of them.
“What do you want?” she asked Sar, knowing he hesitated to slaughter the rest of the villagers for a reason. And that reason, she was sure, had everything to do with her.
“You, of course. Baruch wants you back,” he sniveled.
Just hearing his name sent shivers down her back. She remembered too well how it felt when his hands had been upon her body. She cringed inside. Not from fear but something far more dangerous….
Desire.
“Fuck him.” She tightened her hold on the whip, preparing to strike. “And fuck you, too.”
“We’ll let the rest of the villagers live if you come back with us,” Sar said in a rush, probably worried that Kat would initiate an attack and he would have failed bargaining with her on Baruch’s behalf.
Kat let out the breath she was holding and swore. Why did it always have to come down to this?
A life for a life. Well, in this case, hers for several, including the woman Sar still held deftly by the throat, blood starting to trickle down the side where he had dug in his nails.
Glancing at Hades, Kat tried to read his thoughts. He met her gaze, but she couldn’t tell what he was thinking. She could see the anger in his face, but she wasn’t close enough to see his true emotions in his eyes. Would he tell her to sacrifice herself for the villagers? People he had come to know and like? She knew that if it were Hades, there would be no question, no hesitation. He would easily give himself up to save the others. He was selfless like that, even if he didn’t want to admit it. But was she?
In the past she would have said no. Now she couldn’t be so sure. Somewhere along her last travels, she had changed. For the better? Possibly. But it wasn’t helping her out personally in any way.
She turned her gaze back to Sar. He was bouncing from foot to foot anxiously, still squeezing Mary’s throat in a long, taloned fist. Damnit! Was there any way she could save herself and these people, too? She really didn’t want to go back to Baruch. She didn’t know if she’d be able to escape this time, not with her mind or body intact. He was too powerful, too seductive. What if being with him again made her transformation complete and she turned into a Dark Dweller, feeding on the blood of the innocent?
She needed more time to think, more time to plan. There had to be a way out of this. She could take the two of them out before they could hurt anyone else.
Before she could formulate a definite plan, Sar’s loopy partner put a shiny piece of metal in his mouth and blew. A loud, piercing sound blasted through the church. Kat cringed at the earsplitting noise. What was he doing?
It took only a few moments before she knew.
Several more Dwellers jumped into the church through the broken windows. It was no longer a fair fight. She had just run out of time.
“You have ten minutes to decide.” He leaned into Mary’s hair and took in a deep breath, smelling her. “Or this bitch and everyone else dies. And I’ll still take you to Inferno where Baruch is waiting.”
Inferno . Baruch was in Inferno City.
Kat dropped her whip. “You have a deal.”
As she spoke, she looked at Hades. He was beseeching her, shaking his head. She glanced away from him, not wanting to witness the agony in his face. It ripped at her heart. She knew what she was doing. She hoped .
Grinning, Sar released Mary, pushing her to the ground. Kat watched her slump on the wooden floor, struggling for breath, blood still trickling down her neck to drip on her skirt. The woman lifted her head and met Kat’s gaze. Mary didn’t need to speak for Kat to know the relief she felt.
She could see it in the woman’s wide, tear-filled eyes.
“You know, you’re not as tough as I thought you were,” Sar snarled as he scurried toward her like a cockroach. “I thought for sure you’d refuse the offer and fight to the end.”
“Well, I’m happy to disappoint you, dickhead.”
When he was close to her, she snapped
“What do you want?” she asked Sar, knowing he hesitated to slaughter the rest of the villagers for a reason. And that reason, she was sure, had everything to do with her.
“You, of course. Baruch wants you back,” he sniveled.
Just hearing his name sent shivers down her back. She remembered too well how it felt when his hands had been upon her body. She cringed inside. Not from fear but something far more dangerous….
Desire.
“Fuck him.” She tightened her hold on the whip, preparing to strike. “And fuck you, too.”
“We’ll let the rest of the villagers live if you come back with us,” Sar said in a rush, probably worried that Kat would initiate an attack and he would have failed bargaining with her on Baruch’s behalf.
Kat let out the breath she was holding and swore. Why did it always have to come down to this?
A life for a life. Well, in this case, hers for several, including the woman Sar still held deftly by the throat, blood starting to trickle down the side where he had dug in his nails.
Glancing at Hades, Kat tried to read his thoughts. He met her gaze, but she couldn’t tell what he was thinking. She could see the anger in his face, but she wasn’t close enough to see his true emotions in his eyes. Would he tell her to sacrifice herself for the villagers? People he had come to know and like? She knew that if it were Hades, there would be no question, no hesitation. He would easily give himself up to save the others. He was selfless like that, even if he didn’t want to admit it. But was she?
In the past she would have said no. Now she couldn’t be so sure. Somewhere along her last travels, she had changed. For the better? Possibly. But it wasn’t helping her out personally in any way.
She turned her gaze back to Sar. He was bouncing from foot to foot anxiously, still squeezing Mary’s throat in a long, taloned fist. Damnit! Was there any way she could save herself and these people, too? She really didn’t want to go back to Baruch. She didn’t know if she’d be able to escape this time, not with her mind or body intact. He was too powerful, too seductive. What if being with him again made her transformation complete and she turned into a Dark Dweller, feeding on the blood of the innocent?
She needed more time to think, more time to plan. There had to be a way out of this. She could take the two of them out before they could hurt anyone else.
Before she could formulate a definite plan, Sar’s loopy partner put a shiny piece of metal in his mouth and blew. A loud, piercing sound blasted through the church. Kat cringed at the earsplitting noise. What was he doing?
It took only a few moments before she knew.
Several more Dwellers jumped into the church through the broken windows. It was no longer a fair fight. She had just run out of time.
“You have ten minutes to decide.” He leaned into Mary’s hair and took in a deep breath, smelling her. “Or this bitch and everyone else dies. And I’ll still take you to Inferno where Baruch is waiting.”
Inferno . Baruch was in Inferno City.
Kat dropped her whip. “You have a deal.”
As she spoke, she looked at Hades. He was beseeching her, shaking his head. She glanced away from him, not wanting to witness the agony in his face. It ripped at her heart. She knew what she was doing. She hoped .
Grinning, Sar released Mary, pushing her to the ground. Kat watched her slump on the wooden floor, struggling for breath, blood still trickling down her neck to drip on her skirt. The woman lifted her head and met Kat’s gaze. Mary didn’t need to speak for Kat to know the relief she felt.
She could see it in the woman’s wide, tear-filled eyes.
“You know, you’re not as tough as I thought you were,” Sar snarled as he scurried toward her like a cockroach. “I thought for sure you’d refuse the offer and fight to the end.”
“Well, I’m happy to disappoint you, dickhead.”
When he was close to her, she snapped
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