Page 98 of Dark Gambit Reliance

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SOFIA

"Sofia! Wait up!" She heard Marcel calling behind her and slowed down.

He caught up to her, snagged her from behind, and twirled her in a circle. "Everyone you care for is safe."

"I know." She wiggled out of his arms. "You told me." She'd been so relieved when he'd called her that she'd felt faint. "But they must be terrified. Did anyone talk to them?"

"I did, but they wouldn't open the doors. I yelled and told them that we were liberating them, but no one answered."

"Were you still wearing your exoskeleton suit?"

"I took it off, but since no one saw me anyway, that wasn't very helpful."

When they reached the group of buildings that housed the humans, she first noticed that all the shutters were closed, and no light was coming out.

Her gut squeezed with anxiety. "I hope they are just holed up and that nothing happened to them. What if the purebloods had orders to kill the humans if there was an invasion?"

Marcel shook his head. "Just go, knock on your father's door, and tell him it's you."

"Yeah. You're right." She tried to open the front door of the building. "It's locked."

"Let me try." He did, but the door was barricaded on the other side. "I'll ask a Guardian still wearing the exoskeleton to open the way for us."

"Hold on." She took a couple of steps back, cupped her hands on the sides of her mouth, and yelled, "Helmi! It's me, Sofia. These people are with me. Open up so I can explain!"

"That's her room." She pointed. "She should have heard me."

"Maybe she can't see you." Marcel pulled out his phone, activated the flashlight, and shone it at her face.

The shutter on the second floor moved a fraction of an inch and then banged open.

"It is you!" Helmi pushed her head out. "Who's the guy?"

"That's my fiancé, Marcel. He and his people came to free us from the Kra-ell."

"How?"

"It's a long story, and I don't want to keep shouting. Where is my father?"

"With my mom and Isla. Do you know if Tomos is okay?"

Sofia turned to Marcel. "Tomos is her hybrid boyfriend. Did any of the hybrids get hurt?"

"None of the hybrids died," Marcel said loudly so Helmi could hear him. "Some are injured and are being taken care of in the infirmary, but only Kagra is seriously hurt. The other injuries are not life-threatening, and I don't know if your boyfriend is one of the injured."

"Can I go to the infirmary?"

"Sure."

She leaned out the window and looked around. "Where are the aliens?"

Marcel lifted his hand. "Here. I'm one of them. What you saw were protective exoskeleton suits that made us stronger than the Kra-ell."

"Oh." Helmi smiled sheepishly. "So you're human. Is it safe outside?"

Sofia was glad that Helmi followed her statement with a question, so she didn't need to answer it. This wasn't the time to explain about immortals and gods and how they were related to the Kra-ell. They needed to get all the humans ready for Toven, so he could release them from Igor's compulsion.