“That I’m going to kill Courtney and Nicole and their cabals,” Amaliya answered tersely.
“Cool.” Samantha shoved open the door. “After you.”
Chapter 20
Amaliya didn’t feel like talking on the return trip to Austin, but the perky blonde driving wouldn’t shut up. Maybe it was her nerves getting the best of her, but Samantha rambling on endlessly was making her feel twitchy. Feet propped on the dashboard, Amaliya scrutinized her chipped toenail polish. She was still pissed off. It was nauseating how easily the supernatural world capitulated to The Summoner. She wasn’t naive. The only reason they were afraid of her was because she was a necro-vampire made in The Summoner’s image.
“I’m so sick of this shit,” Amaliya said, interrupting Samantha. She realized after she spoke that she hadn’t even registered what Samantha had been talking about.
There was a beat, then Samantha said, “Yeah. Me, too.”
“You know, my kind really sucks it.”
“Well, you are blood-sucking vampires. You’re not supposed to be the good guys.” Samantha flashed a teasing smile, then sobered when she saw Amaliya’s expression. “I’m kidding.”
“But you’re right. We’re not supposed to be the good guys. I hated hearing them mock Cian. He’s the only one with the freakin’ balls to stand up to The Summoner and they’re making fun of him.” Twisting the ends of her hair with her fingers, Amaliya gazed into the night slipping past the car.
“Cian’s a good guy. I always knew that. That’s why I loved him. That’s why I’m still his friend.” Samantha’s voice didn’t hold a hint of malice.
It was a relief that they had put animosity behind them. Of course, Amaliya still felt guilt over the chaos she had brought to the lives of the people she now stood on the front lines with in the battle against The Summoner. Bringing him into their lives was much worse than sleeping with Cian when he was still with Samantha. Sometimes she wondered how any of them forgave her.
“Maybe I’m too new at this vampire thing to understand their thinking. Or maybe I’m just damn naive, but I thought some of them would step up and defend humanity. Rachoń and Cian are doing what they can.”
“Amaliya, you have to remember they’re both attached to humans. That’s the big difference. Courtney and Nicole use their dickwad human minions, they don’t love them.” Samantha switched lanes, scooting the car out of the wake of a big semi-truck, the wind shear buffeting the car briefly. “Cian and Rachoń have more invested in this than the other vampires. Don’t you think Cian is thinking about his daughter? Cass is a dhamphir, but she lives as a human. If she’s going to survive once the veil drops, she’s going to have to go full vampire. What about me? If the abyss swallows the world am I even going to be human anymore? I hardly feel human now at times.”
“I’m so sorry about that.” Amaliya sighed, guilt clawing at her gut.
“Stop apologizing! Fuck me! We had no clue it would happen. You did save my life. Plus, I’m adjusting.” A smile crept onto Samantha’s face. “I kinda like it, honestly. It makes me feel like a bad ass.”
That elicited a laugh from Amaliya. “Well, yeah. You even have Roberto being your minion. And he’s a total bitch.”
“Oh, yeah. Totally.”
“We have a few weeks. Just a few more weeks.” Amaliya hated that fact. Biting at a hangnail on her thumb, she wondered if they’d find the location where The Summoner planned to tear down the veil in time to stop him. They were assuming it would be in San Antonio, but that wasn’t necessarily the case.
“We can do it. Somehow. We have to.” Samantha glanced significantly at her diamond ring. “I mean...c’mon. I have so much to live for. Besides, I’ll look like shit without a tan.”
“You could always try spray-on tanner,” Amaliya suggested with a smirk.
“And be orange? Gross!”
Samantha urged her little car past yet another semi-truck. Interstate 35 was crammed with long haul vehicles. The highway narrowed when they entered a construction zone, the sides hemmed in by concrete dividers. Amaliya exchanged glances with Samantha.
“This is it,” Samantha said.
“Yeah,” Amaliya whispered through still lips.
Setting her arm on the console between them, the vampire opened her hand. Samantha wove her fingers around Amaliya’s. Instantly, their magicks tangled together. The two women steeled themselves for the attack they knew was coming. There was no chance The Summoner wouldn’t attack when both of them were together and outside of Austin.
