Pretty When She Kills (24 page)

When she was done, she’d drunkenly returned to the apartment she shared with Cian. He was gone, feeding somewhere in the building. The space felt empty without him. She felt empty without him. She didn’t care what Bianca had whispered in her dream. Amaliya was her own person. She made her own decisions and she chose to be with Cian.

Almost feeling feverishly delirious, Amaliya took refuge in the shower. The water flowing over her helped her subdue the call of the graveyards. The warm water formed a barrier over her skin, calming the need to call the dead.

“Something’s wrong,” Amaliya whispered.

Ever since she had consumed the witch’s spell, she could feel it inside of her, twisted into her own magic. It felt intrusive, but it was now a part of her. Just like Samantha was trapped by magic she didn’t understand, so was she. They were tangled in the web of magicks neither one of them fully understood. Even though Jeff and Cian were trying to help them, in reality no one really had any idea of what was truly happening to them. The Summoner had been no ordinary vampire and in the end, he had created three beings of unusual and unknown powers. Maybe Bianca was right in that context. They could never truly be free of The Summoner because it was his power that was infused into their very essence.

Resting her forehead against the cool tiles, she sighed. In a very short time she would be facing Rachon and her people. Though Amaliya believed in her powers, she was afraid of the unknown. Would Bianca obey Rachon? Would she be stronger than Amaliya? A piece of Amaliya was terrified to rescue Bianca. What if the girl looked to Amaliya to guide her? In her dream Bianca had been reaching for her. What did that mean? Amaliya didn’t even know what
she
was doing half of the time. How was she supposed to help another necro-vamp?

The warm water sluiced over her long black hair, flattening it to her flesh. Running a hand down over her arm, Amaliya caressed the scar that was once a tattooed rosary. She had fallen so far from grace. Was there any salvation for her and Cian? What would she find beyond the veil of death?

A gust of cold air and the sound of the shower door popping open announced Cian’s arrival. She could smell fresh blood on his breath and his familiar scent. Remaining under the stream of water, she was reluctant to acknowledge his presence. Wallowing in her fears and anxieties, she found it difficult to let him into her thoughts.

The presence of the master vampire made her skin tingle. The shower was quite large and his body didn’t touch hers as his hand reached past her to make the water hotter. Closing her eyes, her fingers continued to stroke the roughened scar at the center of her tattoo. What would her mother think of her? What would she tell her if she were still alive?

“Don’t be afraid,” Cian said, as if answering her question.

She opened her eyes and shifted her stance so she could see him. His hair was longer and his cheeks and chin scruffy. The heavy fringe of his lashes made his hazel eyes even more beautiful.

“Aren’t you?” she asked. Though she loved him, he was still a mystery at times. There was a hardness to him that lurked under his pretty smile and calm demeanor.

With a slight shrug, he said, “What’s the point?”

Amaliya twisted around so she could rest her back against the wall, just on the other side of the water spray. “Uh, we might die.”

“We already did die.”

“True,” Amaliya conceded. “You were afraid of The Summoner.”

“Because he would do much worse than kill us,” Cian reminded her. “Honestly, death in comparison to the things he could have done to us would have been a welcome relief.”

“Are you afraid of what’s on the other side?”

Cian picked up a loofah and some soap, his brown hair darkened by the water. “Of course. Who isn’t?”

Frowning, Amaliya rested her hand over her scar. “I don’t want to die. I want to live, you know.” The conversation she had with The Summoner in her dream reared its head and she shuddered. “I don’t want to deal with all this bullshit. I just want to live our lives without this crap from the others.”

The soap trailed over Cian’s lean, muscular form as he bathed. He drew closer to her so he could peer into her eyes. “I did that for almost three decades. It can be rather boring.”

A burst of laughter erupting from her lips surprised Amaliya. “I’ve never been accused of that!”

Cian appeared amused. “No, you’re not. And our lives are not ever going to be simple. I hid myself in the shadow of The Summoner for a very long time. Vampires did not dare come against me while he lived. Now we will have to deal with them and perhaps other creatures now that he is gone. He was a curse and a blessing. In many ways, he was my salvation when he was alive. His mere existence kept me safe.”

