Blood Sacrifice (The Blood Sisters Book 3)

by Jill Cooper

  That girl would go out of the way to put them in danger until it got them killed. For good.

  “I learned from Vaughn. He took to the language easy during our crusades in Britain. I was in a deep sleep, or so it felt, but I heard things. The knowledge he had is still with me. I don’t know if it’ll always be so, but for now I have both his memories and mine.”

  Jessica figured such a thing must be horrible, but she didn’t want to appear overly sympathetic. Luckily, Amanda had that one in the bag. “I’m so sorry, Joseph.” Amanda gripped his hand. “We understand if you don’t want to talk about it.”

  “Yeah,” Jessica said listlessly. “We’ve had enough pain to last us a lifetime. We won’t make you rehash. In fact, there’s a small town not far from here. Good people, nice place. On our way to rescue our friend, we’ll drop you off there. There’s a soup kitchen, homeless shelter. We’ll get you some money along the way. You’ll be fine.”

  Joseph sat up straighter and turned to Amanda. Jessica knew what was coming and she wouldn’t be argued with. She threw some crumpled bills onto the table. Excusing herself, Jessica rose up and headed toward the restroom. Any hope that that would end the conversation was crushed when Amanda charged after her.

  “Jessie, wait!”

  Jessica didn’t slow down, but when she reached the bathroom door, Amanda grabbed her wrist. “You can’t ignore me, Jessica.”

  Her teeth snapped together. “I’m just going to the bathroom. Keep an eye on our little friend, okay?”

  “Why are you doing this? Why are you in such a foul mood?” Amanda’s eyes were hurt and wide. “You feel like a whirlwind of emotion. You’re tying me into knots again.”

  Jessica didn’t mean to and she hated the implication. “How can you even ask me that? Duncan’s kidnapped and you’ve been promoted to queen. Meanwhile we have a helpless plus one, Amanda.” Jessica let out a long sigh and shook her head. Times were tough enough as they were. Why did her sister never see that? “We’re dropping him off and that’s final. If he comes with us, he’ll be killed and since we went through the trouble to save him…”

  Amanda’s eyes fell to the floor. “But—.”

  “No, buts.” Jessica sneered. “And don’t think you can change my mind by touching me, because I won’t allow it.”

  “I would never!” Amanda’s mouth fell open.

  But she had done it before and Jessica wouldn’t allow her to do it again. With the look of heartbreak on Amanda’s face, Jessica wasn’t sure if her sister even realized she had done it. That was even scarier to Jessica. Just how powerful had her sister become? Was the power overriding the good person Amanda was?

  “Go back to the table,” Jessica ordered her. She cringed at how unkind she sounded. “I’ll be a minute unless you want to watch me go.”

  “I know you’re worried about me,” Amanda’s voice was low, “but don’t be so mad that you push me away.”

  Was that what she was doing? “Everything isn’t peaches and cream.” Something their mother always said tumbled right off her tongue—how many years had it been since Jessica had even said that?”

  “I’m fresh from the underworld, Lourdes’s torture, and the hits keep on coming. So if you wouldn’t mind cutting me a little slack…” Jessica didn’t mean to sound so wounded, but she couldn’t keep her feelings at bay any longer.

  Everything just wanted to tumble out.

  Amanda’s face softened and she caressed Jessica’s shoulder. Without realizing it, Jessica let out a long slow breath. “I’m sorry. Sometimes I forget you’re human too.” She turned and left Jessica to herself.

  Jessica hoped she would stay put. Would hope her sister wasn’t really in danger, but she doubted it. Something horrible was coming.

  Something horrible, and Jessica wasn’t sure if this time, it was something she could stop.

  Glancing back to make sure Amanda returned to the table, Jessica hid inside the bathroom. She pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed Aunt Gwen.

  Biting her lip, Jessica paced. The phone rang and rang. C’mon, Aunt Gwen. C’mon…When voicemail answered, her heart sank. “Aunt Gwen, we have another Amanda problem and it’s the size of Pittsburg. If you’re not dead or possessed, call me back.”

