Warily watching Rachoń as the vampire spoke with Samantha, Cassandra gripped Aimee’s hand and drew her girlfriend away from the others. Rachoń’s curious looks in Cassandra’s direction had her on edge and there was no way Cassandra wanted Rachoń to overhear what she had to say to her girlfriend. Aimee, as she tended to do with incredible ease, appeared to understand what had Cassandra so concerned and gave her a slight nod.
Fingers tenderly brushing over Cassandra’s palm, Aimee gave her a reassuring smile while her eyes darted to the doorway to Jeff’s office. Together they slipped through the threshold, and Cassandra shut the door behind them.
“Ugh!” Cassandra exclaimed, clutching her head in her hands. “Vampires! They give me such a headache.”
“Cass, it’s fine. Don’t be nervous.” Aimee’s touch against her cheek was gentle and soothing.
“Well, vampires tend to make me nervous. You know they kill my kind,” Cassandra groused, but leaned into Aimee’s tender ministrations.
“No one touches my girl.” Aimee gave her a brief peck on the lips. “Plus, Cian won’t let anyone hurt you. You already have him wrapped around your little finger.”
“Yeah, dear old vampire dad.” Cassandra rolled her eyes even though the comment pleased her.
She wanted to have a real relationship with Cian, but whenever she was around him she felt apprehensive, which prompted her to flip her sarcasm switch and keep him at arm’s length. He had already made it clear that he wanted to forge a close relationship with her, but it scared her as much as thrilled her. Every time she looked at him, she could see herself reflected in his face. And sometimes what she saw scared her. Cian was a powerful and sometimes terrifying vampire. What did that say about the vampire side of her nature?
Aimee cocked her head and studied Cassandra with a gaze that always made Cassandra feel like Aimee was peeling away all her carefully constructed layers until the witch could peer into her soul. “You’re not a vampire. You may be like him in some ways, like your mannerisms and looks, but his vampire nature makes him very different from you.”
“Are you reading my mind?”
“No, I just know you very, very well. Cass. There is a darkness in Cian that you don’t have.”
“And yet here we are hanging out with him like he’s one of the good guys.”
Aimee shrugged her delicate shoulders. “Compared to The Summoner, he is a good guy.”
Cassandra perched on the edge of Jeff’s desk, mindful not to spill anything onto the floor. “Aimee, he’s going to want the bond between Amaliya and The Summoner broken. And since he now knows we broke your blood enslavement, he’s going to want us to do the same for her.”
“And you’re freaking out why?”
“It’s my blood that broke the bond between you and that asshole!”
Cassandra hated even to think about Frank, the vampire who had kept Aimee as a slave. Though she had gone to Aimee’s rescue, in the end, they had saved each other from Frank’s clutches. Knowing that Aimee had been at the mercy of Frank for so long still angered Cassandra, but at least her dhamphir blood had been able to break the bond between them. Aimee was strong, fearless, and the more level-headed one in the relationship, but Cassandra held her at night when the witch thrashed about in her sleep, still attempting to escape Frank in her nightmares.
“But I’m a witch,” Aimee said. “It’s different.”
“How?”
“Frank’s blood was poisoning me, binding me to him like that. It was like an infection. An illness. Your blood cured me, and it would cure a human who was under the same type of thrall. But Amaliya was created from The Summoner’s blood. She’s a new creature because of him. She’s infused with his power, his blood, his everything. In some ways, she’s a piece of him. Probably more so than his regular vampire offspring like Rachoń and Cian. Maybe your blood could dampen their bond to him if it was an issue, but Amaliya...” Aimee’s brow crinkled even more. “She’s all tangled up in The Summoner.”
“So she’s fucked?” Cassandra liked the idea of her blood staying in her own veins, but at the same time she felt terribly for any person bound by a vampire.
“I could try to figure out if there is a way, but...” Aimee averted her eyes, her fingertips lightly thrumming against her bottom lip.
A chill flowed down Cassandra’s spine and she shivered. “You’re thinking she’d have to drain me totally to get free, aren’t you?”
