Pretty When She Destroys (Pretty When She Dies #3)(68)

Chapter 18


September gave way to October. October faded into November.

The heat of the summer gradually faded away as cold fronts slithered across Texas, dropping the temperature in Austin to a much more palatable degree. Austinites started to don their sweaters, hoodies, and boots, leaving their shorts, tank tops, and flip-flops in their closets. The leaves of several species of trees turned dull orange and yellow, while others shed their coats completely. The chaotic energy of summer gave way to a more relaxed atmosphere as the holiday season loomed on the horizon.

The transformation of the city around the small cabal was barely noted as they fought their battles against the growing tidal wave of darkness threatening to devour the world.

It became increasingly evident that while Cian did not want to make vampires as cannon fodder, The Summoner was perfectly willing to do so. As the reports of missing people in San Antonio and the surroundings towns escalated, fledgling vampires crazed in the madness of bloodlust began to invade Austin on an almost nightly basis. Aimee’s perimeter spells instantly alerted the witch to any incursions. Tracking spells immediately went into effect, allowing Cian’s cabal to chase down the intruders and eliminate them. Most of the trespassing into Cian’s territory took place in less populated areas, which the vampire master regarded as The Summoner’s attempt to observe either Samantha or Amaliya’s powers from afar.

With that in mind, Cian deliberately kept Amaliya and Samantha back from the front lines. Cassandra, Aimee, Baptiste, Eduardo, Cian, Jeff, and Benchley managed quite well against the intruders with the invisible assistance of Roberto and his growing army of sentient ghosts under Samantha’s remote control. Amaliya, though frustrated, raised her zombies and sent them out to patrol nightly while remaining behind. She no longer had to have her blood spilled in the cemeteries around Austin to raise the dead, though she still had to shed her own blood to activate her magic. It was obvious by the startling human appearance of her zombies and their super-human strength that she was growing in her power. She could now observe through the eyes of her raised zombies, something she could never do before.

Even as the cabal grew in strength, they were aware of the dwindling number of days until the inevitable battle against The Summoner.

***

Cassandra vaulted through the air and landed behind the rabid vampire. The creature twisted about, baring long fangs. The dhamphir barely registered the woman’s youthful appearance before slamming the stake through her heart and barreling toward the next vampire.

White flashes of light zipped through the night as Aimee tossed orbs of magic at the rush of vampires descending on the old neighborhood on the east side of Austin. Bronze hair flying about her face, she levitated off the ground, her magic swirling around her like a rainbow.

Meanwhile, Baptiste cast conflagrations at the vampires, setting them aflame. Before the dying vampires could set the dry foliage about them on fire, the elemagus wrapped them in swirling winds and lifted them into the air to let them burn to ash.

Cian slashed his way through the vampires, decapitating them with a swipe of his obsidian blade. Around five of the blood-crazed fledglings leaped onto him trying to take him down, but he easily flung them off before dispatching them.

Benchley hurled spell bags at the assaulting forces. On impact magical vines of power wrapped around the vampires and dragged them down to the ground where it was easier for Jeff to plunge stakes into them.

In his beast form, Eduardo gleefully tore limbs from the vampires. Chunks of flesh and blood spray followed in his wake.

“How many left?” Cassandra gasped.

“Maybe twenty!” Aimee shouted back.

The neighborhood street glowed with suppression spells keeping the humans inside their homes and out of danger. Red-eyed, fearsome vampires ripped through the shadows. Crazed with the bloodlust, the feral creatures hurtled themselves at Cian’s cabal. Nearly fifty were scattered across the ground or burning to ash in fiery whirlwinds spinning above the ground. It was the biggest incursion yet.

Cassandra slashed at a vampire with her silver-bladed daggers, taking it to the ground where she could lop off his head. After burning so much of her blood power, she was starting to tire. Nearby, a vampire tackled Benchley from behind. Cassandra started toward him when she saw Cian materialize next to the fallen man and jerk the vampire off him and toss it into an oncoming group about to tackle them.

Aimee and Baptiste set the attackers on fire with a combination of magicks. The cool damp air filled with ash while steam rose into the night.

The Summoner’s vampires were relentless in their madness. Cassandra swept her blade through the neck of one vampire, then seconds later felt fangs clamp down on her shoulder. With a scream of pain, she grabbed the attacker’s thick dark hair and wrenched it from her flesh. The vampire’s teeth rent a hole in her sweater and skin. Cassandra tossed the growling creature to the ground with an angry grunt. Before she could move in to kill it, Aimee hit it with an orb of light that set it on fire.

Blood, hot and coppery, pumped from the wound and Cassandra pressed her hand against it to staunch the bleeding. The vampire had hit something major. She had to burn even more of her blood power to heal, making her dizzy. Cian abruptly landed before her and grabbed her hand away from the wound. Without hesitation, he clamped his mouth over it and she felt his cold tongue probe the wound. Aimee slid through the air toward them, bolts of magic erupting from her hands as she kept the vampires at bay. Removing his mouth, Cian tore open his wrist. Already Cassandra’s wound was starting to heal as his saliva worked on it.