The Pulptress Versus The Bone Queen: Blood and Bone by Andrea Judy

dark wall where his gem glowed the brightest. After a few seconds he was able to push his hand through the wall. He frowned and pulled back.
    “I can feel an open space behind this wall,” he explained.
    I pushed my arm through the wall and after getting elbow deep into the dirt, my hand burst free on the other side and grasped at the air. “Help me clear this space,” I said.
    Jackson and Aramis moved quickly and the three of us began digging with our hands through the dirt packed wall. Within a few moments, the dirt crumbled away to reveal a narrow hallway.
    I didn’t wait before starting down the hall. She’d made a fool of me ripping the stone from me like I was a pathetic baby. I clenched my fists. I would stop her no matter what.
    Aramis and Jackson stayed right at my heels.
    We turned a corner and a sharp beam of light pierced the darkness. Instinctively, I threw a hand over my eyes.
    "Okay, tell me you see that light at the end of the tunnel too?" Aramis said.
    "Yeah. Yeah, I see it. Is that daylight?" Jackson asked.
    "Somehow I doubt that," I said. "It's probably a trap of some sort."
    I closed my eyes for a moment and just listened, hearing the distinct scratching of metal against stone.
    "Stay back," I said.
    Aramis frowned at me. "You're hurt," he reminded me.
    "I am aware." I grunted.
    “Let me look first at least,” he offered, and stepped toward the light before I could stop him. I waited only a second before going after him. Behind me, I heard Jackson curse, then follow after me.
    Aramis stepped into the light, and I heard him take a sharp gasp of air. I rushed in, gun at the ready.
    A man I hadn't seen before stood up. He wore a long black robe and his head was covered in pale blond hair that lingered down and looped around his chin into a beard. Most of his teeth were missing and his skin sunk, pale and yellow against his bones. He gave me a toothless grin as he pulled his sword from its hilt. "Ah, the Pulptress. I see you still keep good company, Aramis."
    "Been expecting us, I take it?" I asked, carefully stepping into the room, keeping a safe distance from the tall, thin man as I made my way to Aramis’ side.
    "I've been waiting quite a while for you to get here," he confirmed as he held his sword at his side and shifted his weight from side to side on his feet.
    "So sorry to make you wait, I hate being late," I said taking a slow step forward and raising my pistol.
    "Going to shoot me where I stand?" he asked, still smiling.
    "Why wouldn't I?" I replied, aiming between his eyes.
    “Don’t.” Aramis put his hand over mine and slowly lowered my gun.
    The man grinned again. "So you do still have some sense left, Aramis.”
    “More than you,” Aramis said. “What are you doing here, Eten? I thought you were long dead and gone.”
    “I was, but she has a way of bringing you back, doesn’t she?” he asked, looking down at his hands where the skin had started to peel back from his bones.
    “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t blow him to kingdom come right this second,” I demanded of either man.
    “Because I'm the best chance you have of finding what you're looking for." His grin widened as he spoke. "You're trying to find her, trying to kill her, trying to stop death."
    "And you're working for her," I said, keeping my gun ready.
    "And I know where she is," he said simply, scraping his sword across the ground. Sparks jumped from the blade to the stone floor before flickering out again.
    "And you're just going to tell us?" Jackson finally spoke up, peering out from behind me.
    He laughed. "Oh no. She's told me all about you, Pulptress. All about how you stopped her in Paris."
    "More like slowed her down it seems," I muttered, tightening my grip on my pistol, feeling the tension of the trigger under my finger. "Get to the point, dead man walking."
    "If you shoot me, I'll fade to dust without telling you a thing," he said.
    "And what? If I let you go, you'll tell me what I want to know?"