  Ending the call, Jessica caught sight of her reflection. Worry lines were growing around her lips and black circles lurked under her eyes, something had to give soon. Exhaustion was wearing her thin and it wouldn’t do her any good

  They had no choice but to get some rest. As much as Jessica hated to leave Duncan in Vain’s care a moment longer, she couldn’t assault Sin Town with her tank on empty.

  “I’m sorry, Duncan,” Jessica whispered. Her heart was rife with pain. She hoped he could hang on a little longer. She was coming; she wouldn’t stop until he was free and if Vain hurt him—if Vain killed him….

  Jessica would choke the life out of her with her bare hands.

  Chapter Two: Amanda

  The motel off of I-70 W had lights burnt out on its vacancy sign and the carpets were worn in the middle. Amanda had stayed in worse—even if the smell of mint barely covered up the scent of cigarettes.

  It was clear from how Jessica slumped into the bathroom, that she needed sleep. She was in the worst state of exhaustion Amanda had ever seen, and, considering Jessica hadn’t slept since the mark of Lourdes was removed, Amanda couldn’t really blame her.

  Amanda leaned against the wall next to the bathroom, able to hear Jessica dropping her boots to the ground. The exhaustion her sister felt, penetrated the wall, cresting like a gentle ocean wave. Poor Jessica, Amanda worried about her something fierce. No one could keep this pace up forever, and Jessica had been at it for too long.

  From next door came the vibrations of sex, as two people went at it like mad banshees. Down even further, Amanda could tell there was a couple shooting up drugs. She didn’t know how she sensed things that far away, but she had a feeling it had to do with the pain racing up her arms.

  She turned them over and gazed at her wrists. Like a puddle of ink, a black welt was trying to grow across her skin, but her healing powers kept it at bay. Driving back the magic or poison, whatever Lourdes had passed to her. Amanda didn’t know how much of it her body could heal. She was already exhausted and the strain inside of her was pulled so tight.

  When Jessica opened the bathroom door, Amanda jumped and stood up straighter. She pulled her hair behind her ears as Jessica flopped toward the beds. She struggled to pull her leather jacket free and Amanda grabbed a sleeve and helped her.

  “Thanks,” Jessica muttered before she collapsed onto one of the twin beds in the room. She tucked the blue pillow under her head. “Feels like heaven.”

  Amanda sat beside her on the squeaky bed. “Thanks for getting Joseph his own room. It doesn’t seem right to drop him off in the middle of the night.”

  It didn’t feel right dropping him off at all, but maybe Jessica was right. Maybe their lives were too dangerous for him. They were headed to Sin Town and Amanda didn’t know what they’d find there. It could be anything, its reputation preceded it. Demons and hexes, henchmen and humans so distraught they were cut off from the world. A place like that needed healing—a cleansing.

  The elephant in the room, of course, was what was happening to Amanda. Something deep inside of her wasn’t right and it was clawing its way to the surface.

  Jessica opened one eye and peered at Amanda. “It’s only temporary.” Her words were slurred as she rolled over under the thin blanket. “Tomorrow when they realize that credit card is stolen; all three of us will be in a heap of trouble.”

  “We’ll be out of here before that happens.” Amanda stood from the bed. “I’m going to go out and get a soda, okay? It’ll just take a second.”

  But Jessica didn’t answer. There was only a light snore and Amanda took a moment to lightly stroke her sister’s hair back. Jessica would worry about her tomorrow, that was a given. For now, big sister needed her sleep
and to take care of herself. Even before becoming a prisoner in the underworld, Jessica had been tired.

  Not that she would ever admit it.

  But Amanda’s bones were jumping, she needed to stretch her legs and she’d seen a soda machine by the front office when they checked in. She crept outside where a light rain drizzled down. Amanda kept under the canopy to keep dry and skulked the outer rim toward the flashing VACANCY sign. Sliding her coin purse open, Amanda took out five quarters and dispensed them into the soda machine one at a time.

  The cola button lit up. She bent over to retrieve the can of soda after it clinked to the bottom. She pulled back the tab with a snap and enjoyed the refreshing bubbles trickling down her throat. When someone behind her coughed, Amanda spun and nearly spat out her soda.

  It was the front clerk guy—unshaven and in a flannel shirt that stretched across his beer belly. Amanda choked down her soda. “Hello. Thirsty.” Nervous laughter flittered out as the carbonated bubbles tickled her nose. Amanda spun the can in her hand to show him.