The rending of metal, squeal of tires, and screech of air brakes tore through the night. Amaliya whipped about in her seat to see out the rear window. One of the big trucks traveling behind Samantha’s car was jackknifing across the two lanes. The fender of the cab slid along the concrete barricade, sparks cascading into the air. The squeal of brakes was followed by the crash of vehicles colliding. The trailer flipped onto its side, blocking the entire road behind them.
Samantha pressed her foot down on the accelerator, keeping her little car ahead of the epic collision. The two lanes ahead were strangely clear of traffic. There was an absence of red brake lights in the all-encompassing darkness before Samantha’s car. On the other side of the construction barricades, oncoming traffic continued to roll past, the headlights blazing in the absolute darkness. They were miles between towns, hemmed in by overgrown fields, trees, and silent construction vehicles.
“This is it,” Samantha muttered again.
Amaliya observed that the semi-truck had finally come to a standstill. “We’re cut off.”
The spell exploded seconds later. The purple haze shimmered in the air, arcing over the area. A second spell popped into action, encompassing the car in a protective shell of blue power that would block any spell attempting to render the occupants unconscious. Samantha shoved her foot onto the brake, her fingers tightening on Amaliya’s hand. Their seatbelts caught across their chests as the car squealed to a sharp stop. The dome of purple black magic spread out overhead, glittering menacingly. It appeared to be a repulsion spell, one that would keep humans out of the area until the ambush was over.
“You’re on, little bitch!” Amaliya tensed her hand around Samantha’s.
Samantha closed her eyes, her ghostly magic shimmering around her, sucking Amaliya’s necromantic energy into its swirling mist. “Roberto!”
The handsome Mexican man flashed into existence in the back seat of the car. His hands became solid, cupping the intertwined fingers of the two women. Amaliya bit her bottom lip, allowing Samantha to drag deep on her power and pump it into the ghost.
“Do what I told you,” Samantha ordered. “No fucking around, or else.”
Roberto scowled. “Of course.”
A dark shape leaped over the concrete barricade and hurtled toward the car. Amaliya freed herself from her seatbelt just as the werewolf hit the car, flipping it over onto the passenger side. The window shattered. Amaliya didn’t pay the bits of glass any heed as she kicked out the windshield and jumped out. The werewolf rushed her. It was massive, well over six feet tall and covered in a dark black pelt. Long claws swiped through the air aiming for her chest. Amaliya ducked under its attack and slammed her fist into the taunt muscles of his stomach, sending the wolfman sprawling.
Amaliya unfurled her necromantic power, feeding it into the darkness to summon the dead. “Come to me,” she ordered. She felt the dead stirring, but something was wrong. They couldn’t come to her.
“Amaliya?” Samantha called out.
“They’re blocking me! Fuck! The spell they cast is blocking me! I need bodies!”
“Bodies? Gotcha!” Samantha shouted back.
The patter of feet in the darkness announced the arrival of more attackers. The sound of gunshots echoed through the air.
Amaliya rushed the werewolf as it sprang to its feet. When it straightened to its full height it was even taller than she realized. The half-man, half-wolf creature growled, revealing al
l its gruesome fangs. Amaliya bared her own sharp teeth and attacked. It caught her about the waist as she jumped at it, trying to kick it in the groin. Sharp claws raked her skin, drawing blood. Amaliya grabbed its snout with her hands in an attempt to keep it from biting her. The pointed teeth ripped at her hands.
Amaliya hissed with frustration, determined to take the werewolf down. Its massive head whipped back and forth, trying to break her hold. She managed to brace one of her heels against its leg, gaining some traction. Her long black nails dug into its face, drawing thick, dark blood.
To her surprise, it fell forward onto its knees, releasing her from its grip. Amaliya fell onto her backside and hands. Behind the werewolf, Roberto gleefully plunged a silver dagger into the back of the great beast. Whipping about, the werewolf knocked Roberto into the concrete divider, but the ghost only laughed, winking out of sight. The wolf howled in frustration. Roberto reappeared on the other side of the creature, and silver blade flashing, kept up his assault.
Amaliya climbed to her feet just in time to deflect the oncoming blow from a vampire. Shoving him off his feet, she followed him to the ground and her hand punched into his chest. One hard tug and his heart was in her hand. Tossing the crumbling organ away, she surveyed the battle scene.