Aimee flinched. “That’s a distinct possibility.”
“I vote we find another way. I have no desire to die.” Cassandra folded her arms across her small breasts and stuck out her chin defiantly.
“Babe, no one is going to ask that of you. Especially your own father.” It was Aimee’s turn to roll her eyes.
Cassandra’s heels thumped against the desk as she swung her legs. “Yeah, yeah, but still. This is why my kind keeps under the radar. The big bad scary vampires are total dicks when it comes to dhamphirs.”
Aimee set her hands on Cassandra’s thighs and leaned toward her. “Babe, listen to me. You’re freaking out because of the shit that went down with Frank. I get it. But we made it through all of that. We will make it through this, too. I’m a badass witch and you’re a hot sexy ass kicker. We can do anything we put our minds to. I know that.”
Staring into the face of the woman she loved with all her heart, Cassandra’s heart skipped a beat and she found it a little hard to breathe. Aimee was not only beautiful, she was pure power. Her inner strength was undeniable and sometimes a little scary.
“We’re ahead in the game, right? The ring is safe.”
“The ring is safe, Cass. The Summoner has no idea where it is. We’re going to do everything in our power to keep him from succeeding. We’re going to win.”
Cassandra rested her hands on Aimee’s, caressing the slim fingers adorned with layers of rings. She could feel the power pulsing inside the stone amulets. “We just can’t lose. I think of what my mom went through when she lived with the vampires and what it did to her. I don’t want that to happen to everyone in the world.”
Galina, Cassandra’s mother, struggled to retain memories, often slipping into the past when not grounded in the present. She kept a notebook full of tidbits she needed to remember, which included information about her own daughter. Cassandra had to place updated photos of herself alongside the recent entries so her mother would remember her daughter was now an adult. There was only one thing that Galina seemed to be able to remember without her notebook: Aimee. From the moment Galina had met Cassandra’s true love, her mother had full recall on her interactions with Aimee. At first it had hurt Cassandra’s feelings, but then she realized it was Aimee’s inner light that anchored Galina’s mind. Maybe it would slowly heal her until Cassandra’s mother wouldn’t need a notebook to remember that she no longer lived in Austin with a vampire cabal that used her for sex and blood. Maybe at last Galina would stop pining for Cian and waiting for him to come for her.
“A world ruled by The Summoner, vampires, and demons is not one I want to live in either,” Aimee said.
“Cian’s going to ask about the blood bond. What are you going to say?”
“I’m going to ask for Amaliya’s blood. Then I’ll see what I can figure out.”
“But he can find out about the myth about my blood. You found out.”
“There are a lot of myths about dhamphirs, including that you’re boneless.”
“Well, I can do that creepy compression trick,” Cassandra reminded her. It unnerved her, but Cassandra could fit through very small openings. Her body just folded up at her will, allowing her to squeeze through the tightest of spots.
“My point is that there are a lot of rumors about your kind, but not much is absolute fact. Cian’s aware of that. Hell, you aren’t consumed with the unyielding desire to kill him, are you?”
“Well...”
Aimee’s eyes narrowed.
“I’m joking! No. No. And I don’t have th
e unhealthy desire to drink my mother’s blood.” Cassandra made a face. “I see what you’re saying though. He doesn’t know any more than the rest of them when it comes to what I can and can’t do.”
Her girlfriend gave her a brief nod. “We control the information when it comes to what you can or can’t do.”
“I feel like I’m lying.”
“Well, you sorta are,” Aimee said. “We have to take care of ourselves. They don’t know everything that I’m capable of. Heck, I don’t know everything that I’m capable of. And, if you want to be perfectly honest, most of the people in this makeshift cabal don’t either. Amaliya is still growing into her power. So is Samantha. Out of all of us Cian is probably the only one who has a handle on his nature.”
“And then we have the mortals.” Cassandra sighed.
“It’s good that Sergio is going home.”
“Maybe Benchley and Alexia should stay out of this, too.”
