The Lexus RX, Cian's luxury SUV, wove its way down the road through the Texas Hill

Country. Inside, Cian drove as Heather sat behind him and held him at gunpoint. The barrel of

the gun pressed against his skull just behind his ear made Amaliya wince. She was sure she could

snatch the gun away from the zombie girl. But she wasn't so sure that the gun wouldn't go off

and kill Cian before she had a firm grip on the weapon. Amaliya wasn't willing to take that

chance.

Turning her gaze back to the black road sliding by under the harsh glare of the headlights, she

set her boot heels against the dashboard. Crossing her arms, she set her jaw and thought of all the

wonderful things she would do to The Summoner. She had a wonderful idea of ​​ripping his balls

off and stuffing them up his ass.

“That's a truly evil smile,” Cian said suddenly.

She looked at him and smirked.

Despite the muzzle pressed against his head, Cian grinned back at her as if he could read her

thoughts.

His smile made her heart pulse in her chest and a nice little throb started between her thighs.

Shit, she thought, I really like him.

Heather sat behind Cian, one arm wrapped firmly around the headrest of his chair as she held

the gun against his flesh. At one point he had taken a turn rather quickly, but Heather had

managed to keep her balance. This had resulted in her slamming the grip of the gun against his

skull hard enough to crack it. Blood was pooled around his neckline, but he had healed. It had

been a good try, but Heather was more The Summoner now than she was herself. He was

possessing her from afar and her actions clearly projected this.

“Hey,” Amaliya said to Heather and the girl's eyes didn't even glance at her.

“She's not really in there,” Cian said in a low voice.

“I'm so going to kick his ass,” Amaliya answered.

Cian's hazel eyes flicked toward her and again she felt her heart stutter as his dark lashes

framed those beautiful orbs. “I would more than enjoy seeing you do that.”

“I'm going to kill him,” Amaliya said firmly.

She was pissed and beyond fear. At least beyond fear for herself. She was sick and tired of

being beaten up, bled out and killed. First The Summoner, then Rob, then Roberto, and finally

Santos. She was seriously sick and tired of being the one thrown around. Yeah, she got the best

of Rob the first time, but the second time, the zombified asshole had nearly killed her.

Cian nodded his head. “Yes. We will kill him.”

Amaliya reached out and touched his hand on the steering wheel. His fingers slid over hers

and caressed them.

“Let go of her,” Heather said in a dark tone.

Amaliya withdrew her hand and flipped off The Summoner/Heather. Cian chuckled and

Heather leaned toward her from the back seat.

“You have no idea of the horrors I have designed for you.” Heather's voice was female and

soft, yet it held a power that was not human in any way.

“Fuck off,” Amaliya answered, and slid down into her seat.

She could tell by the signs that there were almost to the little ghost town in the Texas Hill

Country. It seemed so damn dark out here, but the sky was amazing with its unhindered glory of

stars. There was no glow on the horizon to reveal a hidden town. It was stark, black, and wild.

Without a doubt, they were in the middle of nowhere.

Cian slowly settled his hands onto the bottom of the steering wheel. Watching him from the

corner of her eye, she could tell he was considering a rash move. But she didn't want him to risk

himself. Not now. Not after last night. Hell, not after the last few nights. Despite everything, he

had shown more compassion toward her than anyone else in her life.

“I want to see him,” she said firmly.

Cian barely nodded as Heather shoved the gun so hard against his head he had to tilt his head

to one side.

“Don't try anything!” Her voice was ragged and full of pain. It sounded more like a terrified

woman now than a supernatural creature.

Amaliya wondered if The Summoner had turned his attention elsewhere as they drew closer.

“Slow down,” Heather said in a trembling, but firm voice. “We're almost there. He's waiting.”

The Lexus slowed down as they drew near the outskirts of the dead town. A faded, peeling

sign flashed by that read “Fenton, TX. Best Homemade Peach Cobbler in Texas!” The rural road

they were traveling on seemed too narrow as the shoulders disappeared and the first decaying

structure slid out of the darkness in front of them. It looked like a building from the late 1800's.

Its windows were boarded up and it was surrounded by wild grass and foliage. Slowing down

even more, the SUV glided toward a “Y” in the road. The rural road continued on and the split

off led up into the hills. Tucked into the “V” of the “Y” was an old motel that was completely

falling apart. A young tree had pushed up through the front office and its branches spread out in

a leafy roof over the crumbling building. Across from it was an old gas station that looked like

something out of the mid-1930's. The old pumps were rusted over and listing to one side. Nearby

was a row of buildings that once may have been restaurants or shops but were now blackened

husks.

