Chapter 41

Just for the briefest of moments, her face softened. “Don’t,” she whispered.

“You loved him. Like she loves me and I love her, like my friend here loves his wife, the women who I’m going to help him find.”

The scowl returned almost as quickly as it had disappeared. If my one-time friend really was both human and undead, as she’d said, it was clear which part was stronger. “Johnny is dead. They’re all dead, Creature. It just takes some people longer to realize that.”

I gave up. There was no point in arguing with her anymore. She wasn’t the queen I’d known, just a close facsimile. In any case, seconds later, she was gone, the door locked behind her, the grains of sand in my hourglass quickly running out.

“Well,” said Dara, “she’s even lovelier in person.”