But someone else appeared under the archway.
Sampson.
“What’s wrong?” he called out, looking panicked.
Necro turned when she heard his voice and let out a bloodcurdling scream.
The harem girl’s Sheer stepped out of Necro’s body and took off running again. The girl’s form faded just before she crossed the threshold to the courtyard.
Necro swayed, looking dizzy and confused.
Floyd caught her arm for only a second before the Sheer of another harem girl appeared. The Sheer ran toward Necro, glancing behind her as if she was being chased, and Necro jerked back the moment the injured girl stepped inside her body. Just like the first time, Necro looked confused for a second, then terrified, as she took on the expression and even the crooked posture of the dead girl.
She turned and tried to run for the back door, just like the first girl had, but her injured leg slowed her down long enough for Sampson to catch up with her. He grabbed Necro by the shoulders and shook—not too hard but hard enough. “Get the hell out of her!”
“No! Please!” Necro covered her eyes, screaming.
Sampson scooped her up, tucking one arm under her legs. Necro cowered, her screams growing more intense.
“We have to get her out of here,” Sampson said.
“The Outer Door is at the bottom of the stairs,” Angelique called out, pointing.
Sam turned to Link. “Rip her out of here. We’ll meet you on the other side.”
John charged forward and took Necro’s quivering body from Sampson. “I’ve got her. I’ve been Traveling a lot longer than Link has.” John turned to Liv. “Stay with Link. I’ll meet you there.”
She nodded, and Link waited for John to dematerialize.
But a moment later, he was still standing in the exact same spot with Necro screaming in his arms. John looked confused and closed his eyes like he was concentrating. The air around him shifted, and light pricked through his form as if he was beginning to disappear … but he was still standing there.
“It’s not working,” John said. “It must have something to do with the Sheer. I can’t Rip with the Sheer inside Necro.”
“How do we get it out of her?” Floyd asked.
John looked down at Necro, who was hysterical now, and shook his head. “I don’t know.”
Necro’s head snapped to attention, her eyes darting wildly around the room as if she’d heard another sound no one else had.
John turned toward the arched doorway, following her gaze, and Necro wiggled out of his grasp.
“No!” Sampson shouted.
Necro took off toward the back door, dragging her injured leg behind her. The Darkborn ran after her, but even if she could have outrun him, it wouldn’t have mattered. The moment she reached the door, the Sheer stepped out of Necro’s body and kept running down the porch steps and into the courtyard.
Another Sheer—a man wielding a curved sword—darted out of the bushes. He swung the weapon and caught her in the back, slicing right through her body. The Sheer let out a raspy cry as she vanished into thin air.
The murderous Sheer rested the bloody knife against his shoulder, already scanning the area for another victim.
Sampson caught Necro just as she collapsed and, carrying her, bolted out of the room and toward the basement. Link was right behind him. Even though the Incubus in Link was fast, the Darkborn was faster, not to mention the fact that it took Link three strides to match every one of Sampson’s.
“Follow Link,” John called out.
The basement door was open, and Lucille stood in the glow of the doorway. When she saw Sampson coming at her, she pulled her ears back and hissed.
It only took Link a second to realize that Sampson wasn’t the one she was hissing at.
Another harem girl turned the corner and collided with Sam. He pivoted like a linebacker, trying to throw her off, but the Sheer glided right through him and into Necro.
The Necromancer inhaled sharply, like a drowning person who had finally come up for air. She stared past Sampson’s shoulder and pointed a trembling finger. “They’re coming.”
Sampson ignored her and bounded down the stairs.
Link slipped and slid down the first few on his butt. And for once, no one had time to make fun of him. As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he saw Angelique standing in front of the Outer Door—and it was already open.
“Take your time,” Angelique said. “It’s not like I have places to go or people to kill.”
Sampson ignored her and skidded to a halt when he reached the door. The Darkborn shifted his weight, like he was trying to decide whether or not to take the next step. He turned to face the others. “What should I do? Can I take her out of the house?”
Link looked to Liv automatically, realizing everyone else was looking at her, too.
Necro lifted her chin, raising her eyes to the top of the stairs. “No!” she shrieked, trying to claw her way out of Sampson’s arms.
Liv flipped through the pages of her journal frantically.
“There’s no time.” Sampson looked panicked.
John squeezed Liv’s arm. “Trust your instincts.”
She nodded and turned to Sampson. “Take her through.”
“But the Sheer’s still inside her. What if she gets hurt?”
Liv swallowed hard. “The Sheers are anchored to the house. When you cross the threshold, I think it will force the Sheer out of Necro’s body.”
“You think?” Floyd asked, sounding frightened.