The beast’s eyes snapped open, a hot infuriated blue. I yanked Slayer free and chopped down, straight into the wound. Bone crunched under magic steel. The head rolled free from the stump of the neck.

I slid against the wall, trying to catch my breath. I’d just rest here, for a second. My chest hurt with every breath. Ow.

The beast lay still.

I spat blood out of my mouth. “Clear!”

Thuds came from the bathroom. The door burst open and Andrea stepped into the hallway. “Holy shit.”

I tried to wipe the blood from my face, but since my hands were bloody, I just smeared some more gore on myself. Great thinking there.

Desandra peeked over Andrea’s shoulder. Her eyes widened. “What the hell is that?”

“Ever see one before?” I asked.

“No.”

She sounded sincere to me. I’d seen all kinds of odd things, but I’d never seen one of these either.

The body shuddered. Andrea jerked her crossbow up. I jumped to my feet.

The golden scales boiled, viscous like molten metal, and shrank. A beheaded human torso sprawled in the hallway. I nudged the now-human head so I could see the face. A man in his forties. Brown hair, brown beard. Never saw him before.

Andrea swore.

I leaned over, trying not to wince as my chest protested, picked up the head by the hair, and showed the face to Desandra.

She shook her head.

“Maybe someone in the hall knows. Why don’t we go and ask?”

Andrea nodded at the floor. “Any of the blood yours?”

“It doesn’t matter now, does it?” Hugh had me here in the castle. He went through a hell of a lot of trouble to get me here. He wouldn’t have done it if he weren’t certain of the only thing my blood would tell him: I was his boss’s daughter.

“I suppose it doesn’t,” Andrea said.

We went down the hallway, away from the grate.

“What are we going to do about Hugh?” Andrea asked.

“Nothing, until we know what his plan is.”

“Who’s Hugh?” Desandra asked.

“Someone we both know,” Andrea said. We turned the corner, crossed another hallway. The noise of the hall was getting closer.

Suddenly Desandra stopped. She covered her stomach with her hands. Her expression went slack.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Somebody just tried to kill my babies.” Desandra blinked and vomited on the floor.

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 8

I walked into the great hall, carrying my sword in one hand and a severed head in another. As one, people stopped what they were doing and turned to look at me. Nostrils flared, sampling the blood stench. The conversation died.

Hugh saw me and froze. Either he was one hell of an actor or he had no idea what had happened.