into the car. She started
it up with a quick peek at Amanda. She was massaging her hand as if it hurt and
Jessica’s mind raced. Was her power dwindling?
Was it because of Lourdes’s death?
Couldn’t her sister catch a break already?
“I should’ve told you earlier,”
Jessica’s voice was loud and intruded on the quiet mournful space in the car.
“I spoke with Aunt Gwen and she’s on the case to pick up this relic. It’s called
the Ruby Heart. It can save you from becoming this queen of the underworld. It
can lift the curse that Lourdes’s death put on you.”
Amanda looked up quickly. Her eyes
widened with hope. “Really?”
So that was it, wasn’t it? Why she
was so sullen, why her body was so distressed? Amanda thought she had no choice
but to become the next queen of the underworld?
“She’s on her way to get it
now. She has friends in high places,” Jessica smirked, “you should know that.”
“What if she can’t get it in time?”
Amanda chewed on her lip. “What if she can’t get it to me in time?”
“In time for what, Amanda?”
Jessica’s voice was soft but serious. “Be straight with me and tell me what
you’re fighting. Let me help you, kid sister.”
Amanda turned toward Jessica with
tears in her eyes. “I can see the underworld, Jessie. It’s all around me and…”
Amanda closed her eyes and shuddered. “It’s calling me home. And I long for it.
I long for it!”
Fear rippled through Jessica like a
stone skipped across a pond. She did her best to sound confident and strong
when she answered, but her heart pounded like a rumble of battle drums. “Your
home is with me. Not the underworld. You be strong and hang in there. We’ll get
through this together.”
Amanda nodded and her hands ran
against her arms. She gazed out the window again and Jessica feared that not
everything was said. Something, a big dark something, still lingered between
them. “Are you strong enough to go get Duncan now?”
“It’s the only thing grounding me
right now.” Amanda’s fingers danced across her arm and Jessica’s eyes were
drawn to the colorful bandage around her hand. “Let’s make tracks to Sin Town.”
Nothing left to say, Jessica
shifted the car into drive and peeled away from the curb. She made an illegal
U-turn and headed back toward the highway. She wouldn’t say it to Amanda,
wouldn’t voice her fears, but Jessica caught a glimpse of the black ink, like a
tattoo, growing on Amanda’s hand.
It peaked out from beneath the
bandage and Jessica thought that was what Amanda was so desperate to hide.
Lourdes’s curse was growing in Amanda faster than she could heal.
Aunt Gwen better hurry.
Jessica applied more gas and the
car sped up as they reached the open road. It wasn’t just Aunt Gwen who had to
hurry.
It was Jessica too.
Chapter Seven: Duncan
In
and out, Duncan kept falling in and out of consciousness. Vain was there. He
was still her prisoner, Duncan was sure about that, but that was all he was
sure of. Because the more Vain put that stuff on his lips, the less sure Duncan
was about anything.
Flashes
in front of him blended and blurred Vain’s face into Jessica’s. Duncan knew it
was a trick, at least he thought he did, but why did he keep grabbing Vain’s
face? Why did he keep kissing her?
“You
want me,” Vain whispered, her crotch right where it should be. She rode him
like a wild bull and Duncan was helpless to do anything but enjoy it. He fished
his hands beneath her hair and forced her down to kiss him.
“You
love me,” Vain whispered, against his lips and her breath was erratic, caught
in her throat as the tempo in the room intensified. “Say my name, Duncan.
Please.”
Lying
on the bed, Duncan opened his eyes and saw her. She was on top of him. Her head
thrown back in ecstasy in a way that only happened in his dreams. Her lips
barely parted as she moaned and the long flowing mane of red hair spiraled down
her back. The lights caught it
it up with a quick peek at Amanda. She was massaging her hand as if it hurt and
Jessica’s mind raced. Was her power dwindling?
Was it because of Lourdes’s death?
Couldn’t her sister catch a break already?
“I should’ve told you earlier,”
Jessica’s voice was loud and intruded on the quiet mournful space in the car.
“I spoke with Aunt Gwen and she’s on the case to pick up this relic. It’s called
the Ruby Heart. It can save you from becoming this queen of the underworld. It
can lift the curse that Lourdes’s death put on you.”
Amanda looked up quickly. Her eyes
widened with hope. “Really?”
So that was it, wasn’t it? Why she
was so sullen, why her body was so distressed? Amanda thought she had no choice
but to become the next queen of the underworld?
“She’s on her way to get it
now. She has friends in high places,” Jessica smirked, “you should know that.”
“What if she can’t get it in time?”
Amanda chewed on her lip. “What if she can’t get it to me in time?”
“In time for what, Amanda?”
Jessica’s voice was soft but serious. “Be straight with me and tell me what
you’re fighting. Let me help you, kid sister.”
Amanda turned toward Jessica with
tears in her eyes. “I can see the underworld, Jessie. It’s all around me and…”
Amanda closed her eyes and shuddered. “It’s calling me home. And I long for it.
I long for it!”
Fear rippled through Jessica like a
stone skipped across a pond. She did her best to sound confident and strong
when she answered, but her heart pounded like a rumble of battle drums. “Your
home is with me. Not the underworld. You be strong and hang in there. We’ll get
through this together.”
Amanda nodded and her hands ran
against her arms. She gazed out the window again and Jessica feared that not
everything was said. Something, a big dark something, still lingered between
them. “Are you strong enough to go get Duncan now?”
“It’s the only thing grounding me
right now.” Amanda’s fingers danced across her arm and Jessica’s eyes were
drawn to the colorful bandage around her hand. “Let’s make tracks to Sin Town.”
Nothing left to say, Jessica
shifted the car into drive and peeled away from the curb. She made an illegal
U-turn and headed back toward the highway. She wouldn’t say it to Amanda,
wouldn’t voice her fears, but Jessica caught a glimpse of the black ink, like a
tattoo, growing on Amanda’s hand.
It peaked out from beneath the
bandage and Jessica thought that was what Amanda was so desperate to hide.
Lourdes’s curse was growing in Amanda faster than she could heal.
Aunt Gwen better hurry.
Jessica applied more gas and the
car sped up as they reached the open road. It wasn’t just Aunt Gwen who had to
hurry.
It was Jessica too.
Chapter Seven: Duncan
In
and out, Duncan kept falling in and out of consciousness. Vain was there. He
was still her prisoner, Duncan was sure about that, but that was all he was
sure of. Because the more Vain put that stuff on his lips, the less sure Duncan
was about anything.
Flashes
in front of him blended and blurred Vain’s face into Jessica’s. Duncan knew it
was a trick, at least he thought he did, but why did he keep grabbing Vain’s
face? Why did he keep kissing her?
“You
want me,” Vain whispered, her crotch right where it should be. She rode him
like a wild bull and Duncan was helpless to do anything but enjoy it. He fished
his hands beneath her hair and forced her down to kiss him.
“You
love me,” Vain whispered, against his lips and her breath was erratic, caught
in her throat as the tempo in the room intensified. “Say my name, Duncan.
Please.”
Lying
on the bed, Duncan opened his eyes and saw her. She was on top of him. Her head
thrown back in ecstasy in a way that only happened in his dreams. Her lips
barely parted as she moaned and the long flowing mane of red hair spiraled down
her back. The lights caught it
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