Amaliya narrowed her eyes. “Oh, my God! This is such a guy thing! You’re wanting to show everyone you can stand on your own two feet, aren’t you? Prove that you’re a badass without Daddy watching over you!”

Amaliya knew she was onto the truth when Cian averted his face and studiously scrubbed his chest.

“You’re such a fuckin’ man!” Amaliya shook her head, her wet hair sliding over her skin.

“If we prove ourselves to the others, they will think twice before coming against us. Let Rachon come. I’m older and stronger than she is.”

“But she controls Louisiana,” Amaliya said. “Doesn’t that make her stronger?”

“She has many minions under her. That is where I failed.” Cian frowned as he ducked his head under the water again.

“You didn’t build a cabal.”

“And she did. But I am stronger than she is. She knows it. I suspect that’s why she has Bianca now, to strengthen her base of power.”

“Like you’re using me to strengthen yours,” Amaliya said with a tiny bit of bitterness. She knew her presence at Cian’s side strengthened his status in the world of the vampires. It annoyed her.

Cian plucked at her bottom lip with one finger. “You know you’re more than that.”

Quirking an eyebrow, Amaliya cocked her head. “Oh, yeah?”

Resting his hands against the wall just over her shoulders, he leaned toward her. His eyes were so intense she had to force herself to stare into them. Sometimes it was difficult to meet his gaze. Maybe it was his vampiric power, but whenever he looked into her eyes, she felt as though she was connected to the very core of his being, drowning in him.

“What’s the point of living forever if you have no one to share it with? What’s the point of fighting to survive against all sorts of monsters if you’re alone? Life is not worth living when you have none to love. I have lived so many different lives since the night I died. I lived for vengeance, for power, for money, for lust. When all those grew stale and empty, I tried to be human again and failed.”

Overwhelmed by the emotion in his words and the intensity of his eyes, Amaliya averted her eyes. He caught her chin, lifting it. Unsteady, she met his gaze.

“You restored me, Amaliya,” Cian said, his voice thick with his accent and emotion. “I’ll fight to protect what we have.”

The love she saw in his eyes banished all thoughts of The Summoner and his cruelty. Sliding her arms around his waist, she pressed her body against him, her mouth catching his in a searing kiss. The coppery taste of blood was on his tongue and lips and it made her hungrier for him. Pressing her against the cold tiles, Cian met her passionate kiss with equal desire. His sharp teeth grazed her tongue and fresh blood spilled into their kiss.

All thoughts of death washed away in the flood of her love for him. Tangling her fingers in his wet hair, she drew his head back to bite into his throat. Simultaneously, he pushed her thighs apart and slid into her. His blood filled her mouth and tangled her even deeper into his fiery power. It was flooding her, filling her, strengthening her, and binding her to him.

Gasping, her fangs released the hold on his flesh. Cian gripped her hair and bit into her neck. Her power swirled out to meet his when their blood mingled together in his vampire kiss. Her lover’s fingers slid over her wet skin as he lifted one of her legs, thrusting harder into her.

Pleasure and pain built inside of her as their power continued to burn over her flesh. She could almost see the swirling colors of their power against the backdrop of her closed eyes. The blackness of her power mingled with his fiery aura when they reached the peak of their pleasure. Cian ground himself into her while she scored his back with her nails, eliciting a low moan from him. His tongue trailed over her lips and she shuddered with pleasure. The pulse of his cock inside of her as he orgasmed forced a growl out of him that sent a shiver through her.

“Fuck,” she whispered against his lips.

Kissing her, he slid his fingers between them. “Come for me.”

“You’re an asshole,” Amaliya gasped.

Cian chuckled and pinned her to the wall, relentlessly stroking her.

The doorbell rang.

Amaliya gripped Cian’s wrist. “Eduardo is here.”

“Let him wait,” Cian ordered watching her face.

With a gasp, she felt her climax wash over her, rippling like a great wave as their combined power slammed into her. Her eyes rolled as she collapsed against Cian. Unexpectedly, he was inside of her not only physically, but supernaturally. She could feel his overwhelming love and desire for her, his strength, his determination, and his need. It was almost too much to bear on top of the powerful jolts of her orgasm.

Kissing her deeply, Cian held her until the wave of power ebbed away leaving her trembling in its wake.

