Pretty When They Collide (Pretty When She Dies 0.5)(14)

“You know what I despise about these trips?” Frank’s words were clipped short by his irritation.

“No, what?” Aimee asked.

“It reminds me how many enemies I have,” Frank answered, staring out the window.

Aimee became aware of the four figures moving out of the darkness toward the limousine seconds before Frank grabbed her and tumbled to the floor of the car.

The black magic spell hit like a tidal wave, washing over the vehicle and sending it spinning on its wheels. Aimee’s protection spell held, but the black magic tore at it like a savage beast. The putrid acidity of the magic made her cringe, but she poured her white power into her personal shields and snagged her magic bag from the overnight case she had left on the floor.

“My guards? The pilot?” Frank cowered next to the seat, listening to the savage clawing of the spell ripping at the car.

Aimee closed her eyes, cast out a quick net of her power, then shook her head. “Dead. All of them. Suffocation spell.”

“Glenn can fly it,” Frank said briskly, motioning to one of the guards in the front seat. “What about the second car?”

Directing the net behind the limousine, she found the SUV with the four guards within. Her protection spell held there, too, but the guards were panicking. The black magic spell was feeding off their fear and would break through that vehicle more speedily.

“The black witch got them, too. They’re freaking out, but should be safe for a few more minutes unless one of them opens a door.” Aimee took a quick peek out the window. The four attackers were shrouded in thick misty cocoons that hid their bodies and faces. The shadowy miasma cackled with dark power. The obfuscation spell masked the black witch. The other three people could be humans, ghouls, or demons. Aimee fought the sliver of fear that tried to wrap around her mind. Fear would work against her, feed the spell, and make it harder to do her job.

“They’re not firing at us, so that’s a good sign,” Aimee said.

“Bullet proofing stopped their last assassination attempt,” Frank pointed out. “They’re not going to try that again.”

“Which of your many enemies is trying to kill you this time?” Sifting through her magic bag, Aimee wished that Frank wasn’t such an *. Most of the spells she had carefully prepared before they had departed on their trip had been used already.

Frank shrugged. “Does it matter? Just get rid of the black witch, so we can get out of here.”

Jerking out three protection spells, she handed one to Frank before scrambling to where the divider was lowering. Glenn and Ivan, Frank’s favorite escort guards, knew the drill. Aimee shoved the spell bags at the two men.

“Crush them if the spell gets through. They’ll hold for a few minutes,” she said.

“We can try to cover you,” Glenn offered, his pistol in his hand.

“You won’t survive stepping out of the car. You’re human. I’m not.” Aimee checked on the four people waiting for the black magic spell to eat through the car’s defenses so they could start their final attack. “I can take them.”

Crushing the last spell and tucking it into her cleavage, she inhaled deeply. The fragrance of sage and rosemary rushed through her sinuses, clearing her head. She might expend every last bit of her power, but she could handle the four things outside the car. The black magic spell was lethal to humans, but basic. It was a good sign that she wasn’t dealing with a black magic witch/demon hybrid. Otherwise, things could get tricky.

Crawling over Frank, she gave him a stern look.

“Stay down,” she ordered.

“Kill them,” Frank answered. “Just f*cking kill them.”

Aimee shoved the back door open and ducked into the cool desert air to crouch behind the car, out of the sight of the black witch. The black magic attempted to slither into the car, but the protection spell she had crushed kept it at bay while she slammed the door shut, cutting it off. It flailed at her, an icy tentacle trying to grip her wrist, but the protection spell held and it jerked away in pain.

The wind caught her hair, whipping it around her shoulders. She dug into her bag and pulled out her last two spells.

“Stupid Frank,” she muttered.

The blood bond between them compelled her to protect him at all costs even though a part of her screamed to be free. If Frank died, she could run away and create a life for herself far away from vampires, black magic witches, and other monsters. Yet the bond that tied her to him twisted inside of her, forcing her to defend him. The thought of him dying terrified and thrilled her at the same time.

“Dammit.”

Again she cast out a net of her power and sensed that the four assassins were on the move. They were attempting to circle the car and surprise her.

Aimee’s lips spread into a ruthless smile. She crushed the first spell and tossed it into the air. It soundlessly exploded into a huge bubble, encapsulating the limousine, jet and attackers. It was a glamour spell. It captured the scene at the second it activated and reflected that image back at the world, hiding what was truly going on within its radius. Juggling the second spell, Aimee waited for the four people to draw just a little closer.

The first one was just rounding the front end of the limousine when Aimee hurled the spell into the air. It burst in a flash of hot white light. The four beings screamed, instantly blinded.