One entire wall of the pagoda implodes. Shards of wood scatter everywhere. When the dust settles, a figure stands in the opened wall. It’s a woman made of red mist, her wrists and eyes bound with strips of silk. Along her neck are the same puncture wounds Lincoln and I now bear.
My heart sinks. I know what that is. A blood slave. Someone Sakura almost killed, but left alive just enough to serve her for all eternity. And this woman is her sister? That’s some cold shit, right there.
“Blood,” the slave rasps. Her body turns from mist to solid flesh. “I smell blood for my sister.” She disappears for a moment, only to reappear in front of Lincoln. Fast as a heartbeat, her body turns from mist to solid flesh. The sister slams her elbow into Lincoln’s neck, right where Sakura’s puncture wounds ooze blood. My guy collapses to the floor like a marionette who’s strings have been cut.
Twisting about, I point my baculum sword at Sakura’s throat. “What have you done to him?”
“A little sleeping spell from my sister,” she says with an evil smile. “It seems I was too aggressive, trying to drink both of you at once.”
“Release him. Now.”
“No, my sister wouldn’t like that.”
Ice-cold hands grab me from behind, pinning back my arms. It’s Sakura’s sister, holding me with another of their sleeping spells. I command my tail to skewer her now-solid body, but the order comes too late. Already, my mind wants nothing more than to sleep again. My head lolls to one side, and I can see Lincoln lying in a heap behind Sakura, his body unmoving.
Fuck, we’re in bad shape.
That thought doesn’t really bother me, however, and I know damned well that it should. I shift my shoulders, trying to break my hand free so I can get another glimpse of Maxon. Seeing him before gave me the will to break Sakura’s magical hold; maybe another glimpse will do it again.
Behind me, the blood slave tightens her grip on my arms. My hands can’t so much as shift under her grasp, let alone break free.
Sakura steps toward me, arms extended, her long nails dripping blood. “Now, let’s finish what we began,” she sighs.
Her nails slowly scratch their way up my throat until they find the puncture holes once more. She lets her fingers rest there, hovering for a moment before she breaks into my jugular vein once again.
“Your man asked if I had any final words, I should pay you the same courtesy. I am a civilized witch. What have you to say?”
My body feels slack and heavy. My brain can barely function. Still, some tiny part of me knows my chest chance for freedom is to play off the emotions of the blood slave behind me. Steeling up all my strength, I reply to Sakura.
“I’ve a question for you, filth. You murdered your own sister to create a blood slave. What did you do? Tie up her hands and cover her eyes before you took her life?” The body behind me twitches a bit and hope sparks inside me. Maybe there’s enough of her mortal sister left inside that red shell. If I push more on the whole ‘sister-murder’ thing, maybe she will set me loose.
“That’s exactly what I did.” A nasty smile curls Sakura’s painted mouth. “And much as she hates to hear you talk of her death, I assure you that my sister has no choice but to heed my every command.”
“You’re a monster.”
“Thank you. Are those your final words? I like them.” Laugher dances in her eyes. Sakura’s enjoying this way too much, like a cat playing with a mouse before the kill.
My mind races through options and strategies. If she likes playing with her kills, then I’ll give her something to play with. If nothing else, it could buy me a little time. “No, those aren’t my final words.”
“Ah, then. What are they?”
My gaze runs across Lincoln’s prone body. “Watch out behind you.”
“And why would I do that?”
“Your sister released Lincoln from her spell. Now, he’s coming to kill you.”
Sakura laughs, a high, tinkling sound that has nothing to do with humor. “How interesting you are. Your blood’s quite tasty.”
“No, listen to me. Your sister released Lincoln from her spell and now he’s coming for you!”
Come on, Sakura. Please say something that your sister can interpret as a command to free Lincoln. I know this undead slave behind me wants to destroy your ass as much as I do.
I lean forward and scream in Sakura’s face. “Did you hear what I said?”
Her eyes narrow with rage. “Yes, of course I heard you. Your Lincoln is awake.” Her fingers plunge deeper into my skin. “That’s enough talk out of you.”
Instantly, the desire to sleep overwhelms me. I can barely keep my eyes open. But thin though my line of vision may be, I can still see Lincoln climbing to his feet and stalking in our direction.
Behind me, the undead sister gasps in delight.