“This town is seriously dead,” Amaliya decided.

The SUV slowly drove toward the old motel. Cian's gaze roamed over the town as he drove.

“A perfect place for him.”

“Stop when you reach the gas station and pull over,” Heather instructed.

Cian nodded and obeyed. Amaliya looked out at the old gas station with its broken out

windows and faded advertising for Coca-Cola.

“Nice.”

Cian quirked a smile. “Just his style. Dead.”

“Get out,” Heather ordered.

Amaliya and Cian both reached for the doors.

“No. Just her,” Heather said firmly.

Amaliya felt the first cold rush of fear slide over her skin and she looked toward Cian sharply.

Cian slowly turned in his chair. “No. We go together.”

“If you try to get out, I'll shoot you in the head,” Heather answered and tears glimmered in her

eyes.

“It's okay,” Amaliya said at last. She looked out the windshield over the dead town. “It's been

coming to this point all along. I can do this.”

Cian sighed and looked at her with his amazing eyes and said in a low voice, “I won't be far.”

Not caring what Heather would do, Amaliya leaned over and pressed her lips against his in a

soft kiss.

“Thanks for everything,” she said to him and before he could speak, thrust the door open and

leaped out.

A cool and moist wind whipped through her hair and almost shoved the cowboy hat off her

head. She caught her hat and shoved it down firmly. The Lexus RX cruised on down the road

and she knew Cian was driving on reluctantly. She watched the vehicle with remorse and wished

she could have said more to Cian. Only now was she fully understanding how much he had come

to mean to her. Her stolen moments with Pete had been just that. A stolen moment. Not real. A

fantasy. Something from her dreams. What she shared with Cian was real. It might be completely

fucked up and twisted, but it was real.

Walking slowly over the cracked cement and avoiding the rocky patches overgrown with

grass, she headed toward the motel. She knew The Summoner was in there. It was darker around

the perimeter of the decaying building and she knew he was standing inside watching her.

“Hey!” She called out and was angry that her throat was clenched tightly. Her voice cracked.

Right before the road, Amaliya stopped. She stood at the edge of the parking lot to the gas

station and stared across at the motel. She could see the Lexus' red brake lights in the distance as

it pulled over. It was a reassuring sight. Cian was still nearby.

Slowly, she squatted down and ran her fingers over the sharp little edges of the overgrown

grass poking through the asphalt. Tilting her head, so she could gaze at the motel under the brim

of her cowboy hat, she wondered what he was waiting for. The darkness was visibly shifting

around the motel.

“Just going to stare at me?”

She rested her elbows on her knees and waited. Once he appeared, she was going to tackle his

ass.

Nothing, but the soft whisper of the night answered her. Slowly, she realized it was quiet save

for the distant hum of the Lexus' engine and the wind. The nocturnal creatures were either not

about or crouching in terrified silence.

A flash of a pale face appeared in one of the busted out windows of the motel, then vanished

once more.

“C'mon. Enough of this,” Amaliya said in an angry voice.

She wanted to get this over with. Let him come out and play a real game with her. Not this

following her around stuff, but an actual all-out brawl. She grew up with brothers. She knew how

to hit hard. And with her new power, she was sure she could draw blood.

Again, there was a flash of a pale face, but this time in the trees to the right of the building. It

took her a moment to register that it was too low to the ground to be The Summoner.

Standing up sharply, she felt another rush of fear flow over her and her stomach clenched

tightly. Behind her, she heard a slight scrape against the cement and she whirled about.

There was no way in hell her mind could make sense of what was standing behind her. It was

wrong in every way imaginable. There were too many legs and arms, yet its body was sleek and

almost reptilian. But there was nothing reptile about the very human face staring out at her from

the twisted flesh that made up its torso and what appeared to be a mockery of a head. It took her

a second to recognize the face of the handsome black man who had let her into the frat orgy.

“Oh, fucking shit,” she hissed and stumbled backward.

The thing swung a massive arm at her and she ducked away before the thing’s massive claws,

made of what looked like human ribs, could rip into her. Twisting around, she saw the thing rise

up on long legs and tower over her. Again, her mind struggled to make sense of what she was

seeing. She could make out a combination of human body parts woven together into the thing,

but nothing about it was human anymore. It was a nightmare.

