Burn Me Deadly by Alex Bledsoe

Author:Alex Bledsoe [Bledsoe, Alex]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: mystery, fantasy, S&S, hard-boiled
ISBN: 9780765362049
Google: sjk0z0KN77UC
Amazon: B003H4I5RG
Publisher: Tor Books
Published: 2010-04-02T00:00:00+00:00

chapter

FIFTEEN

I

raised my hands immediately. “Ohmygod, ohmygod, I’m really sorry,” I said, and let my voice get high and shaky. “I was just looking for a way upstairs that wasn’t so crowded and got turned around. Please don’t hurt me.” I practically whimpered when I added, “Praise the flame?”

“Right,” the voice whispered, deliberately obscuring its identity. “Now start backing up. Slowly.”

“Please, I can explain; it’s not what it looks like,” I whined.

“You’re making me cry,” the voice croaked drily. “Move.”

I did as ordered. When we emerged back into the ceremonial chamber, the sword jabbed me again. “Stop. Turn around. Put your back against the wall. And keep your hands where I can see them, or you’ll find your guts warming your feet.”

“My guts warming my feet?” I repeated in my normal voice as I turned. “That’s good; can I borrow it?” Then I faced my attacker.

Prince Frederick’s distracted dancing girl stood there in her red cloak, my Shadow Slasher III in her right hand. She held it with ease, the tip touching my navel. “You again,” I said.

She raised the point to the center of my chest. I tensed; this model Shadow Slasher had a safety catch that you had to press with your thumb; otherwise when the blade was turned upright, spring-loaded spikes shot out of the hilt and made a thorough mess of your sword hand. It was a handy thing if you’d been disarmed by the bad guys, less so when a girl you wanted to question might set it off. “What do you mean, ‘again’?” she said.

“I saw you looking around before, and then keeping the other girls away from the prince.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

I nodded toward the gap in her cloak. “I never forget a pair of boobs. Especially when they’re attached to a lizard.”

“They’re all attached to lizards here. So who are you?”

“Just here for the show.” I bowed my head solemnly. “Praise the flame.”

“Praise my ass. You’re too old to be with Marantz’s group, and you’re too clean to be with the . . .” She unconsciously waved the sword as she sought the word. “Natives.”

When the sword momentarily pointed away from me, I jumped forward. I grabbed her wrists, careful to keep the one with my sword pointed down, and spun her back against the wall. I head-butted her, which dazed her enough that she dropped the sword. I grabbed her slender neck and, when she tried to claw my face, slammed her head into the rock hard enough to get her attention. “I’ll smash your brains out the next time,” I warned. “Understand?”

She stared at me, her face shiny with panic sweat. Her hands clutched my arm. Hell, she was really young; maybe my earlier guess of sixteen had been optimistic.

For good measure I lifted her by the neck until she stood on tiptoes. This made the red cloak fall to the floor. Rather than sexy, her nakedness now made her seem achingly vulnerable, a child-woman in a situation way over her head.

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