Pretty When They Collide (6 page)

Chapter 6
:

Witch Battle

Aimee was amused at Frank
’
s utter disdain of the flip-flops she was wearing under the hem of her very expensive evening gown. The second they had climbed into the limousine she had shed the high heels he
’
d forced her to wear. He probably hated the big floppy silk daisy that decorated the strap, too. That thought, coupled with the relief the shoes brought to her aching feet, made her smile.

The traffic to the airport was heavy despite the late hour, so Aimee spent the slow-paced trip admiring the sparkling strip. She had never been to Vegas before and it fascinated her. She was particularly enthralled by the Luxor
’
s pyramid and the sprawling beauty of The Venetian. Frank always had an agenda, so prowling around like tourists had been out of the question even though it would have been fun to explore the city at a more leisurely pace. She had considered cajoling Frank into an extended holiday, but the vampire
’
s paranoia about being in one location for too long made the plea a pointless endeavor. During the course of their extended travels, they had been attacked more than once by Frank
’
s enemies, so his fear really wasn
’
t without merit. Still, she would have loved to walk along the strip and watch the fake exploding volcano with a crowd of people instead of just catching a glimpse of it from afar.

Yet, if she was honest with herself, she knew she wouldn
’
t enjoy spending time in Vegas with Frank. The time
since
she had admired him w
as
long past. What she truly desired
was her independence
. To be
on
her own, away from Frank, away from his guards, and free to do as she pleased was the cry of her heart. Yet, she knew the chances of that happening were very slight. She was bonded by blood to Frank and he would never allow her to escape.

Beside her, Frank texted furiously. Frown lines tugged at the flesh between his eyebrows and his dark eyes glowered behind his red-tinted glasses. She was rather glad she didn
’
t know what had him so upset, though if she had to guess, she suspected it had to do with the possible dhamphir that had robbed him.

Aimee
’
s fingers traced over her evening bag. The clip-on extension was tucked inside. The few strands of chestnut brown hair clinging to the small clip had instantly made her think of the sultry-eyed woman she had seen at the elevator. The mere thought of the stranger created feelings within her she wasn
’
t even sure how to process. She was used to magic existing within her life, but what she had felt the instant she had touched the woman
’
s hand was entirely different from anything she had
ever felt
before.

“
Utterly ridiculous,” Frank muttered angrily next to her.

Glancing toward him, she studied the strong lines of his profile. He was handsome and possessed the vampire allure, but she no longer felt the pull she once had long ago when she had been young, foolish, and desperate for a fairytale ending to her difficult life. At one point she had thought of Frank as the prince that was saving her from the evils of the world, but now she saw he was one of the evils of the world and that she had to save herself.

“
You
’
re staring at me
, y
ou know I don
’
t like that
.
U
nless you intend to finally tell me what the fuck is your problem of late,” Frank said shortly.

“
I was thinking how handsome you are,” Aimee said, but did not divulge her other thoughts.

Preening under her gaze, Frank obviously sensed the truthfulness of her words. The angry cast to his features dissipated as he said, “Well, yes, I am. And you
’
re lovely tonight.”

“
Thank you,” Aimee answered, before directing her attention outside.

The limousine slid through the gate that led to the private hangers. Frank
’
s
jet sat like a white swan spreading its wings on the tarmac. They wouldn
’
t be home by sunrise, but the jet was specifically designed to carry Frank about without fear of the sun.

“
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 asshole. Most of the spells she had carefully prepared before they had departed on t
heir 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 fucking 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.

Aimee sprang to her feet and rushed the first attacker. Without any more spells, she had to pull on her internal well of power. She would have to act fast before she was drained.

Flinging one hand at the attacker, she cast out a ball of concentrated magic. It hit the shadowy casing surrounding the attacker and burst into flame. In a split second it ate through the spell and engulfed the being inside. An ear-splitting wail filled the air, echoing around Aimee when it hit the barrier spell. The creature fell to the ground, burning to ashes in second
s
.

A vampire
.

The black magic witch was still alive.

Limbs burning with the heat of her magic, Aimee sped around the front of the car and caught the second attacker just as it was about to toss another spell. Hurling an orb of energy at it, she willed the magic to expand and encompass the attacker. The sparkling white magic wrapped around the figure, dissolving the obfuscating spell.

Aimee hesitated, realizing it was a demon. Tethered to the black magic witch, it was corporeal, and therefore vulnerable, but it would be difficult to abolish. Again Aimee cursed the stupid dress and the fancy jewelry she had been forced to wear. Her amulets would be a great help right now, but she was without them.

The demon was a humanoid shape made of darkness that seemed to suck in the light around it
,
creating an aura of grasping blackness along its form. Glowing red eyes rested on Aimee seconds before it attacked. Long, spindly fingers tipped with obsidian claws slashed at the witch as the demon flew at her. Ducking under its attack, Aimee tripped over her long dress and fell onto the tarmac. Twisting around, she swung her arm out, sending an arc of white light at the demon. Though the creature dove to one side to avoid the attack, the dagger of light struck its side. Oozing yellow ichor flowed from the wound and the smell of rotten eggs wafted on the desert wind.

Pushing herself up with her hands, Aimee sent a wave of magic at another attacker trying to sneak up behind her. It smashed into the shrouded entity, flinging the attacker into the side of the limousine. Shrieking in agony, the assailant writhed in the tentacle of the black magic spell.

“
Human,” Aimee breathed, then sent another bolt at the demon.