Aimee shook her head. “They’ve been a part of this for too long. They know what’s up.”
Cassandra drew Aimee closer, her hands resting on her waist. Peering up at her, Cassandra said, “If you want to go, we can get my mom and try to go find a place to hide.”
Setting her slim fingers against Cassandra’s neck, Aimee leaned her forehead against Cassandra’s. Her bronze-colored hair fell around them like a fragrant veil. “We can’t hide from this.”
With a heavy exhalation of surrender, Cassandra acknowledged this truth. “Yeah.”
“Just let me do the talking about the blood issue and trust me to deal with it. Okay?”
“Okay.”
“And don’t freak out.” Aimee kissed Cassandra’s lips tenderly.
“Keep doing that and the last thing on my mind will be freaking out,” Cassandra whispered, then returned the kiss.
“So what do you think they’re doing in there?” Benchley asked, spearing the office door with an annoyed look.
“Making out,” Eduardo decided.
“Yeah,” Alexia said wistfully. She rocked back and forth on her heels, coming across a tad forlorn.
Jeff gave her a little side hug, striving to comfort her. Alexia’s latest boyfriend had turned out to be a bit of a jerk and the break up was fresh. With a little sigh, the tomboy gave him one of her scarily strong, tight squeezes. She was small, but tough. For the last year she’d been taking krav maga, the Israeli martial arts, and he could feel it in her grip. Letting go of him, Alexia hopped away and sat on the edge of the table.
Jeff glanced over his shoulder to check on Samantha. She was still talking to Rachoń and seemed not to be intimidated at all. The female vampire’s imposing demeanor and keen intelligence made Jeff uneasy. Although Cian had accepted Rachoń’s offer of support of their endeavors, she was still a notorious vampire with a long history of not so pleasant exploits. Perhaps she was good to her family, but she was ruthless where all others were concerned. Jeff couldn’t help but worry about her playing them all for fools and plotting behind their backs. Stupid vampires were easy to deal with. Smart ones were terrifying.
Benchley must have noted his interest in the conversation across the room, because he said, “What do you think they’re they talking about?”
“Rachoń wants to know if Samantha saw Prosper’s ghost in the graveyard,” Eduardo answered, yawning dramatically and flashing his sharp canines.
“Oh.” Benchley obviously hadn’t considered that Rachoń might be interested in such a thing. “I guess that makes sense.”
“I’m sure Amaliya has asked Samantha about Innocente.” Alexia sighed and plunged her hands into the pockets of her hoodie. “Hell, I was tempted to ask about Mom and Dad.”
The siblings’ parents had died in a car accident and only the two kids in the back seat had survived. Their parents’ death was the main reason Alexia and Benchley had come into Jeff’s bookstore seeking answers about the afterlife and how he’d ended up befriending them.
“Well, I don’t like her talking to Sam. We should go over there.” Benchley folded his arms over his chest, set his feet apart, and glowered at the vampire.
“We’re in the same room, Bench.” Jeff was uncomfortable, too, but Samantha looked calm and interested in whatever Rachoń was saying.
“And she’s a phasmagus,” Alexia added.
“And I’m here,” Eduardo said, pretending to stretch so he could flex his impressive arms.
Alexia feigned gagging.
Eduardo grinned.
“Still...” Benchley frowned, ignoring the moment of lightheartedness.
Jeff’s best friend tended to be overly protective of Samantha due to his still unresolved crush on her. Jeff didn’t mind it. Benchley had a terrible track record when it came to dating and tended to be infatuated with unattainable women. Jeff wasn’t too surprised that Benchley mooned over Samantha, but he was hoping he’d be over it soon.
Sergio emerged from the nearby restroom and strode over. Amaliya’s cousin was tall, muscular, and a little imposing until he smiled. He was loyal and good-natured, but tonight he was scowling almost as much as Benchley.
“I guess this is where I call it,” Sergio said. The man was obviously still grumpy about his dismissal.
“It’s for the best, man.” Benchley clapped the other man on the shoulder. “Shit is going to go down and you’ve got kids.”
