Pretty When She Destroys (35 page)

“So, now that we’ve saved the world, celebrated Christmas, and are looking forward to a non-apocalyptic 2013, what the hell are we going to do with ourselves?” she asked.

“I don’t know about y’all, but I’m going to do a little bit of traveling,” Amaliya answered.

“Oh? Where to?” Baptiste munched on his cookie, his maroon eyes watching her curiously.

“Yes, where to?” Cian twisted about to gaze at her.

“Houston and Dallas,” Samantha said looking up from her phone.

“Huh?” Benchley shoved a cookie in his mouth. “Why?”

Bianca handed him a napkin for his mouth, pointing to the crumbs.

“To kill some bitches,” Samantha answered for Amaliya.

With a wide grin, Amaliya said, “Right on, little bitch. You in?”

“Fuck yeah, bitch-face.” Samantha gave her two thumbs up.

“Who are we killing exactly?” Aimee lifted her eyes from the string of popcorn she was diligently working on between cookie bites.

“Courtney and Nicole,” Cassandra declared, nodding her head as she figured it out. “Those two bitches.”

“And all their asshole servants.” Amaliya crossed her legs and folded her arms over the swell of her breasts.

“Exactly why?” Cian tilted his head. “All the vampires abandoned us. Why them specifically?”

“Because I promised those bitches I’d come for them for betraying humanity. I’m going to keep my word,” Amaliya responded, flipping her hair back from her face and giving him a defiant look.

“I’m in,” Bianca volunteered, holding up her hand.

“I’ve got nothing else to do. I’m in.” Baptiste raised his good hand.

“I like a good fight.” Cassandra lifted hers high over her head.

“I go where the hot dhamphir goes.” Aimee added her vote, raising hers, too.

“C’mon, you guys. We just saved the world. Can’t we chill for a bit?” Benchley gave them all a surly look.

“We’ll go after the New Year.” Alexia raised two hands.

“Fine.” Benchley grudgingly raised his.

Jeff looked at Samantha for guidance. “So?”

“Well, duh. They were total asshats. We’re so in,” Samantha retorted, waving her arm over her head.

“The hot blonde and I are game,” Jeff said, lifting a hand.

Tilting his head, Cian gave Amaliya a slightly exasperated look. “So...are we taking over Texas now?”

“Sure.” Amaliya shrugged. “Why not?”

“Raise that hand, Cian!” Samantha urged. “Do it!”

With a chuckle, Cian raised his hand. “Okay. Fine. Let’s do it.” Leaning toward Amaliya, he whispered, “You have corrupted us all.”

“Oh, I’m just starting,” Amaliya promised him with a grin.

Rhiannon Frater is the award-winning author of the 
As the World Dies
 trilogy
(The First Days, Fighting to Survive, Siege,)
 and the author of three other books: the vampire novels 
Pretty When She Dies
 and 
The Tale of the Vampire Bride
 and the young-adult zombie novel 
The Living Dead Boy and the Zombie Hunters. 
Inspired to independently produce her work from the urging of her fans, she published
The First Days
 in late 2008 and quickly gathered a cult following. She won the Dead Letter Award back-to-back for both 
The First Days
 and 
Fighting to Survive, 
the former of which the Harrisburg Book Examiner called ‘one of the best zombie books of the decade.’ Rhiannon is currently represented by Hannah Gordon of the Foundry + Literary Media agency. You may contact her by sending an email to 
[email protected]
.

Visit her online at rhiannonfrater.com

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