When Azar bellows again, I release Sammy and stand.“I’m coming, you great lummox.”
When I’m finally dressed in the one outfit Karen made me, I storm through the connecting door, bracing myself against the freezing cold.
What’s a lummox?Azar’s already frowning.
“Hmm?”
You called me a great lummox.What does that mean?
“It’s really impolite to yell and holler and make a lot of noise to get a woman to come outside.”I drop one hand on my hip.“It’s like a man honking his horn before a date.”
Is it polite for a human to force others to wait?What about people who force others to help in a scheme that’s likely doomed to fail?
I open my mouth to snap at him and realize that he’s right.I wasn’t being very polite either, and he’s still helping me.But we hadn’t agreed on a time or anything, so a little patience would have been nice.“In the future, I’ll hurry, but maybe you can let me know when you’d like me to be ready.All that shouting will wake up everyone around us.”
He sniffs.Blessed don’t sleep.
“Ah, so you’re not being impolite to them, just the weak little humans like my siblings.”Now I am annoyed.
I’m not sure I need to learn a lot of human social rules.
“You asked what it meant,” I say.“Stop asking if you don’t care.”
You’re awfully snappy for someone with no power, a lot of demands, and so far, not much success.
“We’ll find way more brights today—you’ll see.”I’m not anywhere near as sure as I sound.The more nerds Norm’s friends can reach, the more brights we’ll find, but we also might be caught, and that’s when things might start to break down.I’m not actually afraid of the humans attacking us—though perhaps I should be—but I am worried about what happens if the human attacks force Hyperion into thinking going to war would be simpler.
“And I thought we were travelling as Axel,” I say.“The last thing we want to do is let the humans know you didn’t die.”
Why not?
“Battle strategy basics,” I say.“You always want to surprise your opponent, and we can’t do that if they already know you didn’t die.”
You said the humans aren’t really our enemies.
“You’re tiring,” I snap.
I agree—but that same sentiment about you.
He does switch to Axel, at least, even after being a snot about it.Honestly, though, it’s easier for me when he’s rude.The more I want to stab him, the less depressed I am.Before we leave, I confirm the location we’re going via satellite phone with Barrett, Norm’s oldest friend from Vegas.We Facetimed yesterday, though I didn’t allow anyone to take photos, and the second he saw my wings, he threw his stuff in the car and started driving.Even so, he wasn’t going to make it in time for yesterday’s meet-up.
He says he’s already waiting when I call, so I have Azar open a portal.This time, Hyperion insists on sending way more blessed with us, because an attack’s more likely our second day.Initially, he was only sending six strike blessed, but then the water and earth blessed were upset they weren’t being equally represented, and now we’re stuck with sixof each kind.Now our group feels like we’re preparing for some kind of small attack instead of a covert op.
I can’t fault Hyperion for being cautious—his brotherdiddie not too long ago.
When we step through on the far side of Timpanogos, no one’s waiting on us, but I’ve barely hiked a half mile when I find them.The humans are waiting like Barrett said they would be—which is good.When I told Azar I’d be heading out to rendezvous with them alone, he looked ready to fight me.
Thankfully, I reminded him how well it worked yesterday, and the importance of me properly preparing them for bonding.
There are way more humans this time too—three hundred and fifteen in total.Barrett made a roll call.It includes the nineteen brights we left, the other sixteen non-brights who are still desperate to join us, and almost three hundred new recruits.It’s a similar mix to before—men, women, old people, and a few who are quite young.I told Norm they all had to be at least eighteen.Based on his rigorous paperwork, I’m assuming Barrett’s checking.
Barrett’s not even the only familiar face.
“Gary.”I wave.“How did you find this many?”
Norm’s business partner, Gary, spearheaded the outreach plans this time, with the help of his wife.Unlike Norm, Gary has always been happy, and he usually seemed like he fit in everywhere.He’s just obsessed with fantasy stuff, which I don’t really understand.Before dragons showed up, electrocuting people right up in my face, I had no interest in pretending I was part of a fake world.
“We were up all night.”Gary smiles.“Norm—this is all he’s ever wanted, and at first I thought he was making it up.”
