Page 78
And then the screams began, piercing, terrible screams.
For it was happening to all of them. All of the terrified immortals who had removed their sunglasses at the sight of the magnificent woman now standing proudly on the empty terrace, staring down at all of them like a monarch preparing to address her subjects. Only her address was silent, Julie realized, and it unfolded with terrible and destructive speed.
All over the lawn, the immortals had begun to wither and decompose, creating little pockets of chaos among the guests. Here a withering arm reached out for nothing; there a desiccated torso collapsed onto a pair of suddenly hollow legs, both becoming clouds of swirling ash.
Chairs and tables were overturned as everyone raced to make an escape.
When a hand seized the back of her dress, Julie screamed.
It was the stately black woman, the architect of this, Julie was sure.
"Come with me," she said. "Both of you."
She held Ramses in a similar grip and pulled them both backwards up the steps as chaos reigned.
"Who are you?" Ramses demanded. He was masking dread with fury.
"I am your queen," the woman answered.
"I answer to no queen."
"Perhaps not," the woman answered. "But you still have one."
26
Inside the house, servants fled down the front hallway.
The woman led them through empty rooms, then out a side door and across a terrace much smaller than the western one. Then they were hurrying through a shady, manicured garden towards a wide gate that stood open across the entrance to the staff road.
Beyond, two gleaming motorcars sat parked. Standing next to each one, a tall black man in a beige suit and tie. Both cars were Unic Landaulettes, each with a pair of backseats that faced each other.
"We can't just leave!" Julie finally cried.
"Why not?" the woman answered. "Everyone else is."
"But Samir and Alex and--"
"No mortals have been harmed by what I've done."
"We cannot abandon our mortal friends to this panic," said Ramses.
"I sent a message!" the woman replied. She whirled on them. Her eyes blazed with anger. "I destroyed those who came to abduct your fiancee. In this way, I have sent a message to the one who sent these lackeys. And the message is this. I am awake, I walk, and I know of his evil designs. These actions of mine call for your gratitude, Ramses the Great, not your disapproval."
Whoever she was, this self-proclaimed queen, she seemed coolly satisfied by their reactions to her shocking words. And she spoke his former title with just enough disregard to indicate she would not be cowed by it.
"We have much to say to one another," she said, more quietly. "And we will do so once there is safe distance between us and this place."
She started for the car parked in front.
Her tall servant continued to hold open the back door to the one parked just behind it.
"That's not enough," Ramses said firmly.
"Enough for what?" she asked.
"Enough for us to feel like anything other than your captives. Captives to whatever poison you used on those guests."
"If I wished to poison you, I would have done so already."
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78 (Reading here)
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131