Undead and Unwelcome

Chapter 56

Laura looked delighted to see me crawl back into the room. “Good. I was hoping to beat the sin right out of your silly vain carcass, and I wasn’t sure I had finished the job.”

“Your mother’s in the yard.”

Laura, already reaching for my throat, hesitated. “Don’t lie, Betsy. You’ve tried everything but that.”

“But she is. I just talked to her. She said she gave Marc the idea about how you could use your followers to kill vampires.”

“That isn’t true.” But she didn’t look at all sure of herself. “Marc would never hurt me.”

She reached for me again and I batted her hand away. “He’s not the one out to push your buttons, dumbass! She is. This is, like, phase five of her plan to have you take over hell when she retires.”

My ears rang and I realized she’d slapped me so hard and fast that I’d barely seen her hand move. “Stop talking about her!”

“Laura, she wants you to do everything you’re doing.”

“That’s not true! I’ve been doing good! We’ve been killing demons!”

“No, you’ve been suckered. If you won’t stop for my sake, or your own, then stop for no other reason than because it will completely foil your mother’s wicked-​ass plans for you.”

Here came the bright light. Here came the sword, straight for my heart. Here came the killing blow, and thank goodness, because one way or the other, it meant the fight was almost over.

I sidestepped and punched Laura in the eye. She went down without a sound.

I didn’t realize until it was too late that she’d swung wide on purpose.