Cian came to slowly. He could feel Amaliya's arms around him and her lips against his cheek.

The excruciating pain radiating out of the silver dagger in his chest nearly plunged him back into

darkness, but he forced himself to stay alert. He could feel his blood seeping away and his power

with it. Slowly, he raised his head and saw The Summoner standing nearby, conversing with

Roberto. The vision was startling, yet, somehow, he was not surprised. The betrayal was harsh,

but he could endure it if he and Amaliya escaped. She had changed him more than he had ever

imagined. It wasn't that she had returned him to his former self, she had made him evolve into

who he was now: the Master of Austin. Before, he had lived in the city without care of anything

other than his own safety. Now, he wanted to step firmly into his role and protect his cabal and

his city. He felt reborn.

He had made a fatal error. He had trusted Roberto.

But now he had Amaliya.

Turning his head, he caught her lips and the kiss was gentle and good. Her fingers slid over

his hair and her eyes spoke of her emotions more than any words ever could. Looking down, he

saw her terribly scorched hand and knew she had tried to remove the dagger. The weapon burned

in him and he could feel it slowly killing him. He slid his hand over his bloodied chest, then

pressed it to her lips. Understanding, she quickly drew her tongue over it, taking his blood.

"None of that!" Roberto darted forward with preternatural swiftness and jerked Amaliya

away.

Her tongue licked desperately at her bloodied lips as Roberto tossed her into the wall. She hit

it hard and sank against it, her eyes tortured.

“Now, now. We were being kind and you took advantage of that, ”the Summoner said in a

put-out voice and kicked Amaliya hard in the ribs.

Cian could hear them shatter. She spit up blood and fell forward onto the moldy floor.

Cian looked down at the dagger and weakly drew his hand up to grip it and draw it out.

Roberto was faster and hoisted him up off the ground and flung him into a table. Cian barely felt

the pain as he impacted with the old piece of furniture. He was a furnace inside. He was dying.

Two massive, obviously dead men entered and reached down to grip him under his armpits.

They lifted him up so Roberto could bind his hands. Cian felt himself drifting in and out of

consciousness as the room kept altering around him.

For a moment he saw The Summoner quite close, then the next he was standing over

Amaliya.

Darkness swirled up again, then Amaliya stood nearby, her dark hair falling over her

shoulders to her waist. She was wearing a blue-gray satin dress that matched her eyes perfectly.

It had a Victorian look about it, but Cian had seen a similar dress just recently in one of the haute

couture fashion shows on TV Samantha had been watching.

“Dressing her up,” Cian mused. "Why?"

"She looks more like a lady this way, don't you think?" The Summoner sat in a nearby chair,

his legs crossed. "It forces a certain dignity to her countenance."

Amaliya looked toward Cian and she lifted her skirt enough for him to see her jeans and boots

underneath. As usual, The Summoner was more about illusion than reality. Dressing her up was

to make her unsure of herself and steal a bit of her identity.

Slowly, Cian took in his circumstances. He was bound to a chair with cord and the dagger had

been drawn out. The damage was still there, deep and painful, but he was no longer dying.

Roberto lounged against the wall nearby watching the proceedings with a rather excited look

on his face. Cian knew from experience that did not bode well for them.

Several dead creatures stood about the room. Some were fresh, but others were quite old. Cian

had a feeling it was yet again another show of power.

Before Amaliya lay a woman dressed in a very pretty pink outfit and high heels. She was

freshly dead and smelled of warmth and liquor.

“Now, where were we before he woke up? Ah, yes. Make her rise! ”

“I don't know how,” Amaliya said in a tired voice. Her silky black hair was hanging around

her face and Cian could only make out the tip of her nose.

“You defeated my creatures and now you can't raise this simple little corpse for me? I have a

difficult time believing that. ” The Summoner's voice was dangerous and cruel.

Cian could feel the tension ratcheting up and knew the violence was coming. He had seen

Amaliya's battle through the back window of the Lexus. He had seen her eyes glow with the

power over the dead and how she had cast down the creatures that attacked her. He knew, just as

The Summoner did, that she was powerful. But what he understood without a doubt, but The

Summoner did not, was that Amaliya did not know how she had done it. The Summoner would

take it as Amaliya being obstinate and it was about to get very, very bad.

