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

coffin that led down into the pit, and brushed some of the dirt from her jeans. "I don't know," she said after a moment, taking a look around. "I'd guess a church."
    "Really?" I sighed. "That's obvious. Are we still in the cemetery?"
    Jackson nodded. “I guess this could be an old church somewhere out there. There’s acres of land and at least one church. Judging by the state of the wood that the pews are made out of, that'd be the best guess I have, but as for geographically ‘where are we?’” She shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I don't have a clue."
    "But we're still close to the Bone Queen." I said.
    "Or Aramis," she added, pointing to the gem around my neck. In the dim light of the church, its glow was pronounced, reflecting against the dark of my shirt.
    "And I'd say we're getting closer," I said. “Let's take a look around then. Stay close."
    Jackson nodded and kept right at my side. I stepped carefully, the floor worn away to bare dirt in many places, though a few still had patches of wood that creaked and groaned when any kind of weight was put on them.
    An altar at the front of the room was decorated with skulls and other bones displayed out by a chalice and a mirror. I shook my head as I walked over to the items. "She's been here."
    "This is where she summons those things," Jackson guessed. "She brings the bones here and raises them here, gives them instructions and then," she pointed back toward the coffin that led to the tunnels they'd just crawled out of, "then she sends them out that way."
    I nodded. "That sounds logical. But why bring the bones here when she could just summon them straight from the ground?"
    "I don't think those tunnels were always here," Jackson said. "What if she had to summon help to look for that stone? She started here and worked outwards through the rest of the cemetery."
    "She doesn't know where it is either," I muttered. "She has as much of a clue as Aramis did."
    "She might have known a bit more than I did," Aramis' voice spoke up.

Chapter 10
    Jackson jumped and grabbed my arm as I immediately drew my pistol and raised it. I took quick stock of the empty spaces around the church, but there was no sign of Aramis.
    Jackson gasped and I looked up to find Aramis suspended from the ceiling with thick wires tied around his arms. Parts of his skin were ripped open, exposing the hollow parts of his chest.
    "We'll get you down," Jackson promised, and started looking for the way up to the ceiling.
    "Over here!" I called, spotting an old, ragged ladder. I put my gun away before grabbing the ladder. Jackson helped me get it planted and then started trying to climb up it.
    "No, let me. I've got better balance." I pushed Jackson out of the way and slowly began making my way up the ladder as it started to rock. Jackson rushed over and held it steady. I nodded thanks as I slowly ascended toward the trapped man.
    "She tried to get the gem from me," he said.
    "And?" I asked, pulling out my knife.
    "She couldn't quite manage to cut it out." He laughed. "Finally just said she'd use me to find it."
    "What?" I froze, knife just above the top holding him up. "This is a trap."
    "What did you think it was?" Aramis sighed.
    Growling, I slashed at the rope, and he plummeted to the church floor, landing on two chiffoniers that rushed in from the tunnels. The ladder rocked again, but Jackson held it steady, kicking at the creatures that came close to her. More creatures rushed into the church all of them crowded around us.
    I rushed down several rungs before launching myself off the ladder and into the closest creature. I plowed my knife straight into its eye, and then rolled across the floor, popping up with my gun in hand.
    Jackson rushed over to Aramis’ side, shaking him as he groaned. "Aramis! Hurry up!"
    She shook him harder as more creatures appeared and started toward her. My first bullet tore through three of the rag and bone men and sent them crumpling into dust onto the floor. Jackson pulled