Samantha sat on the driver’s door of her lopsided car, wielding her pink Glock. The werewolf continued to try to attack Roberto, but the ghost was slipping in and out of the physical plane, eluding its swipes. At least six vampires and vampire-infused minions were circling, trying to get to both Amaliya and Samantha. It was Samantha’s blessed bullets that were slowing them down. The low number of vampires was a very good sign. It meant that a powerful being was among the attackers and that they were over-confident in their ability to seize Amaliya and Samantha.
“I need bodies!” Amaliya screamed again.
“Working on it!” Aiming at the werewolf, the blonde unleashed a volley of bullets.
Dark blood pumped onto the cold asphalt from the many wounds of inflicted upon the wolfman. The red liquid steamed in the frigid air. The beast twisted away trying to avoid the silver dagger and bullets. Amaliya darted after him. She jumped onto his furry back, arms wrapping around its thick neck. It thrashed beneath her body as the spikes from her shoes dug into its sides. Amaliya sensed, more than saw Etzli descending on her and thrust her long nails into the wolfman’s fur and flesh. Rolling off his back, she dug in, ripping out his throat as she fell. The creature crashed to the ground beside her seconds before Etzli was on her.
Flying dark hair, blazing eyes, and a feral snarl was all Amaliya saw seconds before the bone knife thumped into her ribcage, ripping through her flesh and shattering bone. Amaliya screeched in pain. The Aztec was clad in a black dress slashed to her thighs. She appeared every inch of the blood goddess she claimed to be. Etzli jerked the blade out, twisting it as she did so to cause even more damage. An arc of blood flowed from the wound to form a red aura around Etzli. The vampire could draw blood from wounds, living up to her name perfectly.
Roberto fought against the vampires savagely, slipping in out of the night, stabbing and slashing with his silver dagger. Samantha reloaded and opened fire again on the vampires trying to close in on her. The smell of vampire blood filled the night. The blessed bullets exploded in their bodies, slowing their healing while also crippling them.
Amaliya grinned at the vampire. “Hey, cunt, what’s up?”
Etzli started, obviously surprised by her flippancy. Spinning her daggers in her hands, she brought them downward, intending to stab Amaliya again.
A burst of sharp, cold wind knocked the Aztec vampire off her feet. Landing on the road, she skidded into the darkness with a cry of anger.
Amaliya scrambled to her feet. Blood was still flowing from her wound, streaming through the night like a red ribbon. “Fuckin’ bitch!”
Baptiste, clad in a leather jacket, stepped out from behind Samantha’s car. “Amaliya, you okay?”
“No!” she shouted, then felt the touch of death slither through her. “Wait, no! I’m good!” With a grunt, she gestured toward the werewolf with her bloody, mangled hand. “Up!”
The dead wolfman rose in obedience.
A vampire darted past her toward the car, heading toward Samantha. The blonde was reloading her Glock.
“Baptiste!” Amaliya shouted.
“Got him!” The black man raced forward, his hand lifting. In his palm a fire orb formed.
The vampire in the black jumpsuit skidded to a stop. He looked like one of Santos’s henchmen that had abducted Amaliya earlier in the year.
“Catch,” Baptiste said, grinning, and tossed the ball of flame.
The night lit up with an orange glow as the vampire was transformed into a torch.
Amaliya sent the werewolf after the nearest human infused with vampire blood. She needed more bodies. Etzli would be coming back to finish the battle at any second. They had managed to surprise her by hiding Baptiste in the trunk of Samantha’s car. Now The Summoner’s ally would be much more careful.
The zombie-werewolf killed the human minion with a powerful blow to her chest. Amaliya immediately snatched the dead woman with her power. Another fell dead under the onslaught of Samantha’s bullets and Amaliya gripped that one in the web of her necromancy as well. Casting a quick look behind her, she saw Baptiste helping Samantha off the car and setting her on the ground. Meanwhile, two vampires had retreated into the night with Etzli. Roberto hacked at the last infused human and soon Amaliya had four zombies at her call.
The phasmagus, elemagus, ghost and vampire-necromancer gathered in the center of the interstate in front of Samantha’s car. Shielded from human eyes by the spell, they knew no one would be coming into the battle arena.