“I just don't know how I did it. Okay? " She lifted her chin and her hair swung back to reveal

her strong features. Defiance was etched in her expression.

“No, it is not okay. Show her it is not okay, Roberto, ”The Summoner said in a cold voice.

Roberto stepped away from the wall and drew out the silver dagger. The hilt was wrapped in

his silk handkerchief. He stepped purposefully toward Amaliya and she shrank back.

Cian knew what was going to happen, but Amaliya did not. He braced himself and clenched

his teeth together.

Roberto swung about at the last moment and drove the silver dagger deep into Cian's upper

arm. Cian felt the pain explode within him, but he did not cry out. Amaliya's cry was pained

enough for both of them. Roberto's eyes gazed deep into his former Master's with curiosity, then

stepped back and bowed slightly.

“Don't hurt him! I don't know how! ”

"Try!" The Summoner slapped her and pointed his finger in her face. "Try."

Amaliya fell to her knees, the big skirt puffing up around her and laid her hands on the girl's

body. It wasn't hard to see her struggling to draw on her power of necromancy, but the girl

remained unmoving.

"Do it!"

“I'm trying,” Amaliya cried out.

The Summoner nodded at Roberto and Amaliya screamed just as the blade was buried into

Cian's thigh.

Again, Cian fought the agony and refused to cry out. He was weakening and he knew he

could not remain conscious much longer.

“Do it,” The Summoner snarled at her and stalked around her. His eyes were pure white as his

power filled the room and his dead followers swayed in the waves of it.

Amaliya again placed her hands on the girl and closed her eyes in an attempt to concentrate.

The minutes ticked by and blood tears streamed down her pale face. The girl remained

unmoving.

“Roberto,” The Summoner said again.

"No!"

Cian saw Amaliya launch herself at Roberto and so did his former servant. Roberto turned

and slashed at her. The blade caught her upraised hand and as she fell back, her hand swept over

the room and her blood flew in an arc over both the raised dead and the corpse at her feet.

Cian could not process what happened next. By this point, he was close to blacking out. He

could feel the sun hovering at the horizon and the dead drawing into a tight circle around him.

He could see The Summoner looking down at shock as the girl with the pink high heels and

glossy dead lips grabbed his ankle. He saw Roberto's look of sheer surprise as the leg of a

wooden chair burst through his chest, impaling his undead heart. And, finally, he saw Amaliya

falling back to the floor, her eyes glowing pure white.

Then he was lost in the darkness.

* * *

Amaliya didn't know how she did it, but suddenly her power lashed out, gripped the dead in

its thrall, and wrenched them from The Summoner's influence. She cried out in anger and pain,

and in her cry were the orders that the decaying bodies obeyed. She wanted Roberto dead at her

feet and the corpses moved to fulfill her desire as the dark, silky tentacle of her power filled them

with life. The dead surged around Roberto, one of them impaling him from behind with a tree

branch. The Cian's servant's eyes widened in horror before he tumbled forward. Several of the

dead leaned down and fumbled with the hole in his back, then plunged their hands into his body.

As Roberto screamed, the dead pulled his heart from his body and silenced him forever.

Scrambling to her feet, Amaliya saw the girl in pink attacking The Summoner while the dead

surged forward to help her. Roberto, truly dead, lay abandoned on the floor.

“No! Cease! ” The Summoner ordered the dead, but they did not obey as they reached for him.

Wrapping her hand with the stupid skirt's material, she grabbed the silver dagger from

Roberto's hand and cut Cian free as quickly as she could. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw

The Summoner shove through the dead as he advanced on her. She hurled the silver dagger at

her maker just as Cian tumbled forward into her arms. The Summoner ducked away from the

weapon and the dead managed to trip him into their midst.

Grabbing Cian about the waist, she heaved him up in her arms and dragged him toward the

window. She felt so tired and drained, but they had to escape.

An animated corpse flew past them and into the wall as The Summoner rose up and began to

rip apart the risen dead. His fury was evident in his features and he bared his teeth at her. “Where

will you go? The sun is about to rise! " He growled at her as he shoved the attacking undead

creatures away from him.

