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Cassandra once again called her mother’s number and listened to the rings on the other end. Baptiste shuffled into the kitchen and headed toward the coffeemaker. It was evident the cabal was up and moving about except for the vampire in the attic. Raising her eyes, Cassandra left yet another message for her mother.

“C’mon, Mom. Call me back.”

* * *

Samantha nervously stepped into the circle of salt that Aimee had carefully poured out on the floor of the library in Jeff’s Victorian. The witch already sat inside the circle, the skirt of her green velvet dress splayed out around her. Sitting across from the witch, Samantha nervously wiped her hands on her jeans and took a deep breath.

Baptiste was seated in a chair outside the circle, concern etched on his handsome face. He would be observing and at the first sign of trouble would intervene following the directions Aimee had given him. He was the only other person Aimee had allowed into the room.

Aimee picked up a small bowl of salt, poured out the white grains, and carefully closed the circle. A dome of iridescent magic formed over them, shimmering and humming. It was a reassuring sign. Samantha had come to depend on the wards for protection. She tried not to think about the fact that The Summoner had found a way through the one over Cian’s house.

“Okay, remember what I told you, Sam. I have separated us from the rest of the house, so you can utilize your magic without interference. You need to concentrate on finding that thread of magic that connects you to Amaliya. You’ve used it before and you need to do it again. Once you’ve found her, send Roberto. Got it?”

Samantha nodded mutely.

“Okay, now drink this. I used what little blood I had left from Amaliya to create it. It’s not going to have the same kick as fresh, but I’ve enhanced it a bit with other magical ingredients.” Aimee gently set a pewter mug in Samantha’s hands.

“What if he tries to come through?” Samantha said worriedly.

“We’ll cut the connection and break the circle so we’ll be back in the protection of the house.” Aimee gave her knee a gentle squeeze. “You can do this.”

Saying a prayer that she hoped Jesus would be cool with, Samantha bravely swallowed the concoction Aimee had conjured. It was both bitter and sweet, with a faint coppery taste. Closing her eyes, she fretfully tried to concentrate on the task at hand without becoming overwhelmed with her own fears.

It took several minutes and Aimee’s gentle reassurances, but Samantha finally felt the root of her power respond to her summons. It sprung up from deep within her and fanned out in a beautiful sparkling mist that filled the circle. Samantha’s vision altered to allow her to see into the world of the dead. The black and white world wavered around her and she saw Roberto waiting for her patiently in a cemetery just outside of San Antonio. The city itself was shrouded completely in a thick blanket of darkness. She couldn’t see beyond the black magic boundary.

Standing in the world of the dead, she looked down at her body. It was shrouded in the white-gray glistening mist that was the manifestation of her power. It took some concentration, but she finally found the fine black tendril of power that connected her to Amaliya. It was glossy and filled with stars.

“I found it,” Samantha said aloud.

“Do you feel her?” Aimee’s voice asked.

In the ghostly world, Samantha’s fingers slid gently along the thread. It both frightened and thrilled her that she could faintly sense Amaliya’s presence.

“Yes. I do feel her, but it’s really scary over near San Antonio. It’s black and blobby.”

“Like before?”

“I think it’s worse. A lot worse.”

Ghostly figures drifted through her vision, curious about her presence in their world. Roberto waited in the distance and she sensed his growing agitation. She was impressed by his fearlessness, but it wasn’t like The Summoner could kill him again. Or at least Samantha didn’t think he could.

Focusing her magic, Samantha took a deep breath, then willed herself to where Roberto waited. When she arrived, she found the graveyard eerily vacant except for him.

“What the hell?” she exclaimed, confused by the emptiness that filled the cemetery. Not one fragment of a memory remained. The graves were black hollows.

“He’s done the same thing here as he did in Fenton. Burned up the ghosts to feed his power.” Roberto jerked his head in the direction of San Antonio. “Whatever is going down is going to happen soon. Look at that.”

“Fuck my life,” Samantha muttered.

The miasma of black magic encircling San Antonio greatly resembled the grotesque portal that had opened in Cian’s mansion. Fingering the fine thread of Amaliya’s connection to her, Samantha wondered if they should dare to follow through. Already The Summoner had fooled them into losing their most valuable warrior.

“I’m ready,” Roberto said, staring at her with his hollow eyes.

“Are you sure?” Samantha stared at the churning cloud of darkness.

“I’m dead, Samantha. The worst he can do now is banish me to the abyss, which will soon take over this world, so what’s the difference?” Roberto shrugged. “At least I’ll be doing something other than waiting.”

Resting her hand on the ghost, Samantha lifted her fingers, the fine tendril of necromantic power humming in her grip. “Follow this to her. Find out what you can. Let her know we’re not giving up on her, or the fight.”