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“What if Amaliya makes a vampire?” Sergio dared to ask.

“I wouldn’t,” Amaliya said swiftly. The mere thought terrified her. “I can barely control what’s happening to me. And look at what my blood did to Sam…”

Samantha winced, but had to bob her head in agreement. “She totally fucked me up.”

Amaliya stuck her tongue out at her former rival. Samantha returned the gesture.

“What if she makes another one just like The Summoner?” Rachon interjected. “There’s no assurance that the fledgling would side with us. The Summoner made all of the vampires in this room. His blood is within us.” She pointed at Cian. “You and I know that the only reason we can stand against him is because of our age.”

“But Amaliya can stand against him.” Samantha cast a big smile at Amaliya. “She can totally kick his ass.”

A shiver ran through Amaliya at the thought of how hard it was to defy The Summoner when her creator’s power mingled with her own. It was very difficult to admit how much sway he still had over her whenever she was near him.

Cian looked at their combined hands while Rachon lifted her eyebrows slightly.

Jeff abandoned his seat at the end of the table to pull another chair close to Samantha. Sitting down, he gazed at Amaliya pensively while nursing his hot cup of coffee.

Benchley and Alexia stared at Amaliya with open curiosity. They had not been in the graveyard to see the last battle between Amaliya and The Summoner.

“Well, she can!” Samantha looked defensive. “We all saw her do it!”

Settling back in her chair, Rachon regarded Amaliya thoughtfully. “How hard was it?”

Amaliya shrugged, not enjoying the feeling of being put on the spot.

“You missed the make out session,” Cassandra said to Samantha under her breath. “Amaliya totally lip locked with The Summoner.”

Cian gave his daughter a sharp look, his hazel eyes cold.

“Well, she did,” Cassandra said.

Amaliya met Samantha’s stare with a defiant tilt of her chin. She didn’t feel she should be judged for something she had no control ove

r. Whenever she was around The Summoner his magic called to her in a way that was difficult to fight.

“Really?” Samantha was clearly grossed out. “Really?”

“It’s a vampire thing,” Amaliya answered. “He created me. We’re connected. It’s hard not to...”

“Did you make out with him, Cian?” Samantha leaned forward to peer past Amaliya at her former fiancé.

This brought a surprisingly girlish giggle from Rachon.

Cian ignored the question and his sister’s laughter. Remaining silent, his fingers played with the rings Amaliya wore.

“Ha! You were his bitch!” Eduardo’s laugh was more like a bark than a human sound.

“Do you want me to kill you that badly?” Cian asked the coyote.

“Look! Everyone knows how hard it is to break free from a vampire’s blood bond.” Cassandra pounded her fist on the table to get everyone’s attention. “It fucks your brain up hardcore. So it’s not her fault.”

Sergio let out an explosive sigh.

Amaliya glowered at her cousin across from her. “What?”

“Your life is so fucked up,” he said sadly.

Aimee set her hands on the table and took a deep breath. “Everyone leave her alone. I was bonded to a vampire. It’s not easy to defy them. I’m a true witch and not a mortal so I had a certain amount of immunity, but it was still very, very difficult to break free.”