5
Zahara and I eye each other and I catch her slight smile. I laugh.
“We’re not gonna fight,” I tell Sophia.
“Not over your key, you evil b***h,” Zahara adds. “We’ll be able to take it from your corpse soon enough.”
“Well, you can’t both have it,” Sophia says through dry cracked lips.
“How are you not…” I pause.
“Already ash,” Zahara finishes for me.
Sophia barks out a laugh. “I applied my sunscreen yesterday. It will become less and less effective.”
“Maybe we can…” I look around. Crap, the tide is still approaching. “Look, if I help you, do you promise not to bite me?” I ask.
“Would you believe me anyway?”
“No,” Zahara says at the same time I say, “Yes.”
“Look, Brandee,” Zahara tells me. “I’m not helping this blood sucker. I’m going to have a look around the island. If you want