Amaliya didn't even answer. She shoved Cian through the musty curtains and out the window

and followed him into the pre-dawn greyness.

Gripping him under the arms, she pulled him along, his feet dragging on the ground. The sky

was turning a pale blue on the horizon and elegant pink and purple clouds swept across the hills.

As she struggled along, she glanced behind her to see no one pursuing them. Glancing toward the

horizon, she could see why. The edge of the new morning sun was emerging over the treetops.

The Summoner was safe in the darkened motel. Though he was able to stay awake, he would

burn in the sunlight. Just as they would if they did not get to shelter.

Grabbing up the long skirt of the stupid dress The Summoner had made her put on, she lifted

it over both of them like a cloak and tried to shield them as the sky continued to lighten. Cian

moved slightly and his legs began to carry him.

“The sun,” he whispered.

“I know,” she answered and tried to shield their exposed skin as they hurried along the rough

terrain leading away from the abandoned town. They broke free of the overgrown foliage and

into a golden field of grass. She looked behind them and considered trying to hide them in the

trees, but she was sure the branches would not provide enough shelter.

Across the field was the dark shape of a structure and she glanced warily toward the rising

sun. It burned her eyes. She flinched and looked away. The gray of the morning was fading fast.

Adjusting the heavy satin skirt around them, Cian's face tucked into her neck, she pulled him

with her across the uneven ground.

“Amaliya,” he said in a soft voice. "We'll burn."

“No, we won't,” she answered, and half-dragged, half-carried him.

A soft morning mist flowed around them as they moved and she was grateful for the thick

clouds sliding overhead. Maybe the clouds would buy them a bit more time.

“The sun,” Cian mumbled.

Determinedly, she kept moving. As they drew closer to the building, she made out its

ramshackle countenance. It was long abandoned and appeared to be an old farmhouse. Grateful

that she had kept her jeans and boots on instead of taking them off like The Summoner had

wanted, she kept the skirt over their heads as they half-climbed, half-fell over the old decaying

fence that surrounded the house. For a second, the sun caught Cian as he fell to the ground and

he cried out in terror. She fell to her knees and quickly covered him. He reached out to her and

she hid him in the safety of her dress.

“We're almost there,” she said softly and urged him to his feet.

Clutching her tightly, he struggled to walk with her.

She now understood that The Summoner's power was in her. She had risen during the day

before and she was bound and determined to stay awake. Cian was obviously falling asleep

despite his attempt not to, but she would keep him moving. She would not lose him to the sun.

Practically carrying him up the splintered steps, she heaved him onto the porch. He was nearly

completely asleep. His body was a lead weight in her arms. The door was already partially open

and she shoved it aside. The room beyond was full of debris. She dragged Cian inside and shut

the door behind them. Sunlight was already beginning to pour through the east windows, filling

the house with a soft morning glow. It also cascaded through the big holes in the roof and

Amaliya fought back her panic.

Cradling Cian against her, she moved with her head down, keeping the skirt of the dress over

their heads and faces. It was in the second room down a narrow hall that she saw their salvation.

It was a closet full of darkness. Avoiding the holes in the floor, she managed to maneuver

through the room despite Cian's dead weight and shoved him into the closet. He fell into it and

crumpled into a heap. She hastily followed him in and fell to the floor in exhaustion. Her hand

found the doorknob and drew the door closed.

The fear that The Summoner would send dead servants after them rose inside of her and she

looked for a lock. There was none. To her dismay, she saw there were cracks in the door that

were wide enough to peer through or for the sun to pour through once it hit the West walls. She

quickly struggled out of the dress and pulled her t-shirt down over her belly. She had only

pretended to change out of her old clothes into the dress. She was glad for it. Sitting down on the

floor, she adjusted Cian's body close to her and covered them both with the heavy satin. Then,

she raised her hand and closed it over the knob.

One thing she was certain of was that when she slept, her hand would lock into place. Cian

had told her about the vampire's ability to protect themselves in sleep. Even holding a coffin shut

from within was something their subconscious could instruct their body to do as they slumbered.

Tightening her hand, she willed it to stay firm and locked around the knob. She had to keep it

closed at all costs. Sinking against Cian, she could feel sleep coming fast. She was weak and had

no choice.

