“Find him,” she chanted in that creepy-crawly voice. “Find him.”
The Phoenix was channeling crazy again. I guess if my demon—or the demon—never shut up I might start to lose it too.
“Him?” I asked.
She breathed in and out, then slowly lowered her arms. The tendrils of hair she’d yanked out stuck to her sweaty palms. “Or her.” Her voice had returned to normal, thank God. “But I think I’ve found the answer.”
“What’s that?”
“Seize them,” she said.
CHAPTER 32
Revenants, which must have been slinking around in the hall waiting for her signal—two words stolen from a late-night movie—crowded into the room. They snatched both Jimmy and Sawyer, then dragged the two men out.
I tensed, waiting for more to march in and grab me. But they didn’t. “What’s going on?”
“Choices must be made,” the Phoenix said.
“I chose you.”
“Now you get to prove it.” The Phoenix walked out, leaving me behind.
Holy hell. This was going to be bad.
I hurried after, catching up as she reached the ground floor. The house was empty. Tracks in the dust left from last night traced a path to the wide-open front door.
The sun was full up, the sky clear and bright. There was no mistaking Jimmy and Sawyer being trussed like twin Joan of Arcs to a pair of electrical poles at the right edge of the yard. I expected to find a pile of wood at their feet, but there was nothing.
The Phoenix strode through the door, and I was forced to catch up again. She stopped several feet from the men, looked back and forth between them. Jimmy struggled even though they’d bound him with gold hand, foot, waist and throat. Sawyer had been bound too, but he didn’t bother to fight. Which made me really nervous. He’d only give up if there were no way out.
“Choose.” The Phoenix flapped her hand in their direction.
I got a chill, even though the sun was already hot and there wasn’t a prayer of a breeze.
“Choose what?” I asked, knowing the answer was not going to be one I wanted to hear.
“Which one dies first,” she answered, as if I was incredibly dim.
And I was.
“What? No. They’re on our side. Especially him.” I jerked my thumb at Sawyer. “He does whatever the hell you ask. I’d keep him.”
“Fine.” She put out her hand, and one of the revenants slapped a golden knife into the center. She began to walk toward Jimmy.
“Whoa! Hey! I didn’t choose.”
Stall, I thought. It was all I could think.
“No?” She paused and turned back. “Then do.”
“But why? They have incredible powers. You’ll command them in your army.”
Over my dead body, but I had to keep stalling.
“I won’t have an army; I’ll command nothing but revenants while someone else becomes the Prince, if I don’t make the sacrifice.”
“You think one of them is the innocent and the damned?”
“Yes.”
“And if they’re not?”
She shrugged. “I’ll keep on killing until I find one.”
Well, when you’re crazy, you’re crazy. What could I say?
“Choose,” she ordered again. “If you truly came to join me, you’ll do whatever I ask.”
“My test,” I murmured.
“Take it or die.”
I considered the threat. Maybe that would be the best bet. Killing me wasn’t as easy as it appeared.
“Okay,” I said. “I choose me.”
“No!” Jimmy shouted, at the same time Sawyer said softly but somehow just as forcefully, “No.”
“Ignore them.” I fingered my collar. “I’m definitely damned.”
“But probably not too innocent.” The Phoenix smirked.
“And they are?”
She crossed the dry grass and kissed Sawyer. It took a while. I didn’t want to watch, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself. When she lifted her mouth from his she said, “He once was the most innocent of innocents. Until his mother made him into this.”
I winced. So did Sawyer.
The Phoenix cruised on to Jimmy, kissed him too. He tried to avoid it, but the chain around his neck wouldn’t let him move very far. When she lifted her mouth, there was blood on both their lips. “I heard what you did to him.”
I glanced at Sawyer, who refused to meet my eyes. Had he told her every damn thing?
“He was innocent until you seduced him into making you a monster.” She glanced over her shoulder. “I’m impressed. Hutzpa like that I can use.”
“I’m so glad you approve.” My voice was dry, but I managed to make myself smile, even as I wondered just how she planned to kill Sawyer. Had he told her that secret too? If so, I wasn’t safe either. If not . . . we might just have a way out.
I filed that thought. If I had to, I could choose Sawyer, buy some time. He wouldn’t die and maybe . . .
What? The cavalry would show up? Highly doubtful, since the cavalry was me.