“Both locks. I’ll release both locks.”
“Deal.”
He reached behind me and dropped a liquid onto the stake holding the chains in place.
“Hurry, hurry, hurry,” I chanted as Angela stalked closer.
“It’s working as fast as it can. The bitch put a spell on the thing so it wouldn’t budge.”
“She’s almost here. Do something.”
The sorcerer glanced up as Angela neared. Her glowing eyes gave her entire face a greenish cast. She looked possessed and furious.
“Crap. You’re on your own.”
He turned and ran, leaving me gaping after him.
“What about our deal?” I yelled.
He waved one hand and kept going.
“You really shouldn’t put any trust in sorcerers,” Angela said, flicking her hair behind her. “They’re not known for being particularly brave.”
“Says the woman who plans to kill me while I’m tied down and can’t defend myself.”
I wiggled against the chains and was surprised when they gave. It wasn’t much, just enough slack for me to lean forward.
She gave a shrug of acknowledgement. “Fair enough.”
The chains loosened further as I rocked back and forth.
“Why do this?” I asked. There was just enough room to shift one arm free. Whatever the sorcerer had put on that stake was working. My struggles were loosening it. “Miriam doesn’t seem that bad. I’m sure she’ll forgive and forget if you just go home and apologize.”
She made a derisive sound. “That old hag never forgives and she never forgets. I wouldn’t go back to her even if I could. There’s nothing for me there. For years I’ve listened to her nag about balance and choices and never once did she teach me about the things she promised would be mine in time.”
The chains slipped around my chest as Angela vented. I leaned forward creating more room.
I was beginning to see why Miriam hadn’t taught Angela the stronger stuff. The girl was a little crazy. There was a major persecution complex there. Probably made her easy pickings for an opportunist like Victor.
“She’ll see, though. I’ll make them all see. The one laughing in the end will be me. They will all bow.”
“Oh man, come on. Enough with the ‘woe is me’ shit. No one cares. Life is hard. Blah, blah, blah. It didn’t go the way you wanted it to. Whine, whine, whine. God, it’s a miracle Miriam was able to teach anything to someone so pathetic.”
Angela’s face turned murderous. “You bitch. You’ll pay for that.”
She stepped forward.
That’s right. Keep coming.
I scoffed. “I bet Victor can’t stand touching you. Who can blame him? He probably can’t bear all the whining. I know I’m tired of listening to it.”
She screamed with rage, the sound ugly and sharp like razor blades.
She rushed forward, hands outstretched. An unseen force pressed against me, trying to force me back through the headstone.
I grabbed a rock lying next to me and hurled it at her face.
She flinched, raising both arms to protect herself.
