Pretty When She Destroys (15 page)

“I’m already working on a new ward,” the witch said, her expression pensive. She sat cross-legged on the sofa between Cassandra and Baptiste, her bare feet sticking out from the folds of her flowing, embroidered skirt. “I’m sure I can adjust the wards. I’ll need to borrow Amaliya a few times to make sure it holds up against necromancy.”

“Can do,” Amaliya said.

Cian could tell she was bored. He wanted nothing more than to go home and crawl into bed with her, but there was much to discuss.

“Also,” Aimee continued in such a way Cian knew her next phrase may upset a few people, “Amaliya and Samantha both practice forms of death magic. It’s technically dark magic. That may make it a bit difficult to tune the ward.”

“Dark
magic?” Samantha’s brow furrowed. “Jeff, it’s dark magic?”

“Yeah, but not black magic. It’s because it involves dead things, not living things like white magic. Don’t panic.” Jeff cuddled her up tighter.

“Who fuckin’ cares what kind of magic it is as long as it kicks The Summoner’s ass?” Amaliya said. “C’mon. That’s what really matters.”

Aimee nodded somberly. “Exactly.”

Cian didn’t want to get into a discussion about magic, so he plunged onward. “Honestly, I think the most positive outcome of the night is that we now have everyone gathered under two roofs. As far as we know Aimee’s spell to hide the location of my house has worked. Sadly, it won’t take too much to find Jeff’s, but it is the best fortified of both houses. The old wards that Dr. Summerfield placed on the house are still holding according to Aimee. I think a few additions will make it even safer.”

“Plus, this house is built on a positive energy nexus. I need it to renew my energy and so does Baptiste,” Aimee pointed out. “I also have another idea.”

“Go on,” Cian urged.

“I think I can create a magical grid that will allow us to know when supernaturals enter the city. Like an early warning system.”

“Awesome idea, babe!” Cassandra flashed a prideful look at her girlfriend.

“It may take a little bit of work, but once I’m done with the wards, I’m sure I can come up with something really effective.”

Benchley loudly cleared his throat. “Okay, you supes are all in the same spot, but Alexia and I are not so safe, right? The Summoner is probably going to figure out who the hell we are, right?”

Jeff winced. “Yeah. You’re on my website.”

“The website!” Alexia groaned, covering her face.

“So, we should move into one of the two houses, too.” Benchley looked between Cian and Jeff. “Right?”

Amaliya gave Cian a significant look at the same time Samantha did the same to Jeff. Cian knew neither woman would prefer to take Benchley into their abodes. The man was helpful, but he’d been increasingly on their nerves with his pessimism during his training sessions with the women.

“We’ll take Alexia,” Cian decided. “She’s building a command center in my basement, so it makes sense.”

Amaliya instantly looked relieved.

“I think that makes sense. Besides, Bench has been helping Samantha with her training,” Jeff agreed.

Benchley looked pleased.

Eduardo cleared his throat loudly.

“You’re not moving in with us,” Cian said swiftly.

“Ah, c’mon. I could curl up on the end of the bed.” Eduardo smirked. “I can keep Amaliya’s toes warm.”

Cian glowered.

“I have room,” Jeff said, raising one hand. “You can stay here.”

Samantha gave Jeff a sharp, startled look.

“Nah, I don’t have any desire to crash at either place. I’m fine on my own. I need my space.” Eduardo ruffled Alexia’s hair, much to her annoyance.

Baptiste looked amused by the exchange, but remained silent.

“Why don’t we all move in together?” Samantha asked. “Isn’t there strength in numbers?”

Cian and Jeff glanced at each other uneasily.

Cian answered the question. “If he successfully attacks one safe haven with all of us in it, we lose. If we’re split between two, if one haven falls, we still have the second to take up the fight.”

“Well, that doesn’t make me feel too good,” Benchley decided grumpily.

Samantha let out a little startled sound, jerking away from Jeff. “What the hell?”

“Phone.” Jeff shifted his weight so he could yank his cellphone out. Frowning, Jeff stared at the screen. “It’s been acting up a little and it does this thing where it sends all my emails at once and it makes it vibrate like a...a...”

“Vibrator?” Amaliya asked, her gaze teasing.

Alexia snorted. “That was funny.”

The growing look of horror on Jeff’s face killed any joviality in the room.

Cian stepped closer to the hunter. “What is it?”

