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“Maybe I’m too new at this vampire thing to understand their thinking. Or maybe I’m just damn naive, but I thought some of them would step up and defend humanity. Rachon and Cian are doing what they can.”

“Amaliya, you have to remember they’re both attached to humans. That’s the big difference. Courtney and Nicole use their dickwad human minions, they don’t love them.” Samantha switched lanes, scooting the car out of the wake of a big semi-truck, the wind shear buffeting the car briefly. “Cian and Rachon have more invested in this than the other vampires. Don’t you think Cian is thinking about his daughter? Cass is a dhamphir, but she lives as a human. If she’s going to survive once the veil drops, she’s going to have to go full vampire. What about me? If the abyss swallows the world am I even going to be human anymore? I hardly feel human now at times.”

“I’m so sorry about that.” Amaliya sighed, guilt clawing at her gut.

“Stop apologizing! Fuck me! We had no clue it would happen. You did save my life. Plus, I’m adjusting.” A smile crept onto Samantha’s face. “I kinda like it, honestly. It makes me feel like a bad ass.”

That elicited a laugh from Amaliya. “Well, yeah. You even have Roberto being your minion. And he’s a total bitch.”

“Oh, yeah. Totally.”

“We have a few weeks. Just a few more weeks.” Amaliya hated that fact. Biting at a hangnail on her thumb, she wondered if they’d find the location where The Summoner planned to tear down the veil in time to stop him. They were assuming it would be in San Antonio, but that wasn’t necessarily the case.

“We can do it. Somehow. We have to.” Samantha glanced significantly at her diamond ring. “I mean...c’mon. I have so much to live for. Besides, I’ll look like shit without a tan.”

“You could always try spray-on tanner,” Amaliya suggested with a smirk.

“And be orange? Gross!”

Samantha urged her little car past yet another semi-truck. Interstate 35 was crammed with long haul vehicles. The highway narrowed when they entered a construction zone, the sides hemmed in by concrete dividers. Amaliya exchanged glances with Samantha.

“This is it,” Samantha said.

“Yeah,” Amaliya whispered through still lips.

Setting her arm on the console between them, the vampire opened her hand. Samantha wove her fingers around Amaliya’s. Instantly, their magicks tangled together. The two women steeled themselves for the attack they knew was coming. There was no chance The Summoner wouldn’t attack when both of them were together and outside of Austin.

The rending of metal, squeal of tires, and screech of air brakes tore through the night. Amaliya whipped about in her seat to see out the rear window. One of the big trucks traveling behind Samantha’s car was jackknifing across the two lanes. The fender of the cab slid along the concrete barricade, sparks cascading into the air. The squeal of brakes was followed by the crash of vehicles colliding. The trailer flipped onto its side, blocking the entire road behind them.

Samantha pressed her foot down on the accelerator, keeping her little car ahead of the epic collision. The two lanes ahead were strangely clear of traffic. There was an absence of red brake lights in the all-encompassing darkness before Samantha’s car. On the other side of the construction barricades, oncoming traffic continued to roll past, the headlights blazing in the absolute darkness. They were miles between towns, hemmed in by overgrown fields, trees, and silent construction vehicles.

“This is it,” Samantha muttered again.

Amaliya observed that the semi-truck had finally come to a standstill. “We’re cut off.”

The spell exploded seconds later. The purple haze shimmered in the air, arcing over the area. A second spell popped into action, encompassing the car in a protective shell of blue power that would block any spell attempting to render the occupants unconscious. Samantha shoved her foot onto the brake, her fingers tightening on Amaliya’s hand. Their seatbelts caught across their chests as the car squealed to a sharp stop. The dome of purple black magic spread out overhead, glittering menacingly. It appeared to be a repulsion spell, one that would keep humans out of the area until the ambush was over.

“You’re on, little bitch!” Amaliya tensed her hand around Samantha’s.

Samantha closed her eyes, her ghostly magic shimmering around her, sucking Amaliya’s necromantic energy into its swirling mist. “Roberto!”

The handsome Mexican man flashed into existence in the back seat of the car. His hands became solid, cupping the intertwined fingers of the two women. Amaliya bit her bottom lip, allowing Samantha to drag deep on her power and pump it into the ghost.

“Do what I told you,” Samantha ordered. “No fucking around, or else.”

Roberto scowled. “Of course.”

A dark shape leaped over the concrete barricade and hurtled toward the car. Amaliya freed herself from her seatbelt just as the werewolf hit the car, flipping it over onto the passenger side. The window shattered. Amaliya didn’t pay the bits of glass any heed as she kicked out the windshield and jumped out. The werewolf rushed her. It was massive, well over six feet tall and covered in a dark black pelt. Long claws swiped through the air aiming for her chest. Amaliya ducked under its attack and slammed her fist into the taunt muscles of his stomach, sending the wolfman sprawling.

Amaliya unfurled her necromantic power, feeding it into the darkness to summon the dead. “Come to me,” she ordered. She felt the dead stirring, but something was wrong. They couldn’t come to her.

“Amaliya?” Samantha called out.

“They’re blocking me! Fuck! The spell they cast is blocking me! I need bodies!”

“Bodies? Gotcha!” Samantha shouted back.

The patter of feet in the darkness announced the arrival of more attackers. The sound of gunshots echoed through the air.