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“This isn’t easy to say!” Samantha exclaimed.

“What isn’t easy to say?” Cian asked, knowing that she’d answer. He knew her very well and how to get her to respond.

“I’m seeing ghosts and it’s vamp-bitch’s fault!”

Amaliya blinked rapidly, surprised. “What?”

“I drank your stupid blood and now I’m seeing ghosts! You did this to me! You made me a fucking ghost whisperer!” Samantha stomped over to the couch and sat down, clutching her purse.

“Is this making sense to you?” Amaliya asked Cian.

Stunned by Samantha’s words, Cian was trying to process the revelation. He had heard that servants of some vampires absorbed power through the transfer of blood over time. It usually took many years for those abilities to manifest. Of course, nothing about Amaliya had been the norm so far, so maybe there was something about the infusion of the necromantic power into her vampiric nature that had altered her blood.

“Cian?” Amaliya narrowed her eyes.

“It might be, though it would be very unusual for her to have abilities leeched off of your power after just one time imbibing your blood,” Cian answered.

“Well, I am seeing ghosts. And it’s her fault. I never had this before. ” Samantha pointed at Amaliya with an accusing finger. “Thanks for fucking up my life once again!”

In silence, Amaliya walked over to the couch and sat down on the opposite side of it. Drawing her knees up to her chest, she set her feet on the leather and stared at Samantha with a completely blank expression on her face.

“Your fault,” Samantha repeated.

“Samantha, are you sure you’re seeing ghosts?” Cian asked. Afraid of the close proximity of the two women, Cian moved to sit on the coffee table. He could easily keep them separated if he needed to.

“Oh, yeah. Damn sure. ” Samantha wrenched a folder out of her purse and thrust it at him.

“What’s this?”

As Samantha explained all that had occurred, Cian flipped through the notes Jeff had made and the information on the dead woman Samantha had seen.

Amaliya was quiet, her arms folded on top of her knees. She was obviously listening, but wasn’t saying a word.

“And these are?” Cian held up a list with dates and times.

“Well, Jeff and Benchley asked me a lot of questions and I realized that I have been seeing ghosts since I drank from her. I just didn’t realize it because they weren’t all gross and mucked up like Cassidy. ” Samantha dabbed at her eyes again. “Jeff thinks I’m getting stronger and that’s why Cassidy asked me to help her. ”

Thrusting out her hand, Amaliya gestured for the folder. Cian handed it to her, then leaned toward Samantha.

“Samantha, Amaliya saved your life that night. You would have died. None of us knew this would happen to you. ” Cian lightly touched Samantha’s trembling hand.

Beside them, Amaliya was looking through the folder.

“You know what, Cian? I was really freakin’ happy before she showed up. My life was pretty good. Except for that bitch Roberto, our life together was really great. Then she came along and everything went to hell. The Summoner showed up and what else was I supposed to do? Let him kill you? I did what I could to save you and now. . . ”

Amaliya slammed the folder down on the table and leaped off the couch. Shaking her head, she stormed off toward the balcony. “I need a fucking smoke. ”

“This is your fault!” Samantha shouted after her.

Amaliya whipped about, her hair falling around her face. “Oh, fuck, no, it’s not! Look, little bitch, I did what I had to do to save your stupid ass even though I knew you hated me. I did you a goddamn favor!”

“I was trying to save you and Cian!”

“You were trying to save Cian!” Amaliya snagged her cigarettes off the dining room table and searched her jean pockets for her lighter.

“Because I loved him! I didn’t want him to die! I would do it all over again!” Samantha jumped to her feet, dropping her purse on the floor. She didn’t even seem to notice.

Cian sat quietly, letting the two women vent. They needed to do it so all of them could figure out what to do next. Though the women in his life had been hurling insults at each other for the last few months, they had not actually spoken about what had occurred. Amaliya was the queen of avoidance; Samantha was the queen of righteous indignation. It was not the best combination.