“Oh, hell.” The color drained out of Jeff’s face. “We weren’t the only ones hit. London, New York, Boston, Seattle, and Rome were all attacked tonight. London thought they were close to finding one of the rings. Rome reported that they had found one of them still in the Vatican. I was going to tell you tonight, but...”

“Let me guess,” Eduardo said in a flat tone. “The Summoner has them.”

“The Vatican is on fire,” Alexia said, looking up from her own phone. “It’s on Yahoo news.”

“The Assembly group in Bristol is reporting the destruction of the group in London. Portland has taken in one survivor of the group in Seattle. Boston...” Jeff faltered.

“Another fire there,” Alexia said, staring at her phone.

“New York managed to fight off the attack with no losses, but they’re heading underground,” Jeff finished.

Cian gave the group a sharp nod. “So he’s on the move.”

“We’re losing,” Samantha murmured.

“Fuck.” Cassandra frowned, shaking her head.

“That’s four possible rings he has,” Amaliya said, then ticked them off on her fingers. “He has one. Etzli has one. The one in the Vatican. Maybe one in London.”

“But he doesn’t have all of them,” Baptiste pointed out. “We are still ahead in the game.”

Cian appreciated the reminder. “Very true.”

Jeff stood and continued to scroll through his phone. “Don’t you get it? He’s just not going after the rings. He’s killing our allies. The Assembly. The Vatican even.”

“Cian,” Samantha asked, lifting her eyes to gaze at him, “how many of The Summoner’s children are still alive? What if they have the other rings?”

“
Rachoń doesn’t have one,” Baptiste pointed out.

“Yeah, but he didn’t trust her.” Amaliya lowered her head so that her dark hair shielded her face. “Or Cian. That’s why they don’t have rings. But Etzli has one. What if he has favorite kids out there?”

The thought of The Summoner’s surviving children assisting him was uncomfortable for Cian. He’d not met the survivors of The Summoner’s games. “I’m uncertain how many might be alive.”

“But Rachoń might. Until their falling out, she did know more about him than you did.” Baptiste shifted in his seat, clearly uncomfortable with the topic. Cian supposed it might be difficult to accept how close Rachoń had been to the man who wanted to destroy the world. “But Samantha is right. What if his other children have the ot
her rings already?”

“Then we might possess the last one.” Cassandra widened her eyes dramatically. “Great.”

To his surprise, Cian was hit with the impulse to comfort her. Yet another indication of his growing attachment to the daughter he didn’t raise, or even know about until recently. “Baptiste, see what you can get out of Rachoń.”

“I’ll speak to her tonight.”

“So now what?” Benchley asked, his voice a bit higher than usual.

“We keep focused,” Cian said. “Same as before. And we learn, adapt, and try to beat him at this game.”

“Do you really think we can win?” Eduardo’s inquiry was laced with sarcasm.

Cian pondered the question, then answered truthfully. “Yes.”

Chapter 13

“You really think we can win?” Amaliya asked, staring at Cian skeptically.

Standing at the end of their bed in only his pajama bottoms, Cian gave her a short nod.

“You’re fuckin’ nuts.” Perched at the top of the bed with the pillows piled behind her, she cradled her bandaged arm against her.

Her lover gave her the slow, wicked smile she loved so much. “Well, I’m with you.”

She hurled a pillow at him, which he easily dodged.

She loved him, but after the events of the night she had to wonder if he was a bit crazy. So much had gone wrong she was still amazed that they had won. Yet, she had to admit that she and Samantha had worked well together as a team. That had to be a good sign.

Returning his gaze to the screen of his phone, Cian frowned. Since the gathering at Jeff’s broke up, the vampire had been fielding phone calls from his human contacts in regards to the fire at the apartment building, which one of Cian’s companies owned. The investigation into the fire was being dealt with, but the apartment building had taken major damage. Fortunately, no one had died, though a few people had been hospitalized.

Before their return home, he’d taken the time to feed, but she wondered if it had been enough. The death she had absorbed earlier had filled her, but Cian was dependent on blood.

“It was enough. Though I could always take a sip from you,” Cian answered her thoughts, his Irish brogue sending shivers over her skin.

“Stop reading my mind.”

He grinned roguishly at her.

At this point in all her previous relationships, Amaliya was already gone, or about to leave. Easily bored, she was usually annoyed and out of love with her partners after just a few months. Yet with Cian, she fell more deeply in love with him every night. Even just watching him dress for bed elicited feelings of happiness and desire inside her. Years of slave labor had hewn his body into lean muscle, and she found him immensely sexy. Happily, he found the few extra pounds on her hips alluring.

