Pretty When She Destroys (Pretty When She Dies #3)(93)

“Then he started to astral project, leaving me alone in my body. It was the first bit of real freedom I’d had in so long that I didn’t really think about the consequences of reaching out to you. It was so freeing to see glimpses of your life.” A slight smile touched Bianca’s lips.

Amaliya couldn’t help but to return it. “I can imagine.”

“It was so wonderful. Those little peeks. I thought maybe I could find a way to escape, but then...” Bianca’s gaze briefly shifted to view The Summoner. “Once the twelve rings were here, he harnessed the power to shape himself into a tangible being and our relationship changed.”

It had been clear the night before that Bianca had become well-versed in the art of sex, but Amaliya suspected that had not been the case before her transformation. The Summoner had made her his lover, his slave, and his vessel. “Did he force you?”

Bianca sadly shook her head. “I wish I could say he did, but I gave into his seduction almost immediately. You felt it. Didn’t you? That power...” The rapture of the memory caught her for a moment altering her innocent beauty into something more seductive. “He terrifies me, and I know he’s evil, but...”

“It’s like we belong with him.”

“Yeah. It’s so delicious and terrifying because if I were to totally let go...completely give in...”

It disturbed Amaliya that she did understand. It was as if she were standing on a precipice and if she were just let go of her humanity and attachment to the mortal world she would become untethered and fly through the abyss as a risen death goddess.

Gathering Bianca close, Amaliya rested her cheek against her fair tresses. Bianca snuggled into her, seeking solace, and maybe strength. Sadly, Amaliya knew it was a mistake to try to comfort each other because instantly their magicks mingled and grew in magnitude. It fed into the energy in the room, making the atmosphere thick with magic.

“He couldn’t wait until you were here. I’m a poor substitution for you, Amaliya.”

Amaliya felt a flash of sadness, realizing that Bianca felt like the lesser of them. The Summoner had paid more attention to Amaliya during their night of sex, but she thought it was because it had been so long since he had touched her.

“You’re a powerful necromancer, too, Bianca. I think you’re more powerful than I am. There’s a reason he created both of us.”

“Because of what we were as humans,” Bianca agreed. “But you’re the one he wants at his side. He killed me out of malice. He admitted he thought I was too far gone, driven crazy by my powers, to bring over safely. I’ve been his unexpected consolation prize in all of this. It’s you he really wants. It’s you he may even love. You’re everything I’m not. Everything I can’t be.”

“A f*cked up metalhead with attitude?”

Bianca giggled. “Actually, yeah. It’s your rebelliousness that sucked him in. I’m sure of it. It always fascinated the hell out of me.”

“Yeah? Cian says it’s part of my charm.” Wincing, Amaliya wished she hadn’t uttered her love’s name. It hurt to be without him, to not have him at her side.

“You love Cian, don’t you?”

“Completely.”

“He’s very handsome,” Bianca said. There was a hint of jealousy in her voice.

“He’s amazing,” Amaliya admitted, trying to be truthful, but careful. “When we get out of here, you’ll get to know him and see for yourself.”

Bianca’s eyes lit up. “You still want to escape?”

“Of course.” Amaliya gave her an incredulous look.

“I was wondering because…” Bianca faltered. “The way you were with him.”

Amaliya snorted. “Sex is just sex.” Thousands of years of practice made The Summoner one intense lay, but her feelings for him were decidedly not romantic.

Bianca’s eyes widened. “But it was so…so…”

“You had sex with him. Do you love him?” Amaliya pointed to the still form of The Summoner.

Shaking her head adamantly, Bianca said, “No, but it feels like something important.”

“Only if you have feelings for the other person and you want it to be important.”

“So with Cian it’s different?”

“With Cian everything is perfect,” Amaliya said, the pang in her heart almost too poignant to endure for a moment.

The thought of Cian brought some clarity to her mind and she clung to it. Slipping away from Bianca, she swung her legs over the edge of the bed. The air was a fine cold mist on her skin and when she stood, it weighed upon her like a blanket of snow. Amaliya didn’t know how to kill The Summoner, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t try. Taking a step toward his kneeling figure, she felt the rushing frigid waves of Lucifer’s sword buffeting her. Maybe if she scattered the rings it would make The Summoner dissipate.

“Don’t,” Bianca called out to her. “Don’t step closer. You’ll get caught in its power and then you’ll be lost until he snaps out of the trance. He’ll be angry. He’ll see it as betrayal.”

Amaliya wanted to ignore Bianca, but already she felt as though her feet were turning into lead. A steady weight was pressing on her mind, forcing her to lose focus. Bianca’s hand gripped hers and dragged her back onto the bed. Immediately, she was released from the power of the rings.