With a growl of hunger, it lunged at her, claws slashing down at her. She dodged away and

barely avoided another, smaller hand that desperately clutched at her. It had too many fingers

and its claws looked like bone fragments. The reek of it was horrible and she gagged as she ran

from it.

Another creature appeared from beside the gas station building. This one had a slightly

different shape, but it was just as gruesome as the first one. A multitude of heads made up the

torso and all the mouths opened in a scream at the same time. She barely had time to adjust her

trajectory and whip past it as it swung at her.

“You're a sick fuck!” Amaliya screamed at the top of her lungs.

She felt like throwing up. All those faces lived in her nightmares. They were her victims from

the frat house. Glancing behind her, she saw the two cadaverous creatures rushing after her. It

was a stupid move because something massive grabbed her around the waist in that second she

was distracted and hurled her straight toward her pursuers.

She slammed into them. Instead of tumbling to the ground, they frantically grabbed at her.

She felt at least five hands grab hold of her arms and legs and she twisted her body as hard as she

could, trying to get free. Panic was seizing her as the things began to pull on her and she realized

they were trying to tear her limbs off. With a terrified shriek, she kicked and thrashed and to her

relief managed to get one leg free. Quickly, she drove her boot heel hard into the thing's mass of

heads and felt the skulls breaking. Still, they pulled on her. She kicked one of the hands gripping

her other leg as hard as she could. There was a spurt of blood and other terrible liquid as the hand

tore off from the arm and she was released She fell hard onto her hip, her arms still held by the

other thing.

The creature with the severed arm howled and struggled to find its balance. Meanwhile, she

rotated her body around as fast as she could and felt her arms slide free of the disgusting hands

as its fingers lost traction. Rolling away, she caught sight of its many hands lunging down toward

her. The nails made a terrible scraping sound on the cement as it missed her.

Scrambling to her hands and feet, she crawled backward and tried to regain her balance. The

creatures pursued her, howling and lunging for her. She could see now that the beasts were sewn

together with what looked like thick black cord. The long nails were definitely human ribs and

other cracked bones and she felt a wave of revulsion flow over her. Her gullet heaved.

One of the monsters made a mad dive for her and she darted to one side. But one of those

terrible talons snagged her arm and she screamed as her skin was shredded and her cold blood

oozed out. Clutching her wounded forearm, she backed away from it, her eyes skimming over

the area for a weapon.

Nearby was a heap of scrap metal and she ran for it as the things lumbered after her. She now

understood they wanted to destroy her. For revenge maybe? Who knew? But they were desperate

to rip her apart and eat her flesh.

She reached the pile and just grabbed the first thing that she saw. It was the very rusty and

worn remains of a shovel. Swinging it as she turned to face the creatures, it impacted hard with

one of the thing's reaching hands. Ripping it away from the terrible grasping fingers, she drove it

at the seam of its arm, aiming for the black cord sewn deep into the flesh.

The thing screamed at her and drew back as the second creature reached around it, trying to

grab for her. With a hiss, she drove the end of the shovel hard into its many faces and felt it

wedge in. Yanking hard on it, she felt the heads giving way and a few dislodged from the torso

and rolled away. Wrenching the shovel free, she swung it just in time to deflect the claw of the

other creature.

Kicking a head out of her way, she ran from her attackers, trying to gain some distance. It was

clear to her she would have to kill them. There was no way that they would not stop their pursuit

of her. Their milky dead eyes told that story all too clearly.

Her forearm was bleeding steadily and she wasn't sure if she should risk trying to heal herself

or just let it bleed.

She readied herself as the two things drew near. One of them had a major seam across its

chest and she decided to try to aim for that. Maybe if she could get the shovel in deep enough,

she could pry the sucker in half.

Stepping back, her foot hit something hard and she looked down to see a very old tire wedged

into the ground. Just half of it loomed out of the dirt. She looked up to see the things barreling

down on her. She deliberately took a few steps back, positioning the tire between herself and the

creatures. The monsters screeched as they drew near her. One of them shoved the other out of the

way as it lunged toward her. The second creature sprawled in a tangle of limbs and cried out in

frustration as it crashed to the ground.