“Insanely so,” he said, obviously reading her mind.

She narrowed her eyes at him, then lifted them to the heavens. “Fuck me.”

“In a moment.” Cian finished texting someone, then set the phone on the charger.

“So why do you think we’ll win?” Amaliya extended her good arm outward as he climbed onto the bed. He slid under it, snuggling into her side, one arm over her waist.

“Because we can’t lose,” he said simply and kissed her.

“You’re argument is flawed.”

Careful of her wounded arm, he nuzzled her neck. “I outwitted him. You killed him. My daughter has one of his rings hidden. We’re ahead in the game. I promise.”

“Well, those are all valid points.” Turning her head, she caught his lower lip with her teeth. Immediately, their kiss grew a little more feral.

As the heavy metal shutters descended over the windows, Cian moved to straddle her.

“We don’t have much time until the sun is up,” Amaliya whispered against his lips.

“Then no more talking,” he answered, sliding down her body.

Twisting her fingers into his hair, Amaliya closed her eyes with pleasure and forgot about everything else but Cian’s tongue, lips and sharp teeth.

The Summoner, tucked into the delicate body of Bianca Leduc, listened to all the reports streaming in from all over the world. With only a short time before sunrise, he sat in the elegant opulence of the house Etzli had secured for them near downtown San Antonio in the King William Historic District. The old ballroom was still decorated in the elegant style of the turn of the former century, but modern contrivances like computers, phones, and work stations had been added. Etzli and her cabal were scattered about the room helping closely monitor the events of the night. Stark sat nearby, face tense, staring at his monitors. The hacker cast uneasy looks in The Summoner’s direction. The boy was wise to be afraid. His usefulness was short term and The Summoner just didn’t see him as worthy of the new world.

Years of preparation were producing positive results, but he had still been thwarted on several fronts. Again, Cian and his little cabal had repulsed The Summoner’s plans for Samantha.

This did not please him.

The Summoner had left Cian and his group to scramble about like rats on a sinking ship. He hadn’t been too concerned with them or the threat they posed to his plans. The discovery of the phasmagus had been unsettling, but The Summoner had found it intriguing that Cian’s old fiancée could wield an ancient power considered long extinct. He had to wonder if she’d always been a phasmagus, or if his beloved Amaliya had somehow transformed her. The attack on the phasmagus had been a test to see what she was capable of, and if she had been captured or killed, that would have been fine. The Summoner had never imagined that the assault would be rebuffed. This meant that Cian’s little group was much more powerful than he’d anticipated. It made the situation far more dangerous. Far more intriguing.

That
did
please him.

Etzli sat at a nearby desk, her tiny frame outfitted in a white pantsuit. Her dark hair was drawn chignon and diamond earrings sparkled in her ears as she spoke on her cellphone. The Summoner was quite pleased with his adopted daughter. She was efficient, trustworthy, and ruthless. Yet, The Summoner felt some dissatisfaction because Etzli was not Amaliya. His flesh, blood, and bones yearned for his lost child. His desire for Amaliya was now magnified by the need Bianca’s body felt for the lost necromancer. It was a bitter reality that he had been killed and forced to take residence within Bianca. If he could have had both of his beautiful fledgling necromancer vampires at his side during his conquest of the world, it would have been perfect. To see the blood of their enemies dripping off their flesh as they crushed their opposition would have been exquisite.

Instead, Amaliya was playing house with his wayward son, Cian, and The Summoner inhabited Bianca. Sometimes he felt the young medium stirring deep within him, but he kept her firmly under control. Her powers magnified his own magic. Until he could determine how to transfer himself into another host body and retain his full power, he would remain within her slender frame.

The Summoner found the female body intriguing. The smaller build and the way the body naturally moved were so much different from his old one. Sex was very, very different, though he was bored with it now. He missed the act of penetrating his lovers.

Maybe he could find a way to possess Cian’s body so he could claim Amaliya as a man. The thought appealed to him.

A tiny flutter within him indicated that Bianca was awake. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on the tender wisp of her consciousness and subsumed it into the deeper reaches of his mind.

“We have the ring from the Vatican en route,” Etzli said.

Opening his eyes, he saw the vampire learning over him. “Very good. You please me.”

Preening under his praise, she returned to her phone call.

Within The Summoner, Bianca was still.