Her head fell onto his shoulder.

She slept.

* * *

Sergio's massive truck barreled down the county road just as the sun began to make its

appearance on the horizon. Innocente sat in the front passenger seat clutching her rosary and a

statue of the Virgin Mary. Behind them sat Samantha and Jeff in the roomy backseat. Samantha

had nodded off for an hour earlier and her head was snuggled onto Jeff's lap. He had found

himself stroking her blond hair gently as he tried to mentally prepare himself for what was to

come. He found the act very soothing.

They had swung by his place the night before and he had grabbed a lot of his father's hunting

gear. It was packed into a big bag in the bed of the truck along with a lot of stuff Amaliya's

grandmother had brought from her home. They looked like religious zealots with all the crosses

and religious icons tucked in the back. He had switched out his prosthetic leg to a sturdier one

and had left the more cosmetic one at home. There was a good chance he was going to have to

run.

“We're almost there,” Sergio said from the front seat as another sign flashed by.

“They'll be falling asleep very soon,” Jeff answered. “Which is good. The last thing we need

is an awake vampire.”

* * *

The Summoner had almost pursued Amaliya into the gray dawn but had resisted that urge. He

was more susceptible to sunlight than any other vampire he had ever encountered. Ironically, he

was now able to be awake during the daylight hours but was unable to venture forth. Some

vampires, he had known over the centuries, were able to survive in sunlight if they were heavily

covered. Unfortunately, the sun seemed to pierce straight through his clothing. He was not

certain, but he thought that perhaps it had something to do with his necromancy.

The day before, he had been carried out of Heather's apartment in a large chest and to the van

his minions had secured. He had remained shrouded in darkness until the sun had descended and

his powers were fully returned to him. Then he had summoned Amaliya's victims, hacked them

apart, and shaped them into new, deadly creatures. It had all been so entertaining to watch, but

now he was trapped in the motel and he was seething.

He stood back and watched Amaliya flee as her undead servants fumbled around him, unsure

of what to do once her presence left them. Lifting one hand, he drew them securely back under

his power. He had felt her power drain out of them the moment she had disappeared from their

view. Pulling the dead close around him, he whispered his instructions to them and then they

shuffled off to obey.

Turning, he tucked his hands behind him, stepped over Roberto's dissolving body and walked

slowly down the long hallway of the decrepit hotel. Roberto had prepared a haven for them in

one of the inner rooms that had no windows. Two of his largest servants walked behind him.

Opening the door into his temporary haven he gazed over the makeshift arrangements. Two cots

from WalMart were made up for him and Roberto and several camping chairs were set up for the

guards.

With a slight shrug, The Summoner walked over to one of the chairs and sat down. He was a

patient man. He would wait out the sun, then he would venture back into the night with his

servants and destroy Cian and reclaim Amaliya. He would not be fooled again. Her spirit was

strong and he would have to break it quickly or he would never be able to use her effectively.

Closing his glowing eyes, he concentrated on his dead minions and sent the fresher ones into

the day to do his bidding.

* * *

Sergio wondered for the hundredth time how he had been dragged into this madness. He also

wondered how he could actually be having some sort of warped fun. It was rather exciting being

a vampire hunter. When he drove the big truck into the ghost town that was the supposed lair of

The Summoner, he felt a shiver of anticipation flow over him.

“Yuck,” his grandmother said in a somber tone as she looked around at all the burned-out

buildings.

Swinging his head back and forth, he looked over the abandoned town as the truck crept

along. He was just thinking it looked rather ominous when his grandmother shouted, “Sergio!

Stop! ”

He slammed on the brakes and everyone jerked forward. Samantha fell hard into the back of

his chair, woke up, and started swearing.

"What, Grandmama?" He looked around frantically, his heart thundering in his ears.

The little old lady threw open the door and tumbled out of the truck. Sergio shifted into

PARK, swung his door open, leaped out and ran after her.

“Sergio! Innocente, no! The sun isn't completely up! ”

Sergio heard Jeff jumping down behind them, but he continued to run after his amazingly fast

grandmother. He had several crosses around his neck, and his revolver and a crucifix were

tucked into his back pocket. He wondered if it was enough to fend off The Summoner.