“What did you do?” Amaliya gasped.

“Claimed you,” Cian answered. “I made you mine. And I am yours. Bound by more than The Summoner’s blood, but by our power.”

A touch of anger mingled with her awe. “Why didn’t you ask me?”

Tenderly touching her cheek, Cian ignored the insistent ringing of the doorbell. “Because you already said yes. You didn’t flee tonight.”

Punching him in the shoulder, Amaliya frowned at him. “Oh, fuck you.”

“You just did,” Cian smirked.

“Are we married or something now?” Amaliya clenched him inside of her, eliciting a tortured moan from him.

“Or something,” Cian answered, nuzzling her neck.

“Dickhead.”

“I love you, too.”

The doorbell continued to ring tenaciously.

“I’ll get it,” Amaliya reluctantly said. “Before he thinks we’re already dead.”

As their bodies parted, Amaliya felt a pang of remorse at their separation, yet she still felt an invisible cord connecting them. She rinsed off under the water and slipped out of the glass box to snag her robe.

“Don’t let him see you naked,” Cian called out.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Amaliya answered.

The robe was black silk and fell to her feet. It was Cian’s originally, but she had claimed it as her own. She nabbed a towel off the counter and rushed out to answer the door. Wrapping her soaking wet hair in the towel, she checked the security feed before heading down the front hall.

The doorbell buzzed over and over again.

Opening the door, she set a hand on her hip and arched an eyebrow. “No patience, eh?”

Eduardo grinned, a feral expression. “Not at all.” The short man was clad in tight blue jeans, a form-fitting black silk T-shirt, and cowboy boots. He smelled of the earth and death. Handing over a red thermos, he said, “So when does the fun start?”

Amaliya ignored the way his eyes lingered on her breasts. “We’re getting ready. Rachon isn’t due at Zilker Park for another hour.” She unscrewed the thermos lid and glanced inside, sniffing loudly. Her blood still coated the interior and top. “Didn’t clean it out, eh?”

“I was tempted to lick it clean.”

“What stopped you?”

“I don’t really want to end up like Sam. Ghosts freak me out.” Eduardo shrugged, shut the door, and followed her to the kitchen.

The comment smarted more than it should have, but Amaliya simply shrugged her shoulders, dismissing it.

“I hit every cemetery in Austin.” Eduardo leaned against the bar and raked his gaze over body again.

Amaliya rinsed out the thermos thoroughly, the bloody water swirling down the drain. “And you made sure to pour it onto a grave right? The blood has to be on a grave.”

“Yep. And I waited until the sun was under the horizon. So it’s all good.” Eduardo scrutinized the apartment, taking in the brick walls, cement floors, and modern furniture. “Boring place.”

“I had nothing to do with it. This is all Cian’s Ikea fetish.”

“Speaking of the devil...” Eduardo gave Cian a slight salute as the vampire strode toward them.

Amaliya felt her nipples harden and her sex tingle at the sight of her lover. He was dressed all in black from his jeans to his western style shirt. The tips of his black cowboy boots were edged in silver and he wore a silver buckle that could be used as a weapon. His hair was longer and shaggier and his beard made him look a little dangerous.

“We’re set up I take it?” Cian asked.

“Cameras are in the park. The whole thing will be under surveillance, and your fearless vampire hunters are armed to the teeth,” Eduardo replied. “And you have me.”

Cian regarded Eduardo thoughtfully. “Don’t start shit just to have a fight.”

“Would I do that?” Eduardo feigned hurt.

“You’re a coyote.”

Eduardo flared a grin.

“I’m going to get ready,” Amaliya said. “The male posturing and testosterone is just a little too much. Isn’t it enough we have a vicious vampire and a necro-vamp to deal with?” She strode past them, rolling her eyes.

“Just keeping it interesting,” Eduardo called after her. “Because life is too short to be boring.”

“Or too long to be too exciting,” Amaliya said over her shoulder, then slipped upstairs to change.

Part Five

Sunday Night

Chapter 21

The sun had set in a blaze of glory that had given way to deep and darkest night. It was a new moon and the blackness of the evening was absolute. Only the stars glittering above and the headlights of the Jeep issued any light in the darkness.