Pretty When She Destroys (Pretty When She Dies #3)(34)

“Where are we going, Cian?”

“To Jeff’s store,” the vampire answered. He quickly pulled out of the parking spot, zoomed in front of several cars trying to get out of the lot, and turned out onto the road.

Twisting about in her seat, Amaliya could see their old home still burning. The fire appeared to have skipped to other floors and was consuming the top of the building. She hated to think of the humans affected by the attack on the home she had shared with Cian.

“Do you think The Summoner still thinks we lived there?”

“Possibly. Or it could be a warning shot.”

“What do you mean?”

“A clear signal that The Summoner is coming for us. Even if Etzli and The Summoner know we’re not living there anymore, what better way to let us know we’re being targeted?”

“Do they want us to run away?”

Cian lightly shrugged. “Or they could be trying to get us to go attack them.”

“Or it’s a distraction,” Amaliya suggested.

“To distract us from what?” Cian’s brow frowned at the thought. He maneuvered his car swiftly through traffic, scooting around cars with a supernatural agility that was a little exhilarating.

Amaliya.

Samantha’s voice filled her mind, afraid and desperate. Fumbling with her phone, Amaliya’s hands began to shake.

“Liya?”

“They’re after Samantha!” Amaliya’s quivering fingers managed to activate her screen just as the phone rang in her hands and flashed an image of Samantha flipping her off on the surface. “Sam!”

“They’re trying to get through the ward!” Samantha’s voice exclaimed. “I need you to get here right away!”

“Cian, how far away are we from Sam’s?”

“Fifteen minutes, or more with traffic,” he answered in a tense voice.

“Amaliya, can you do that trick you did in the graveyard?” Samantha sounded scared and impatient.

It took a second for Amaliya to realize what Samantha was asking her to do. “When I dragged you through the ground?”

“Yeah, but come here instead?”

Amaliya searched her memory of that night. “I think I need the dead on either side to work.” It hurt to think of Samantha crouching next to the dead body of Amaliya’s grandmother when Amaliya accidently pulled the blonde to her side using her death magic.

“Think a dead cat will work?”

Amaliya almost laughed.

“I buried my cat in my backyard,” Samantha explained.

“Are we near a cemetery, Cian?” Amaliya asked, craning her neck to peer out the window.

“The Texas State Cemetery,” Cian replied. He turned the wheel sharply, racing up a one way street, expertly avoiding all oncoming traffic, before taking a hairpin curve that placed them closer to the graveyard.

“Okay, I got the dead on this side, Samantha. Get ready.” They were within a block of the entrance to the Texas State Cemetery. Amaliya could easily scale the fence. “Pull over, Cian!”

Cian obeyed immediately. “Be careful, Amaliya!”

“Go to Samantha’s! I’ll meet you there!”

Amaliya scrambled out of the car and sprinted to the fence. The street was briefly clear of traffic, so she jumped it, landing hard on the other side. She swore as her heels sank into the dirt.

“Amaliya, where are you? You need to come here fast!” Samantha shouted into the phone.

“Little bitch, I need you to call to me when you’re near the corpse.” Amaliya felt her power sinking into the ground, calling the dead. The dead answered, the necromantic power filling her completely and vanquishing her hunger. Death sated her just as much as blood.

“Fuck! I have to go outside. Benchley, cover me!” Samantha ordered on the other end.

Amaliya could hear the little blonde swearing, a door opening, and a terrifying sound that reminded her of Godzilla dry humping the Empire State building.

“Okay, I’m about to it. Be ready, bitch-face.”

“Just do what we did that night. Call to me.”

Amaliya crouched down, buried her fingers in the earth, and concentrated on the tendrils of her power reaching out into the night. As always, in her mind she saw them as black glittery ribbons adorned with stars. Within seconds they intertwined with the wispy white mist of Samantha’s magic. Weaving into a thick web, the combined energies grew stronger. Amaliya felt it racing into her, filling her completely.

Come to me, Amaliya, Samantha’s voice said in her head, each word throbbing with power.

The earth opened up and dragged Amaliya down.





Chapter 9


Samantha never dreamed she would be so relieved to see Amaliya spew out of the earth like a zombie in a cheesy horror film. The vampire clawed at the ground, attempting to pull her legs out of the dark brown dirt. Samantha grabbed her icy hands and tugged. Meanwhile, Benchley crouched beside them wielding both a gun and spell bags.

“Ugh!” Amaliya grunted, spitting out grass and dirt, and kicking away the remains of Mr. Kibbles. “Gross!”

“Poor kitty,” Samantha lamented, then noticed Amaliya’s shoes. “Louboutins! You have Louboutins! Cian never bought me Louboutins!”

“Gawd, they’re going to be ruined by the time this night is over,” Amaliya complained.