“Yeah, which is why I should help,” Sergio groused.
“I know it’s not much of a consolation, but I’m not completely in agreement with Cian on not having you involved.” Jeff tried to watch his words carefully, but it stung that Cian had basically taken over the group tonight. “I think you could be an asset, but at the same time you have more to lose...and so does your family.”
“Cynthia would kill me if I got injured, or worse, died,” Sergio admitted, sighing wearily. “She didn’t even want me here in Austin tonight. She wants to take Cian’s offer.”
“Cian’s offer?” Jeff arched an eyebrow.
“Yeah, Cian’s been trying to throw money at us since Grandmama died.” Sergio’s green eyes were rimmed with red and a little watery. Like Amaliya, he had been close to his grandmother and her death had hit both of them very hard.
“Money? Really?” Alexia cocked her head. “What for?”
“He wants us to go into hiding. Somewhere far away. He’s been on me almost every night. But tonight, when Amal said what she did...” Lowering his head while shuffling his feet, Sergio let out a slow exhalation. “Well, I get it. When I thought she had been murdered I was so angry, so full of despair. I would have done anything to have changed her fate. When I found out she was still alive, - well, sorta alive - I was so relieved. Then we lost our grandmother and all those feelings came flooding back. I understand how she would feel if something happened to...” He pointed to himself.
The group around Jeff remained silent. Jeff caught the swift look between the two siblings. They had yet to actually lose someone close to them to the world of the supernatural. The brutality of the hidden world was something he understood very well. Jeff had lost his mother and his leg. Innocente had been someone they had known and liked, but not actually loved.
Eduardo, meanwhile, seemed completely unconcerned.
There was a subtle shift in the air and Jeff glanced over to see Rachoń was no longer in the room. Samantha was checking her phone while sauntering over to the group. She had a distracted air about her.
“Everything okay?” Jeff asked.
Samantha shoved her phone into her purse. “Yeah. Mom’s bugging me about Sunday dinner.”
“I meant about Rachoń?”
Shoulders sagging, Samantha toyed with one of the curls at the nap of her neck. “Uh, I suck as this phasmagus thing. I couldn’t answer any of her questions.”
“Told you.” Eduardo nudged Benchley with one elbow. “Talking about Prosper.”
“Well, I wasn’t much help. I am still struggling with the whole ghost thing. I can’t control which ghosts I se
e. They just show up randomly.”
“I’m totally going to help you with that,” Benchley promised. “I’m already chasing down some leads to get some really primo information.”
Jeff slid an arm around Samantha as she snuggled into his side. “You’ll catch on. You’re the first phasmagus in a very long time.”
“I suppose asking you if you saw my grandmother recently is not the best idea?” Sergio said, hope in his voice.
“I haven’t seen her since that night,” Samantha answered sadly.
Sergio bobbed his head, already surrendered to that possibility. “That’s good though, right?” Sergio looked between the ghost hunting siblings. “It means no unfinished business?”
“It means she went into the light,” Alexia assured him. “She’s on the other side.”
Benchley appeared to be about to say something, but Jeff lightly kicked his ankle. Sergio needed to be comforted, not overwhelmed with Benchley’s many theories about ghosts.
Sergio didn’t notice, or chose not to. The big guy nodded, then looked toward the hallway. “I guess I should say goodbye to Amaliya. Do you think Rachoń is still around?”
“You think she’s scary, too, huh?” Benchley grinned.
“I think she’s nice,” Samantha said. “In a scary sort of way. She really does care about her family.”
“But we’re not her family,” Jeff reminded his girlfriend, giving her a significant look. “She’ll put them first, every time. Even if it means letting us die. Or killing us.”
“I wouldn’t go as far as saying I would kill you,” Rachoń said from the entrance of the hallway, a slight smile upon her full lips. “We’re allies now. I take that fact very seriously. And, I’m trusting you with Baptiste.”
“I didn’t mean any offense,” Jeff said, wishing he’d chosen his words a bit better.
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