The Ripple Effect (Rhiannon's Law #3)(4)

I placed the cat in front of me, grabbed Goose by the hair, and ordered, “Open your eyes.”

The moment the entity complied, it met the stare of the reanimated feline. I released Goose, grasped the furball by the scruff of the neck, and removed the blade at my side. The hilt vibrated in my palm, eager and hungry. Sucker wanted blood but would have to wait. I needed the power it contained for something else at the moment. The instant Goose collapsed, the cat went crazy. In situations like these, you had to trap an entity inside something that was already dead to truly finish it off. The moment it entered the cat, it became trapped in death, not the life it loved to travel to and from.

“See you in Hell,” I whispered and forced the struggling cat to its side. The blood inside the decaying body didn’t appease the blade, so it was cake to remove the cat’s head. The moment it was done, the dark presence I’d felt the moment I entered the house vanished.

It was over.

Thank you God.

I swayed as lightheadedness overcame me and black speckles marred my vision. How long had it been since I was this weak? I knew the answer, even if I wanted to deny it. This afternoon was the first time I’d done anything dangerous without the amulet. At the present moment I was just a necromancer with her normal abilities. Blackness rose to claim me, but I fought it. I shook my head, trying to ward off the danger of slumber.

I toppled forward and landed beside my partner in crime—Ethan McDaniel, AKA Goose: paranormal investigator and the one person I needed to learn to tell no. Blinking rapidly, I tried to stop the world from spinning. This was the thanks I got for agreeing to work part-time with a friend. He’d said it would be a great learning experience, but so far it had been nothing more than a pain in my ass.

I heard the front door open and tried to make it to my feet. Before I could accomplish that, a large set of hands grasped my shoulders and flipped me over. Paine gazed down at me with concern. I would have said something cocky to remove the worry in his expression, but my tongue was too heavy. After he checked Goose’s neck for a pulse, he looked me over, stopped at my haphazardly bandaged hand, and frowned.

“Damn it. I knew you and Ethan should have waited for me. Why don’t you ever listen?”


He sighed, cradled me against his chest, and brought his wrist to his mouth. I wanted to tell him I’d be fine as soon as I got home and used the amulet, but it was useless. After he scored his skin and his blood started to flow, he placed the twin punctures to my lips.

“Don’t make this harder than it has to be. You’ll drink willingly or I’ll force my blood down your throat.”

It had been weeks since I’d taken vampire blood; I didn’t need it when I wore the amulet. The powerful token was enough to heal my wounds and keep me out of harm’s way. Now I didn’t have any other option but to take what Paine offered.

His blood splashed against my tongue, slightly citrusy and sweet. I swallowed until the cuts in my hands started to tingle, signaling his blood was hard at work mending my wounds. He didn’t fuss when I pulled away, which was an added bonus. Paine and I had developed a friendship—perhaps something more—which was amplified by the bond we shared. Since we’d taken each other’s blood, I was able to perceive his anger and worry.

“We’re fine.” I swiped at the remaining blood on my lips. “Goose took a beating, but he’ll be okay.”

“Yeah, you both look fine to me.” His onyx eyes saw far more than I wanted them to, so I quickly looked away. Yes, he was a friend. But the things that had transpired between us complicated matters.

“The entity was tied to the building, so a normal binding circle didn’t work.” I accepted the hand he offered. Once he helped me to my feet, he placed his hands on my hips. “I had to use holy sand.”

When I stumbled, Paine snaked his arm around my waist and pulled me into his chest. His face was so close I could feel his cool breath against my nose. We stood together, so temptingly aware of each other. I’d tried to maintain a relationship that didn’t go beyond friendship, and Paine tried to do the same. He knew I was still in love with his best friend—Disco, my former lover, the vampire I was marked by and beholden to, and the man I wanted to forgive despite my inability to do so. However, Paine also knew that he and I had done something together that couldn’t be taken back. Something he couldn’t recall. His future self was nothing like his present one, even if both versions wanted me in the same way.

As if it was preordained, the very vampire I had managed to avoid for weeks stepped into the house and caught Paine and me in a very compromising position. It was the first time I’d seen Disco since he’d invaded my mind without consent, broken my heart and trust in the process, and placed an enormous wall between us. I would have released Paine if the bond with Disco didn’t swamp me, surrounding me in waves of love, fury, and jealousy. It was something I wasn’t accustomed to. Disco usually kept the mark between us closed.

“Get away from her,” Disco growled and strode into the room. He was clothed in his usual black ensemble, making his honey blonde hair all the brighter, his aquamarine eyes more prominent in the dim lighting of the room.

Paine didn’t budge. “She was hurt. I’m waiting for my blood to heal her.”

Disco advanced, using long, catlike strides. It wasn’t fair. A part of me wanted to run into his arms, hold him close, and never let go. Self preservation and terrifying memories made me want to kick him in the nuts and get as far away as possible. When he was within range, he forced Paine aside and reached for me. I couldn’t help my instinctive reaction. I jerked from his touch and took several steps back.