She leaped back as the first creature came for her and she tripped backward onto the road just

as its massive foot was caught by the tire and fell toward her. Quickly, she jumped to her feet

and rushed it. She could clearly see where the seam cut across its midsection and she drove the

shovel hard and deep into it. One of its massive hands gripped her leg and she screamed in pain

as its nails dug into her. Leaning all her weight onto the shovel, she felt the body splitting apart

as the thing howled beneath her.

Then, to her horror, the other creature suddenly loomed over her. Purely on instinct, she thrust

out her hand at it and screamed, “Stop.” Her cold blood from her arm splattered the thing and it

staggered back. Its many eyes blinked and its limbs trembled. She stood in shock over the

thrashing creature at her feet as the other cowered and screamed before her.

Then she felt it.

That dark power was unleashed and flowing out of her. She could feel it, like a tentacle,

pushing out of her and gripping the monster before her.

“Die,” she said in a cracking voice. “Die.”

The thing screamed at her and suddenly began to fall apart. Legs, arms, coils of intestine,

organs, heads, and other terrible things fell from the monstrosity until it was a pile of body parts

before her. And then, the pieces slowly sank into the ground.

She was so shocked, she forgot all about the monster she was trying to cut in half until it

knocked her off her feet and clambered over her. The shovel hung out of it like some terrible

parody of a limb and she braced herself on the ground and kicked it as hard as she could with one

foot. The shovel finally sheared through the thing and it fell into two pieces beside her.

Struggling to her feet, she reached out for the shovel. Her blood splattered over the thing at her

feet and she felt repulsed by the sight of its many mouths opening to drink her blood.

“Fuck you,” she hissed at the faces from her nightmares now twisted into something far

worse. “Die. Die.”

The dark power inside of her twisted and writhed as it lashed out at the thing and she felt it

impact with the creature. Those terrible licking mouths screamed. Just as the other one had, it

began to fall apart. Stumbling backward, she watched it disintegrate.

Tears flowing down her face, she clutched the shovel tightly in her hands and said in a low,

commanding voice, “Die and don't fucking come back.”

The body parts slowly sank into the soil, disappearing beneath the overgrown grass. She could

feel The Summoner nearby. She could feel her own dark power, her inheritance from him,

shivering around her.

Slowly, she turned around.

Behind her stood Rob. This time he was part of another creature, but the major part of the

monstrous beast was Rob. To make matters worse, his penis wiggled and squirmed below his

massive belly.

Sobbing, she backed away from him. “Die, you bastard,” she whispered.

But he kept coming toward her on his six legs.

“Fuckin' die!” Her scream was terrified and frantic and it angered her. “Die, you sonofabitch!

Die!”

The Rob-Creature's tongue darted out at her and licked its swollen lips. Its teeth glittered at

her and its rank penis danced before her.

Lifting up the shovel, Amaliya braced herself. She would not give into her fear. She would

not give into her hatred of this thing.

“Banish this one and I may spare your life,” a voice said from the darkness.

“Fuck you, Summoner,” she hissed and swung the shovel.

It impacted hard with Rob's head and actually dented in the side, but he still came for her.

Again she swung. This time the shovel caught in his flesh and terrible black fluid poured from

the wound. Yanking hard on the handle, she managed to dislodge the shovel and back up a few

more feet. There were black seams where the Rob-Creature was bound together and she decided

to aim for those. It was hard to ignore the putrid erection of the thing as it lunged at her again.

She managed to drive the blade into the thing’s hipbone, just above two of the legs, but its huge

hand made of multiple arms snagged her about the waist and heaved her over its head.

As her feet left the ground, she screamed and felt the shovel handle slip from her grasp.

Trying to kick and twist her body, she was held over the thing's head. Its tongue continued to

snake out of its mouth as it gazed up at her with Rob's dead eyes. Slowly, it lowered her toward

that terrible mouth and she realized it intended to lick her.

Screaming with revulsion, she slammed her fist into its meaty face over and over again. Pain

jolted through her wounded forearm as her blood splattered over her and the creature.

“Aw, he adores you,” the Summoner's voice teased.

Kicking at it, she felt the giant gruesome hand tightening around her. To her horror, she saw

one of its hands stroking its penis.

“Oh, God,” she gasped, and tried to drive her fingers into its face.

“Do you think God is listening?” The Summoner asked from the darkness. “Do you think He

listens to the damned?”

“Die, you fucker, die!”

