Pretty When She Kills (Pretty When She Dies #2)(85)

“Yes,” Cian said. The grimness of the moment tainted his voice.

“And he has the ring again.”

“Yes, he does,” Cian sighed.

Cassandra pivoted toward him. “So what did we accomplish tonight?”

“You delayed the inevitable,” Rachon answered, smoothing the dirt with her hands into a mound. “And discovered the truth.”

“Which is basically that the big bad necromancer is back from the dead in the body of a hot chick and we're all going to die fighting him and his Aztec bitch-vamp,” Eduardo summarized.

“You missed something,” Rachon said, standing and wiping her hands on her jeans.

“What's that?” Cassandra asked.

“Etzli was wearing the same ring, too,” Rachon replied.

“Fuck me,” Cassandra grumbled.

“Can I? And your girlfriend, too?” Eduardo teased.

Cian knocked Eduardo off the headstone with a punch to the jaw. Eduardo sprang up, growling, but didn't attack. Sulking, he slid back onto his perch.

Looking a little impressed, Cassandra said, “Thanks, Dad.”

“Don't say that unless you mean it,” Cian said crossly.

Startled, Cassandra said, “Okay. So what do I call you?”

“Cian,” he answered.

“Okay, Cian.”

He looked into Cassandra’s eyes and knew he would not hurt her. Eduardo's crass remark had sparked inside of him something that had long been missing from his internal makeup. He had felt a father's protective love for a second. It had felt wonderful.

“Wait,” Rachon said, looking mystified. “You have a kid?”

Cian slightly smiled at Cass as she grinned back. “Yeah. Isn't she beautiful?”

“So I'm an aunt?” Rachon lifted her eyebrows in disbelief.

“If I forgive you and don't kill you.” Cian regarded his vampire sister thoughtfully.

“You can't blame me for fulfilling his last desire. Vengeance against the one who killed him.”

“Then Etzli and Santos could have killed me, taken Austin, and began their quest to dominate Texas and Mexico.”

Rachon shrugged. “That's what she said they wanted. I told her I didn't care how it went down after Amaliya was dead.”

“And now?” Cian arched a brow.

“Honestly, I want that * dead. He killed Prosper and he would have done worse to me if you hadn't shown up. I...” Rachon fell silent.

“Now you know how it feels to be his pawn, huh?” Cian knew his manner was barbed, but he couldn't help it. “He played you perfectly through Bianca. And it wasn't you he turned to, but Etzli.”

“Maybe he's right,” Rachon said, lifting a shoulder. “Maybe I'm too attached to my family for his tastes. He never liked split loyalties. I always made sure he never saw mine.”

“Until now.”

She nodded.

“So are you in?” Cassandra asked.

“What do you mean?” Rachon tilted her head.

“Those rings tear the veil,” Cian explained. “The veil that holds back the creatures of the pit and the darkness that devours all.”

“Fuck me,” Rachon gasped.

“And if The Summoner wants the rings, your family won't be very safe for long,” Cassandra continued.

“He never told me about any rings,” Rachon said, her betrayal evident for all to see. “He didn't trust me.”

“So are you in or not?” Eduardo asked, showing his teeth.

Rachon slowly nodded. “Yes, I'm in.”

Cian extended his hand to her, and Rachon took with a nervous smile. “This is going to get messy, isn't it, Cian?”

“You have no idea,” Cassandra muttered.

“It'll be fun,” Eduardo said confidently. “Until we die.”



*



By the time they left the graveyard, the story they agreed upon to tell the police was simple. Ethan had hoodwinked Pete, Sergio, and Innocente into believing that Amaliya was alive and that he would take them to her. Instead, he had tried to kill them in a black magic ritual. Sergio, in a rage, managed to overpower him and break his neck. Drugged, Sergio had passed out, not waking until morning when he drove to the nearest town to inform the authorities.

The police would find the camper stuffed with bizarre occult items and a folder full of stolen police records. If they were lucky, the police might even believe that Ethan Logan was the true mastermind behind the Satanic Murders.

Between Rachon’s vehicle and Alexia's, the vampire hunters, the dhamphir, the witch, the vampires, and coyote returned safely to Austin, regretfully leaving Sergio behind to deal with their cover story. Having missed the battle, Sergio felt it was the least he could do. It had been difficult to leave Innocente and Pete's bodies behind in the graveyard.

When they left, Cian had to forcibly carry Amaliya away from Innocente's body. Strangely, it was Samantha who gave Amaliya the greatest comfort as they rode back to Austin. Holding Amaliya's hand, Samantha told her of about Innocente's appearance and the mysterious ghost who had helped her.

“What did he look like?” Amaliya asked, her face streaked with blood tears.

Samantha described her ghostly helper in as much detail as she could remember.