His grandmother reached a discarded cowboy hat lying on the road and snatched it up.

"It's Amaliya's!" She held it out triumphantly.

Sergio heaved to a stop and leaned over, his hands resting on his knees. He seriously needed

to work out. His lungs hurt from his short sprint and he gulped down air.

Jeff caught up to them, followed closely by Samantha. He snatched the hat away and looked

at it. "Are you sure?"

“Yes! Yes! I'm sure! ” Innocente was breathing a little heavily, but she reached out to grab the

hat back, her expression feisty and determined.

“It reeks like-like-” Samantha made a face.

Sergio could smell it, too. "Something dead."

Innocente drew her hand back and sniffed her fingers. “It's not her. It's something else. She's

not dead. "

Jeff tossed the hat into the nearby bushes that bordered an abandoned motel. Sergio could tell

the young man was thinking over the situation quickly. Sergio looked over at the gas station to

their right, then slowly toward the motel. He became aware that all four of them were now

standing in the middle of the street, the truck idling nearby, staring at the abandoned motel.

Probably not their smartest move.

“Shit,” he muttered and suffered his grandmother's automatic smack on his arm.

“In there,” Jeff decided.

“Yeah,” Samantha agreed.

Innocente drew near Sergio anxiously and he slung his arm down around her trembling

shoulders. He cuddled her into his side and tried hard not to show his own fear. He was sure he

was not imagining it. Even though the sun was showing over the trees now, the motel seemed

abnormally dark and foreboding.

“I really, really, really don't want to go in there,” Samantha said after a beat.

“You and me both,” Jeff answered grimly.

“The dead are in there,” Innocente said sadly. “I can hear them in my head.”

Jeff looked at her curiously.

“She's a medium,” Sergio answered the unspoken question. “She has always seen ghosts and

heard the voices of the dead.”

Lifting his eyebrows high, Jeff said, “Oh.”

“That's creepy,” Samantha decided.

“You have no idea, mijita,” Innocente said sadly.

Jeff walked along the front of the motel toward the rural road that cut through the town.

Sergio followed and touched Samantha's shoulder as he passed her. She gave him a faint smile.

“There's a Lexus down the road,” Jeff said and started toward it.

“Stay here,” he said to Samantha and his grandmother.

He hurried to catch up with Jeff before they could protest him bossing them. Despite the

vampire hunter's funky looking mechanical leg, he was fast on his feet. Sergio struggled to keep

up.

A navy Lexus RX was pulled over into the trees near the hotel and Jeff motioned for Sergio to

be cautious. Keeping an eye out for any trouble, they both crept up to the vehicle and peered

inside.

“Oh, crap,” Sergio said softly when he saw the body of a young woman. Her blond hair was

over her face, but she was obviously dead. Her head was completely twisted around on her

shoulders. Her body was stuffed down behind the passenger seat.

“Window's shot out,” Jeff said and pointed to the broken windshield.

"Whoa." Sergio looked around nervously. His heart was beating even harder than before. He

glanced back to where his grandmother and the blond woman were standing at the edge of the

gas station's parking lot staring toward them. It was getting serious fast.

Samantha motioned with one hand and he was relieved she was smart enough not to call out.

He had trouble figuring out what she was trying to tell them in pantomime, but Jeff seemed to

catch it.

“It's Cian's,” he said softly to Sergio. “She says it's Cian's.”

They both looked toward the ascending sun that was slowly pushing back the gray remains of

the night. The sound of shattering glass came from nearby and the men ducked down behind the

truck. Sergio signaled for his grandmother and Samantha to get out of sight and the women

darted off to hide behind a sign. There was nothing they could do about the truck parked across

from the gas station.

Looking under the truck, Sergio watched three figures walk through the overgrown foliage to

the vehicle he was hiding behind. One of the three was wearing high heels and the other two

were wearing battered sneakers. Sergio smelled the stink of death on them and crouched down

further. The dead gathered on the other side of the Lexus and opened up the back door. He could

hear them moving about, but none of them said a word. He realized they were removing the dead

body from the truck.

