Scimitar Sun
Page 41
The girl edged forward and took Sam’s hand, coming out from under the bed in a flurry of skirts and petticoats.
“There now, see?” she said, examining the girl for a moment. “So, you must be the captain’s lady, with fine clothes like that.”
“His…mistress,” she admitted, cringing at her own use of the word. “He keeps me aboard.”
“Oh? He doesn’t let you go ashore at all?” Sam wrinkled her brow.
“Only with him. He knows I’ll run away if…if he lets me go alone.”
“Well, I’ll set you free then! How’s that?” Sam said, gripping the girl by the shoulder. “Would you like to be free?”
“Would you?” the girl’s face lit up, her eyes widening. “C…could you?”
“Why sure! It’s easy! Here, let me show you.”
Bright blood sprayed from the girl’s throat behind the razor-sharp obsidian blade, painting Sam’s face in droplets of crimson. The girl’s eyes widened for a heartbeat, two, then faded as she collapsed to the deck.
“See?” Sam said, her tongue flicking out to taste the warm droplets on her face. “You’re free! I told you it was easy.” She licked the broad obsidian blade and sheathed it, bending to relieve the girl of the large ruby ring on her finger.
“Dying’s easy,” she said, her lips pulling back from her sharp, pointed teeth in a shark-like grin. “It’s living that hurts.”