  “Sure,” he twirled a toothpick in his mouth and Amanda’s heart panged as she thought of Duncan. “You can afford that soda, but not the rooms. Your credit card came back declined. So either you give me another form of payment, or you guys clear out tonight.”

  Tonight? Jessica needed sleep. They couldn’t clear out. They just couldn’t. “I…we’ll get you the money, okay? I promise. I never break a promise.”

  He shook his head with a snort and the heavy aroma of beer drifted off him. “Can’t take a promise to the bank, sweetheart. You’re out. Fifteen minutes or I call the cops.”

  “Please!” Amanda chased after him as he headed back to the office. “My sister really can’t go another night without sleep. Have a heart! I’ll send you the money. Even a little extra if you just—.”

  “That is my being generous, princess. You’re lucky the cops haven’t thrown you out on your asses yet.” He pushed the office door open and Amanda followed him inside.

  Sweetheart. Princess. Who did this guy think he was?

  Amanda grabbed his arm and tore the toothpick from his mouth. His eyes widened as she tossed it to the ground. “You’re going to let us stay the night. We’ll clear out first thing in the morning. I promise you.”

  “Who the hell do you think you are?” He gripped the front of her shirt and yanked her forward.

  Amanda yelped and thought to retort the queen of hell, but she really didn’t want to be the queen. She didn’t say anything, but her vision spun. Her own breath echoed in her ears as a vision of a little boy appeared in her mind. He was cowering in the corner and crying. A big man in a white beater shirt wielded a wide wooden plank against the boy’s hide.

  Despair and grief washed over Amanda and she let the man’s arm go. Everyone had their own pain.

  He backed away from her and slammed into the cluttered front desk. “You some sort of angel or something?”

  Amanda shrugged. “Let’s go with the ‘or something’.”

  He gulped and nodded hard. “Stay as long as you want.” He stuffed her hand full of coupons for the diner across the street. “Breakfasts on me and your rooms…don’t worry about the bill.”

  Amanda cringed. She didn’t want anything for free. She certainly didn’t want to go around convincing people things had to be ‘her way’. Jessica needed her rest, but that didn’t really make it right, did it?

  “That’s really not necessary. I’ll send the money.”

  “Your money isn’t good here.” He walked past the front desk and pulled back the beaded curtain to head into a small living room. “The booze, the beer. I’m like my old man, but it stops tonight. I swear.”

  He turned to her with tears in his eyes. “I swear.”

  Amanda felt woozy as he slipped past the curtain. She didn’t know what he felt, what she had done to him, but it had been strong, powerful, and it left her head spinning with a light gnawing headache. Outside the window, the land changed. The simple green landscape turned a bitter red and the lush grass turned into a dark smoldering cavern.

  What she was seeing couldn’t be real. It couldn’t.

  Pain surged up her arm. Amanda moaned and grabbed onto the door’s handle to keep from falling over. The black veins were growing up her arm. This time it wouldn’t be slowed. Like an ink stain it rushed up her arm, traveling up her elbow and made a beeline for her shoulder. No, no this couldn’t happen.

  Amanda wasn’t ready. They hadn’t gotten Duncan yet. He was still captive and Amanda had to help him! Plus, well—she didn’t want to go. She wasn’t ready. Amanda had a life to live and that didn’t involve running the underworld!

  She gulped and her heart surged with a flurry of beats. Swallowing hard and taking a deep steady breath, the healing vibe in her gut radiated out. Slowly the black vein on her arm began its retreat, pulling further back until it was a single pinprick on the palm of her hand.

  But the moment the healing energy stopped its pulse, the ink stain spiraled out again, like a spider web on the palm of her hand.

  Amanda massaged her hand and felt the black veins as if they were raised up like brail. Her skin didn’t feel like it should anymore where the veins were created. To keep it at bay her healing energy would need to be active all the time and not in a passive way. As in, she had to concentrate just to keep it under control, way.

  That would be exhausting and eventually it would become all consuming.

  How could she do this? How?