Well, that was what he thought until he heard a terrible cracking noise, then saw another set of

feet join the other three.

Jeff looked sharply toward Sergio and Sergio slowly shrugged, not sure what to think.

Together they crept along the edge of the vehicle and watched as the four figures now walked

away from the motel into the trees and toward a vast open field beyond the “Y” intersection

where the motel was huddled in the darkness of the trees.

“Follow them,” Sergio barely whispered.

Jeff nodded.

Sergio looked back toward the blond girl walking along with the other three corpses. Her head

bobbed strangely on her shoulders, but she was up and walking.

The walking dead.

Kind of like a Romero zombie film.

Totally creepy.

Jeff turned and motioned to the two women to hang back then motioned to Sergio to join

them.

He was reluctant to leave Jeff, but he realized they would need more weapons and the truck.

He'd give it a few minutes, then bring the truck up the road. Sweating profusely despite the

coolness of the morning, Sergio ducked down and rushed back to his grandmother and

Samantha.

* * *

Jeff crept after the dead making sure to keep his head down as much as possible. When he

entered the field of overgrown grass, he practically crawled as he paced along behind the four

animated corpses. Casting his eyes toward the horizon, he could see the sun was now further up

and yet The Summoner's servants continued to walk. This did not bode well for them. It meant

The Summoner was awake in the motel behind him.

The four dead were heading toward a distant building that was hidden behind a thicket of

trees and not visible from the road that slowly curved away into the Hill Country. A few wild

peach trees were adorned with brilliant purple and lavender flowers near it and Jeff could now

see it had once been a large farmhouse. Crouching down, he watched the four creatures draw

close to the house, one of them stumbling over a fallen fence. Slowly, they maneuvered through

the overgrown yard and up into the abandoned house.

Wiping the sweat off his brow, he considered his options and just decided to wait. After

around five minutes, the four dead people reappeared and took up positions around the house. It

was now obvious they were either guarding or watching the house.

Ducking down, he moved back toward the road until he was back a safe distance, then he ran

back to the truck that was now idling near a burned out building away from the motel.

Hurrying around to the driver's side, he gestured for Sergio to lower the window.

“What's up?”

“I think there is a very good chance that one or both of your friends are in a farmhouse out in

the middle of a field. I followed the dead out to this building. They went inside, then came back

out and took up sentry positions.”

“What if it's The Summoner?” Samantha asked from the backseat.

“I don't think so,” he answered and looked toward the foreboding motel. “The dead came

from the motel so my bet is that he's stuck in there and Cian or Amaliya or both managed to

make it to the farmhouse. I say we take out the four around the house and check inside. If we can

avoid a direct confrontation with The Summoner, I am all about that.”

“But he's asleep, right?” Innocente's brow was furrowed and she was clutching her massive

tote bag tightly. The head of the Virgin Mary statue was slightly sticking out the top.

“I don't think so,” Jeff confessed. “The dead are up and walking and he is controlling them.

He has to be awake to do that. ”

“Oh, crap,” Samantha said in an awed, yet terrified voice.

“Okay, so we go to the farmhouse, kill the already dead people, try to find sleeping vampires

inside, somehow rescue them, and head back to Austin, ”Sergio said. “And avoid The Summoner

at all costs. "

“Yeah,” Jeff answered.

Sergio pondered this, then shrugged. "Let's do it."

Jeff hurried around the truck. His leg throbbed a little but he ignored it. He had a job to do and

he intended to do it. As he slid up into the backseat, Samantha looked at him, her eyes wide with

fear and excitement.

"Are you okay?" she asked and touched his shoulder lightly.

He was surprised to feel a slight shiver inside of his belly and he suddenly blushed. "Yeah."

He looked away from her and felt immensely awkward. Of course, it was probably the

adrenaline, but the concern in her expression had touched him. And he'd be stupid not to notice

she was a very pretty girl.

Frowning, he redirected his thoughts. It was time to kill ... no rescue ... the vampires. He reached

down and unzipped his bag and pulled out his baseball bat. Against the dead minions, this should

work just fine.

“Mine,” Samantha said and snagged it from him.

He looked at her, startled, but her grim expression shut up his protest. With a slight bob of his

head, he reached in and grabbed a machete.