She dug her fingers into the Rob-Monster's eyes and felt its dead flesh giving away. Its tongue

slurped out toward her. Despair and madness were about to overwhelm her when she felt that

dark tentacle of power shove into the Rob-Creature and she almost cried with triumph.

“Die,” she hissed. “Die.”

It dropped her and she hit the ground hard as it staggered back. She could see Rob's ruined

face twisting in pain, then his hideous form fell apart far more quickly than the others had. As its

grisly remains sunk into the ground, she watched with loathing as her battered body pulsed with

power.

The last bit of the corpse vanished from view and she slowly looked up from where she lay on

her side on the ground. The Summoner was standing over her, his cold gaze surveying her with

great interest. His fair hair was long and flowing in the wind and his face was much younger than

when he had pretended to be the professor. He was also leaner and a tad bit more imposing now.

Slowly, he leaned down over her and tilted his head.

“Well, that was impressive,” he said with a slight smile.

Her answer was to punch him in the face.

The Summoner's head snapped back with the impact. With a snarl, he reached down and

grabbed her by the throat and drew her up against him.

“Do not do foolish things, little girl,” he growled in her face.

Amaliya set her jaw and hissed back at him,“ Fuck you.”

Gripping her injured arm, he squeezed hard.

She screamed in agony.

“Do not aggravate me after you so enthralled me with your performance.”

Gasping with pain, she looked up at him through tearing eyes and whispered, “Do I get an A,

Professor Sumner?”

He smirked at her and yanked her closer. Pain clouded her senses as his fingers dug into her

wound. She struggled to keep her wits about her. She had felt absolutely high with her power

after her battle, but now she was feeling weak again. The dark power that had been hers to use

was now drawn tightly inside of her.

The Summoner pressed his lips to her forehead and his long tongue snaked over a wound she

had not even known was there. “Delicious. Powerful. What did I create in you?” Dragging her

about, he set off toward the motel. “I knew you were special when I took you. You were so

pretty when you died. Exquisite in death. More lovely than you had been in life.”

Stumbling along beside him, Amaliya saw her battered cowboy hat lying in the street. The

sight made her want to cry. One more piece of her humanity lost to her.

“Now, we must talk and discuss what we shall do. Never have I had a child such as you,” The

Summoner said as they walked over the crumbling walkway.

They entered the old office area that was now fully overgrown with bushes and the young

tree. He dragged her along, not bothering to help her evade the obstacles before her. She thought

he rather enjoyed dragging her through the brambles.

Stepping through a doorway, he pulled her even closer.

“You smell of death. Of blood. Of sex.” He licked her mouth and she spat on the ground

immediately afterward. “You and Cian having a bit of fun?”

He laughed and dragged her into what appeared to be an old restaurant. Light from the only

streetlight in town filtered in through the dirty, broken windows and he shoved her into a chair. It

was moldy and had long ago lost all its stuffing. The springs bit into her flesh and she held her

wounded arm against her.

Sweeping debris off a bar, he leaned against it and regarded her with interest.

“Speak to me, Amaliya. How did you do it? How did you command my creatures?”

“I dunno,” she answered. She truly wasn't really sure how she had done it. Somehow, it had

just worked.

“I don't really believe you. This is what? The third time you've used this power? You

absolutely shocked me the first time. When I felt my control slip, I could not fathom what was

happening. Then I realized...ah...this is new.”

“I don't know how I did it,” Amaliya answered again. She willed her arm to heal. Fuck it, she

needed to heal even if she lost some of her power.

The Summoner stared down at her thoughtfully. He was dressed in black trousers and a

maroon silk shirt under an Armani trench coat that hit him mid-thigh. He flicked a bit of dirt off

his shoulder epaulets and pondered her words.

“Of course, you could be telling the truth. You always did just stumble about in the dark,

didn't you? You haven't much improved on that since changing.”

“Fuck off,” she sneered and ran her fingers over her healing wound. “Where's Cian?”

“Oh, yes. I almost forgot,” he said. His eyes flashed white.

The gunshot made her jump and she leaped to her feet. The Summoner's elbow hit her square

in the face and knocked her back.

“Now. Now. My game with him was done. What was the point of keeping him around? You

must love this new modern era. Exploding bullets. How wonderful. A whole new way to kill our

kind.”

Amaliya was blinded by the rush of tears that filled her eyes. Her lips parted, but she could

not speak. Her heart felt crushed inside of her.

