious his commander and brothers weren’t there.The island was too small for both factions to have their bases there.Rahab’s minions were everywhere, which would make it difficult for the knights to sneak in.Every bridge and tunnel would be guarded now.