“Mine,” Innocente said and held out her hand from over the back of the passenger seat.

Jeff sighed and handed it over. He reached down and pulled out another machete, this one

smaller than the first.

“Mine,” Sergio said from the front seat.

“Oh, give me a freaking break!” Jeff exclaimed.

Sergio grinned over his shoulder at him. “Just joshing you,” he said. “I got the truck.”

And before Jeff could ask what he meant, Sergio gunned the huge 4x4 vehicle and it roared

into the field.

* * *

Samantha held onto the back of the driver's seat for dear life as Sergio maneuvered the big

truck. The fence had long ago collapsed and the truck easily roared into the field. The four

people inside were jostled around as the truck bounced and growled through the overgrown

grass. A few times they hit something big and were thrown about, but the truck kept going

straight for the old farmhouse.

The four dead minions turned slowly as Sergio found an old ruined drive and drove up over

the rough terrain. It was severely potholed from numerous storms and Samantha fell into Jeff a

few times. They hit one so hard, she hit her head on the roof. Jeff quickly pulled her close and

checked to see if she was okay. She shoved him off and said she was okay, but her head ached

now.

She wasn't even sure what Sergio planned to do until they hit the first dead minion of The

Summoner. It was a blond woman whose head was listing horribly to one side. She looked like

something out of a zombie movie. The truck barreled into her body and flung it aside. Samantha

whipped around to see the woman's body hit a tree and fall to the ground. To her surprise, it

struggled to get back up.

Sergio swore in Spanish as he whipped the truck around and aimed for two men rushing

toward them. They were both more alive in appearance than the blond woman, but Samantha

saw their dead eyes just before the truck hit them. The two bodies were flung backward and

landed hard on the ground. A woman with a pink dress and high heels rushed toward the truck, a

tree branch gripped in one hand. She struck the back passenger window and Samantha screamed

as broken glass rained in on them. Sergio slammed on the brakes and they were all thrown

forward.

Innocente muttered something in Spanish, wrenched her door open, and leaped out.

“No!” Sergio exclaimed and grabbed for her, but missed.

Samantha shoved her door open and jumped out, wielding the bat. Immediately, she was

confronted by the dead woman clutching a branch in one hand. Sam swung the bat hard at the

dead female. The impact reverberated through her arms and into her body and the woman in pink

spun away from her.

Innocente came around the front of the truck and struck the woman with the machete. In eerie

silence, the dead creature raised the tree branch she had clutched in one hand to strike Innocente.

Samantha clenched her jaw and raised the bat over her shoulder and slammed it down on the

dead woman's head. There was a sickening crack and the woman's head split open. Turning

slowly, the dead woman looked at Samantha with a blank expression. Her face was split and her

neck was slashed open by the machete. Utterly calm and silent, the dead woman raised her

branch again. It was then Jeff appeared and slammed his machete hard into the woman's throat. It

knocked her back onto the ground and Jeff braced himself, feet apart, and commenced to hack

the woman's head off.

Gagging, Samantha whirled around in time to see the first woman staggering toward her. Her

head was falling over on her shoulder and her body was struggling to move.

"They're still moving!" she screamed

Sergio dove back into the truck and shifted into reverse. Gunning the engine, he drove

backward at a fast clip and slammed into the advancing woman. Her body fell back and the big

wheels of the truck rolled over her.

Innocente backed away from Jeff as he finished off the woman in the high heels and turned to

see the two battered forms of the male corpses crawling toward her.

“Why won't they die!” she cried.

Sergio left the truck parked on the struggling blond woman and jumped out. He ran full force

into the first man, tackling him to the ground. His big fist began to beat the man's face into a

bloody pulp.

Samantha shook herself out of her daze and lifted the bat over her head. Running toward the

second man, she let out a scream that would make Xena proud. The first strike missed his head

and bounced off his shoulder. He reached for her and she rammed the end of the bat into his

mouth, shattering his teeth and nose. Not even noticing, he kept reaching for her throat, but only

managed to grab her shoulder. Beside her, she could hear Sergio slamming his fist over and over

again into the other dead creature.