“We have at least one witch, two vampires, and Etzli,” Baptiste said, rubbing his hands together. His multi-colored magicks swirled around them. With a clean-shaven head, trimmed goatee, and maroon-colored eyes, he was both handsome and imposing.
Roberto reached out to touch Samantha, drawing more energy from her. “I’ll find them.” The ghost dashed into the gloom.
“I know where Etzli is,” Amaliya said in a grim tone. “Just follow the blood. Stay here. Cover me.”
Samantha gave a curt nod.
Baptiste hurled balls of fire into the darkness, attempting to illuminate the hiding vampires. Dark magic filled the air with an impenetrable gloom. The fiery orbs simply vanished into the blackness.
Stalking forward, Amaliya summoned her zombies to follow. The massive werewolf walked just in front of her. Smearing her blood over the zombies, she imbued them with more power. The blood from her wound slithered through the air, leading deeper into the darkness. She followed the trail more by smell than by sight. The dome of magic shimmered overhead, but the preternatural darkness made it nearly impossible to see.
Roberto flickered in and out of view as he searched the edges of the magical dome. The zombies were the freshest she’d ever controlled. It felt odd having so much life left in them. Little sparks of who they were remained. Amaliya picked up tiny flashes of their memories. The werewolf had been from Mexico. The woman had been afraid of Bianca. One of the two men had wanted to run away. The last had been in love with Etzli. Even as she grasped those remnants of the people they had been, those aspects of the zombies were already slipping away beneath the cloak of death.
“You can’t win,” Etzli’s voice taunted.
“Wanna bet?” Amaliya answered.
Though Etzli was pulling her blood, Amaliya wasn’t weakening. The deaths of the werewolf and humans had filled her with necromantic power.
The Aztec whirled through Amaliya’s zombies, slashing, hacking, and ripping with her bone knives. Body parts fell to the ground, then the vampire was gone.
“Fuck!” Amaliya exclaimed as the head of the werewolf landed at her feet.
The remaining vampires rushed Baptiste and Samantha. Etzli appeared above Amaliya, grabbed her by the hair, and
tossed her into the air. Limbs flailing, Amaliya sent her death magic into the broken bodies of her zombies. It was difficult to control her necromancy and her vampire abilities at the same time, but Amaliya managed to catch herself in the wind. Hovering, she spun about, ready for Etzli’s next attack. The werewolf rose, pieces held together by the tendrils of her magic, and charged after the attacking vampires.
Floating, Amaliya traced the blood trail into the night sky. Etzli liked to fight in the air. It allowed her to sweep in and out of the battle. The vampire was still drawing Amaliya’s blood. Amaliya felt her vampire abilities diminishing, but her necromancy was still strong. Her long black hair whipping about her face, Amaliya gave up depending on her vampire nature. She released the zombies to true death, reclaiming her power. Despite recalling her necromancy, she still felt a long tendril of her power spiraling into the night. It took her a few seconds to realize the source of the pull on her magic. The blood Etzli was stealing was Amaliya’s and it was dead just like her. With a triumph smile, Amaliya summoned it back to her. The blood returned to her in a gush.
Etzli spiraled out of the night, caught in the aura of blood. Wailing in surprise, she slashed her bone knives uselessly through the air. Like most of her abilities, Amaliya had to learn them by trial and error. Concentrating on the writhing tentacle of her blood that effectively wove a net around Etzli, she raised her hands in an attempt to keep the other vampire trapped. Etzli writhed in the mass of blood, her knives continuing the rip at it. Bobbing in the air a few feet from the Aztec princess, Amaliya unleashed more of her power. It spread out around her like great wings.
“I found the witch!” Roberto’s voice called out from below. Once the witch died the spell hiding the supernatural battle would collapse, revealing them to the humans.
“Don’t kill her yet!” Amaliya struggled to contain the struggling vampire in her power. “I almost have this bitch under control.”
Swearing, Etzli fought even harder, trying to pull Amaliya’s blood from her control and into her own. Amaliya felt the leash on her power slip and cursed. Drifting closer to Etzli, Amaliya watched the vampire thrashing in the blood cloud. Etzli’s dark eyes blazed with fury. Battling against the necromantic power holding her hostage, she bared her fangs.
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