Pretty When They Collide (Pretty When She Dies 0.5)(28)

Dr. Summerfield set the book down and rested his hands on it. It bothered Cassandra to see how his fingers trembled. He had suffered a minor stroke a few months back and Jeff was worried about him. Cassandra could understand why. If anything happened to her mother, she didn’t know how she could handle it.

“Cassandra, I don’t like asking you to go into dangerous situations, but if this Aimee is a real, true full-blood witch, you must save her and bring her to me. A witch is very rare and should be protected.”

“So it’s not enough that she’s an innocent woman being forced into slavery by a man?” Cassandra asked sarcastically.

With a weary sigh, the old man shook his head. “Cassandra, please. You know what I’m saying. Aimee is a rarity. The vampires did a very good job eliminating the race. The black witches have only a smidgen of their abilities and that’s why they turn to demons for power. Aimee could be a great force for good in this world if she were free of this vampire. The Assembly could use her.”

“I get that,” Cassandra answered. “But she’s also a young woman who is being forced into slavery. That’s enough reason for me to want to go save her and not turn her over to your cronies.”

“Cassandra,” Dr. Summerfield leaned in toward the webcam, “I have told you before that there are dark forces gathering. The Assembly has been hearing murmurings of something dire percolating in the world of the supernatural.”

“You make it sound like the vampire hunters think the baddies are making coffee.” Cassandra shrugged. “I’m not joining any of your secret societies, vampire hunting groups, or the mysterious Assembly. I’m just trying to live my life and provide for my mother.”

Dr. Summerfield sighed, rubbing his forehead lightly. “You give me such headaches.”

“Look, I’ll go save Aimee. But once she’s free of this bozo, she can do what she wants. It’s her life.”

“It would be safer for her if she came here,” Dr. Summerfield protested.

“I don’t know that.”

“Throughout your childhood I made sure you were safe.”

“And now I take care of myself and my mom.” Cassandra folded her arms over her knees and glared over them. “Look, I knew contacting you would possibly dredge up the whole ‘Cassandra, you should be a vampire hunter’ argument, but I don’t have the need to go kill daddy over and over again like other dhamphirs. Haven’t you driven it into my head my whole life how my father sent my mother away so she would be safe? That it was a noble thing to do?”

“Your father is a good man,” Dr. Summerfield said a tad defensively. “I consider him a friend.”

“And yet you keep me a big ol’ secret.”

“Because it’s the right thing to do.” Dr. Summerfield sounded weary. “I do what I feel is right.”

“Exactly. And I have to do what I feel is right. I love you, you know that. But I’m not going to turn Aimee over to you or your cronies.”

“Will you at least tell her about me and my work and give her the option?”

With a sharp exhalation, Cassandra lifted a shoulder.

“What does that mean?” Dr. Summerfield smiled.

“Sure. I’ll tell her.”

“Thank you. And you really should consider joining the Assembly.”

“Uh huh. Whatevs.”

The old man sighed. “Ah, Cassandra. As stubborn as your father.”

“So you say.” Cassandra wished she could go back in time to the days when she and Jeff got into all sorts of terrible trouble while Dr. Summerfield looked on with affection. It had been a much better time in their relationship. She hated their usual argument about her joining his top secret vampire hunting society. “Anyway, I need to know one more thing.”

“What’s that?”

“Can dhamphir blood break a vampire bond?”

Dr. Summerfield’s face blanched. “Yes. Yes, it can. One of the many reasons why vampires want your kind dead.”

“Other than our tendency to kill our daddies?”

He nodded.

“Well, that settles it. I guess I’m going to go rescue a beautiful witch from a nasty old vampire and help her break the bond.”

“Be careful, Cassandra. The vampire has laid a trap and may exert more influence over the witch than we know.”

With a wide smile, Cassandra answered. “Well, I guess I’ll find out one way or the other.”

Amusement filling his voice, Dr. Summerfield teasingly said, “She must be very beautiful.”

“Oh, she’s totally hot. Smokin’! But even if she looked like Jabba the Hutt, I would rescue her. No woman should be enslaved against her will.” Cassandra shuddered at the thought.

“Yes, but there is a certain twinkle in your eyes that you reserve for the women who catch your eye.”

“Oh, she caught both of them,” Cassandra admitted.

Wearing the expression of a concerned older uncle, he said, “Be careful, Cassandra. Be very, very careful. Sometimes, the knight in shining armor gets eaten by the dragon.”

“Oh, I’m not a knight in shining armor,” Cassandra corrected him. “I’m the ninja sneaking up the back stairs.”