Trying to break free from the man's terrible grip, Samantha kept ramming the end of the bat

into his face. Innocente hacked at the man's arm. Samantha tried to keep distance between her

and the swinging blade as she tried to break free.

“Destroy them so he can't use them,” Jeff ordered. He came up behind the dead man that was

trying to get a better grip on Samantha and began to hack at the back of his neck like he was a

giant tree.

Managing to finally squirm free, Samantha staggered away. Jeff and Innocente continued to

hack away at the dead man, who was still trying to grab them.

Sergio climbed off the man whose head he had pulverized and looked toward the house. He

looked at Samantha and she nodded.

Together, they entered.

The barren house was falling apart and as they walked over the rotting floor, Samantha feared

falling through. She was grateful she had worn her cowboy boots and jeans and nothing silly and

frilly. Holding the baseball bat at the ready, she followed Sergio through the apparently empty

house. She didn't immediately realize he had his gun out, but when she did, she wondered if it

would stop The Summoner's minions.

The house did not seem very safe for vampires. The roof had completely rotted away and the

sun poured through multiple holes. The walls were so decayed, daylight streamed through the

cracks. But the wood was old and thick. It would probably stand a few more years before finally

giving in to the elements and collapsing.

It was in what looked like a bedroom that Sergio found the hidden vampires. He tried to open

a door only to find it firmly shut. He strained to open it to no avail. Finally, he managed to get a

peek into the closet through a thick crack in the door.

“I think they're in there,” he said.

“What?” Samantha rushed to his side and slid onto her tippy toes to look inside. She could

barely make out what looked like a large lump with a satin cover on it. It was hard to see with the

limited light, but the sunlight coming through the broken roof was enough to dimly see the sheen

of the satin.

“I think they locked the door,” Sergio said and got down on his knees to try to see through a

keyhole. Fumbling with his belt, he pulled off a small flashlight. It took some maneuvering, but

he finally managed to get a view inside. “She's holding it shut. I can see her wrist. "

"Is Cian in there?"

“I don't know,” Sergio answered, and handed her the flashlight.

She tried to see through the keyhole, but she couldn't manage it. Giving up, she handed it back

to him.

Jeff and Innocente entered the room, both of them looking weary and blood splattered.

"They're in there." Samantha pointed to the closet.

“Then we get them and get out of here,” Jeff answered.

Innocente hurried to the closet and laid her hands on it.

“Amaliya,” the old woman whispered. “We're here, Amaliya.”

Her voice was full of emotion. Samantha reached out and laid a comforting hand on her

shoulder. Despite their rocky start, Samantha couldn't help but like the old lady. She was tough.

Sergio looked somber and said, “We should get the blanket and the tarp. We need to hurry

before the sun moves any further overhead and we end up with more light in here. ”

“Agreed,” Jeff said and moved to peer through the crack in the door.

“She's holding the door shut,” Samantha said.

“But she's asleep,” Sergio added.

“Amaliya, it's Grandmama,” Innocente said again. “Wake up, Amaliya. Let us get you out. ”

“Go get the stuff from the vehicle and be careful,” Jeff said to Samantha. “We need to get out

of here right away. "

Samantha nodded and lifted her bat again. "I'm on it."

"Coming with you." Sergio followed her out into the hallway.

“I just want to get the hell out of here,” Samantha said to him as they moved quickly to the

front door. "Before anything else crazy happens."

“I'm so with you on that,” Sergio answered.

Samantha heaved the door open and stared into the gnarled, decayed, dried husks of the dead

people standing on the porch. She had only a second to realize that the corpses were all around

the house and truck before the one nearest her lifted its masticated arm.

"Sergio!" Samantha screamed.

Then the thing stabbed her through and she fell back into Sergio's arms.

* * *

In his darkened room, The Summoner smiled as his eyes glowed with white light.

“Don't kill them,” he whispered softly. “Wound them, keep them in the house, but do not kill

them. Save them for me. ”

How nice of Amaliya and Cian to take refuge in the farmhouse that sat on the edge of the old

cemetery. So convenient for him to call on the dead once his four more robust minions were

downed. And how lovely of Amaliya's grandmother and cousin to come and provide ample

fodder for him to use against her.

His smile broadened.

The situation was increasingly to his liking.