“Oh, come now. Yes, he was handsome in his way, but in love with him? How terribly cliché.

Falling in love with the very first vampire you meet? I'm rather disappointed in you,” The

Summoner chided.

Her tears flowed freely down her face and she curled up on the chair, her arms wrapping

around her knees. The despair inside of her was overwhelming. She felt no desire to go on. It

was as if all her options had vanished. Not until that moment did she realize she had found solace

with Cian. And now he was gone.

The Summoner stroked her hair as if she was his pet. “Oh, how easily you crumble. I see now

I was wise to keep him alive long enough for you to show your powers. I'm glad you did show

me what you are capable of. I am not quite certain what to do with you now. Do I kill you as a

potential threat to me? Or do I keep you at my side and use you?” He came around her and sat

down on a side table. “These decisions are always difficult.”

“Why? You already killed me once. What's the difference now?” She let her hair fall over her

face and her fingers played with her scar centered in her tattoo on her arm. The rosary was long

gone. She was damned. Sadly, she wondered what lay beyond true death for her.

“That was quite enjoyable though you almost escaped me. I barely kept you alive long enough

—’ah...” He trailed off. He was obviously deep in thought. “Was that it? That I kept you alive

with my power and then brought you over? Ah, yes...”

Looking up through her hair, she saw Cian approaching The Summoner from behind. The gun

Heather had held them hostage with was in his hand. He tread so lightly, Amaliya could not even

hear his footfalls. And neither did The Summoner.

Their creator was stunned when Cian pushed the end of the barrel of the gun firmly against

the back of his head.

“I see,” The Summoner said.

“You forget I'm old and quick,” Cian said, and his accent was more pronounced than usual.

“Yes. I did. Heather?”

“Truly dead,” Cian answered.

“I should have kept my connection with her longer,” The Summoner decided.

“But you didn't. And I was faster,” Cian said.

“Pull the trigger,” Amaliya exclaimed with urgency in her tone. “Shoot him!”

The Summoner gave her a bemused look.

“Where is Roberto?” Cian demanded. “Dead or alive?”

“Does it matter?”

“He is stalling for time! Fucking shoot him!”

“He wants to know where his servant is,” The Summoner informed her with a condescending

smile. “He is so concerned with others that he forgets that is his weakness.”

Amaliya barely made out the shadow descending from the ceiling before it struck Cian. Cian

cried out and tried to shoot The Summoner, but their enemy was a flash of darkness as he

escaped. Amaliya didn't realize at first what had happened as the gun went off and the sound

reverberated through the room. Then she saw the glint of light off the edge of the silver dagger

shoved through Cian's back and the tip poking through his chest.

“No!” She rushed to Cian as he collapsed forward and she caught him in her arms as his blood

flowed over her.

“Touching,” Roberto said and wiped his hands on a handkerchief.

Amaliya clutched Cian to her and reached for the silver handle. Her fingers slid around it,

then she yanked her hand back as her fingers burned.

“That's why I used this to hold it,” Roberto said waving the white silk handkerchief and

stepped around them. He grinned down at her.

“How could you?” Amaliya whispered.

The Summoner stepped out of the shadows and laid a hand on Roberto's shoulder. “It's

simple, my dear. I offered him eternal life.”

“And I accepted,” Roberto said with a flash of fangs.

* * *

Samantha woke up at four in the morning and rolled over in her bed with a weary sigh. Soft

voices were murmuring somewhere in the house and she could smell something wonderful

cooking. Groggily, she pushed herself up out of the comfort of her bed and sat with her feet

dangling over the edge. She was confused to hear voices until she remembered she had company.

Sergio, Jeff and the feisty old lady were all guests in her house. They had decided after their

meal at Kerby Lane that they would leave early in the morning so they could arrive in the town

as the sun came up. It would be hard work finding The Summoner's lair and they needed all the

sunlight hours. Or at least that is what Jeff had said.

Sliding off the bed, she pulled her oversize Longhorn t-shirt down over her butt and padded

out into the hall. Beatrice was busy cleaning one paw and looked up at her with feigned interest.

With a look of disapproval, the cat skipped away into the lighted kitchen. Samantha glanced over

at her sofa to see Sergio fast asleep, his big arms folded over his equally big chest. He was

snoring lightly and he looked like a big cuddly bear. Then she noted the big cuddly bear was

clutching his grandmother's makeshift stake.

