Sam’s swirling, shimmering younger version, prancing once more, turned back toward Joe. Make that a terror stricken reanimated Joe.
He seemed too afraid to move. Sam had to remind herself that it wasn’t Joe. It was a demon using his body. And whatever inhabited him knew it was in deep shit.
When the woman got to him, she danced before in an almost erotic rhythm.
“You might not want to look,” Toren mumbled.
Oh God.
Mercury Sam opened her arms and took Joe into her embrace, cradling him to her like a lover. In the next instant the metal of her body became a million screaming whirling blades.
The demon in Joe screamed as she drew him into her arms, sucking him into her body that had become a human sized shredder. His swift end came with a grinding vrrrrrr and a massive spray of blackened blood. Toren made a moan of disgust and turned his head.
Sam watched in horror as the girl continued dancing around from one reanimated being to the other, passing them all through the human grinder.
When she finished, Mercury Sam looked like she’d taken a swim in crude oil, the sticky brown/black clots and globs of tissue all clinging to her body. But she act she’d frolicked in the lake on a happy Sunday afternoon. She still pranced happily about, all the way until she reached Toren.
“I think I’d have preferred you eating them.”
“I don’t eat my prey mister.” Sam's voice continued to come forth from Mercury Sam's throat. She sucked in a breath and wanted to say how creepy it was but didn’t dare.
The girl looked at her then, eyes of solid mercury. "I'm Peggy. You're Toren's Samantha."
Sam made a good effort at keeping her jaw where it belonged. "Pleased to meet you, Peggy." How could this be the same creature that had practically eaten Ezekiel?
“We shall be friends, I believe. This is good. Josephus says he’s sorry for hurting you.” She looked at Toren next. “And sorry for hitting your wife.”
Toren lowered his head and shook it. “You'd better get cleaned up, you’re not coming inside like that.”
“You’re wanted at the war chamber. The quads are all there, waiting for us.”
“All of them?” He asked. “Great.”
Immediately the black ran off of the odd metallic replica of Sam until she was shiny and clean. She curtsied then spun until she was nothing but a ball of light that shot into Toren.
He jolted with a light oomph. “You don’t have to be so damn rough.” He turned to Sam. “We’ll have to clean this up later.”
Sam remembered what they were there for. She jerked toward the house and Toren caught her arm. “Hold your horses. Me first.”
Rather than waste time arguing, Sam followed him into the house. After a careful search they came up empty. Kassie simply was not there. Sam finally broke down in sobs. “I can smell her Toren.” She looked all around, searching for some overlooked hiding spot.
“Okay baby, shhh.” Toren held her close, offering what comfort he could.
Sam sobbed into his chest. “She was right here two hours and seventeen minutes ago.”
Toren pushed her away a little. “You know that for sure?”
She wiped her eyes, considering. “Yes.” She nodded a little then got more emphatic. “I’m positive.”
“Wow.” He kissed her on the forehead. “Was she alive when she left?”
She paused and thought about it. Closed her eyes and sniffed long and deep. “Oh God, yes, yes.” She nodded rapidly. “Alive and…terrified Toren. Oh God.”
“We’ll find her. I swear to you.” He embraced her tightly and things suddenly blurred.
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN
Skylar couldn’t believe where she was and what she was seeing. She kept pinching herself under the giant black stone table to be sure she was awake. She wanted to gawk but kept reminding herself that it was bad manners. On the other hand, it seemed stupid to just sit there like she’d visited with archangels every day of her life, no biggie.
It was bad enough the single archangels all sat across from the quads, staring them down like some diseased specimen under a microscope. For real, they seriously needed to step the hell back.
Skylar did not react well to intimidation. A trait left over from the psychological warfare of her competition days that she often found quite useful in everyday life. But when men tried to show their superiority, it brought out her worst possible traits. That’s what happened when you were called stupid by men all your ever lovin’ life. Especially when those men were barely literate meatheads.
Damn it, when were they going to get this show on the road. She fought the urge to fidget and squirm. Stay calm, cool and collected and don't make Ezekiel or Toren look bad.