  ****

  It took more than a few minutes for Amanda to feel strong enough to head outside. The landscape was back to normal and whatever had swelled in her vision was replaced with a cloud of golden dust. Like a torpedo it rocketed down to the Earth and with a slam, landed on its bare feet in front of her.

  Amanda jumped back across the pavement, her hands clutched together. It was Miriam, the angel she’d freed from Vaughn. The angel’s wings folded down against her back. She stepped toward Amanda with a menacing scowl. Her eyebrows pinched together firmly and her eyes narrowed like a sharp blade.

  Her voice echoed against the mountains in the distance. “You saved the world, Amanda Blood, from the likes of Lourdes. It isn’t fair, it isn’t right, but the underworld needs its queen.” Her hand rested on the hilt of her golden sword. “You will go to Hell one way or another. I prefer we do this the easy way.”

  Amanda held up her hands and stumbled backward. “Wait, please!” Her heart was in her throat. She wasn’t ready. Would she really be cast away as if she were an evil plague?

  Miriam’s steps were slowed as a wall of wind slammed into her. “Already you’ve harnessed more power than any human has a right to. You must head into the underworld and it is my job, my responsibility to send you there. Or else the others will come for you, child, and they won’t care if you suffer as, I do.”

  Her heartbeat wouldn’t be slowed. It quickened and Amanda searched for an answer. She couldn’t go without saving her friends and saying goodbye—how would she ever say goodbye to Jessica? Oh, her heart was heavier with grief than it had ever been before. “I can hold on a little longer, I beg you, Duncan—.”

  Miriam smirked. “Can you? I don’t do this with happiness, trust me. You saved me and I didn’t know how things would go, but now it’s written in the stars, Amanda. You are the new queen. You must descend to the throne or chaos will leak from Hell onto Earth.”

  Amanda’s eyes widened. Certainly she didn’t want that for the planet. If she could stop that, she would. “But Duncan…he’s being held prisoner. I can help him. I can, please. I’m just asking for a little more time. Then I’ll go.” Amanda swallowed hard. “I’ll go willingly.”

  “The call of the underworld can’t be ignored for long.” Miriam stood up straight, but at least her hand no longer hovered on the hilt of her sword. “I can give you no longer than thirty-six hours. Your presence will be like a magnet to evil. They will want to serve. Your presence puts your loved ones in dang
er.”

  “You no longer serve your friends, Amanda Blood. No longer of the light. You’ve inherited darkness through the blade of sacrifice. The world owes you a gratitude that can never be spoken.”

  Amanda gulped and stared at the angel. Her words couldn’t have hurt her more if Miriam tried. The idea that she would hurt Jessica? Duncan? Those she only wanted to save? All her life all Amanda had wanted to do was help people. To serve good, but now she was being told she was of pure darkness?

  It wasn’t right. Wasn’t fair.

  “I won’t resist, I promise. As long as I first can go to save Duncan. He deserves our help”.

  Miriam nodded. “Your sister will resist. She will never let you go willingly. Heaven has seen the fight she will put up and it must be avoided. You must keep the truth from her. The balance of power is more important than one person. I’m sorry, I wish you were not that person, because of all that you’ve done. The help you gave me and those I serve, but heaven is on standby. They will stop Jessica if they must. By any means necessary”

  Her words rung in Amanda’s ears. She had to lie to Jessica? The one person who knew her better than she knew herself? There was no other choice but to nod. “I know,” she said, but her voice quaked and the sob rocked in her throat.

  “Thirty-six hours. Get Duncan out of Sin Town and stay far from Vaughn’s host, Joseph. He will only bring you trouble.”

  Amanda thought to ask her what she knew, but she was gone. Miriam shot through the air like a rocket. One moment she was there and in another moment, she was gone. Coasting through the sky, she left a trail of gold glitter in her wake.

  Heartbroken and exhausted, Amanda entered the hotel room she shared with Jessica. Her sister was sitting up in the bed with her phone in her hand. “Everything all right?” Her sister’s voice was guarded.

  Amanda slipped into bed beside her, but could barely bring herself to look at her. Jessica, her dear sister. Her champion. A fighter and now, what, they were on opposite sides of a war? “Just tired. Can we leave first thing? After we drop Joseph off at the shelter? Eat breakfast on the way?”