Jeff's voice was soft as silk in the other room and she walked toward the archway that opened

into the kitchen.

“You don't have to go with us,” Jeff's voice said.

“If the little blond gets to go, so do I,” the older woman's voice said firmly.

“Innocente,” Jeff said in a gentle tone and Samantha lifted her eyebrows. So that was the old

woman's name. “I know you are worried about your granddaughter, but-”

“Look, if you get to go with one leg missing and Blondie gets to go to save her vampire

boyfriend, then I get to go save Amaliya. Besides, you need me and all my weapons,” the old

woman said firmly.

Samantha peeked around the corner to see Amaliya's grandmother busily making breakfast

with stuff she had found in the refrigerator and pantry. It smelled amazing and Samantha's

stomach growled lightly. The tiny woman was dressed still in her Virgin of Guadalupe t-shirt.

Approximately four rosaries rested around her neck. Flipping over a tortilla, she shoveled food

onto a plate and slid it onto the table in front of Jeff.

“You eat. Once Sergio is up, you'll have to fight him for food,” Innocente said soberly.

She then leaned over to spoon a few bites of scrambled egg into Beatrice's bowl. The little

feline traitor purred loudly and slid around Innocente's ankles a few times before settling down to

eat her delicacy.

“Food is great, Innocente. And I know I can't stop you from going, but I had to say

something.”

Innocente waved a hand at him and set about making another tortilla, her tiny hands slapping

the rolled dough into the correct shape. “No one can stop me once I get going. Not even that puto

Summoner.”

Samantha frowned to herself and tried not to feel left out. The scene in her kitchen was very

cozy and she suddenly wanted to belong. Besides, she didn't want to be alone.

She was still struggling with feelings of abandonment and betrayal when it came to Cian. She

consoled herself with the knowledge that he was something more than she had ever imagined. Of

course, she could not be certain, but she was pretty much convinced he had tried to be what she

had believed him to be. A good guy with a human heart. But Amaliya had ruined all that. She

had revealed not only to Cian but to Samantha, that Cian was also a monster at heart.

Sadly, she padded into the kitchen and fell into a chair. She noted that Jeff was wearing a less

cosmetically pleasing prosthetic leg under his long shorts. His hair was scruffy and he was

wearing a t-shirt with some obscure band on it. He gave her a little smile and scooped more food

into his mouth with a tortilla.

Without a word, Innocente set a plate in front of Samantha and returned to the stove. It was

eggs with chopped up peppers, tomato, and bacon with a big side of refried beans and some

salsa.

“Ready for the day?” Jeff asked her.

Samantha shrugged and picked up a freshly made tortilla to eat. “No,” she answered

truthfully and used her tortilla to snag some eggs and salsa. “I'm scared. I felt braver last night.”

“Kind of settling in, huh?”

She shrugged and rubbed her brow. “Yeah. If we don't find them before the sun goes down-”

“We will,” Innocente said firmly from behind them.

“Or what if they are already dead?” Samantha felt tears in her eyes. She wiped a tear away

with frustration and shoved the food in her mouth.

“They're not,” Innocente said firmly and ate from a plate she had on the kitchen counter. “I

know it. He will want her power, too.”

“Or kill her for having it,” Samantha suggested.

“I think he'll be intrigued,” Jeff cut in. “I really do. None of his other children ever had

anything like his power. He'll want to see what she can do and figure out if he can use her.”

“But then, Cian...” She forced herself to swallow her food, but her throat felt dry and it

seemed to get stuck. Gulping down some cold water, she felt more tears in her eyes.

Jeff averted his gaze and quickly ate more food. Innocente fell silent, too. It was clear to all of

them that Cian was no longer needed. And possibly dead already.

Knowing she needed her strength, Samantha took another bite. She chewed slowly and tried

not to look at her trembling hand. Last night she had been so full of bravado, now she was afraid.

The silence continued until Sergio appeared in the doorway. “So,” he said rubbing his sleepweary eyes. “We going to go kill us a bad guy or what?”

Samantha looked up at him and she forced her hands to be steady. “Yep.”

“We're going to go kill that vampiro,” Innocente declared.

“I have always felt the need to play fast and loose with my life,” Jeff said with a shrug and a

wry grin.

“Then it's a plan,” Sergio said rubbing his hands together. “Oh, awesome! Fresh tortillas!”