Page 66

If only she could call Amaliya. . .

Chapter 17

Jeff awoke to see Beatrice staring at him from her perch on the headboard of Samantha’s bed. The tabby narrowed her green eyes at him.

“Uh, hi?” he whispered, reaching up slowly, offering to scratch her behind the ears.

The cat deftly avoided his hand, leaped past it, and landed heavily on Jeff’s stomach. He was positive the cat had increased her mass somehow. When she landed she felt like she weighed a ton, not a few pounds. Flicking her tail, Beatrice settled into the curve of Samantha’s back and began to delicately lick one paw.

“Okay, I get it. She’s yours and I’m in your spot,” Jeff grunted.

Beatrice regarded him for a long moment as if to say, ‘Yes, stupid human. ’

The bedroom was freezing cold. The air unit in the window was gusting air, making the flimsy curtains holding back the sunlight billow outward like dancing ghosts. Rubbing his face, he slowly sat up and glanced over at Samantha. She was deeply asleep, curled on her side, her hand tucked under her chin, breathing deeply. The sight of her made him s

mile and he gently touched her naked hip.

Outside the window, the huge oak tree threw dark shadows over the house and the insects were buzzing contentedly. It sounded like a lazy Sunday afternoon and he was tempted to lie back down and continue his nap. Sadly, there was much work to do before night fell.

Snagging his cellphone off the bed stand, he quickly scrolled through his messages. There were numerous ones from Benchley and Alexia. Surrendering to the inevitable, he swung his legs out from the silky rose colored sheets and winced as the frosty air washed over his flesh. He fumbled for his boxers, shimmied into them, then reached for his prosthetic leg.

Looking over his shoulder, he wondered if he could love Samantha any more than he already did. She had been completely undaunted by the fact one of his legs ended in a stump just below the knee. Other women had responded not too well to that revelation, but Samantha had acted as though it was completely natural for someone to have to remove a limb before making love. Tenderly, he trailed his fingers through her blond hair, cherishing the feel of it against his skin.

The phone vibrated in his other hand, summoning his attention. It was yet another message from Benchley. Shivering, Jeff abandoned the bed and made his way to Samantha’s kitchen. The sunlight was hitting this side of the house and it was substantially warmer. Beatrice breezed past him, sauntering forward with a haughty air. It was obvious that his presence was an intrusion as far as Samantha’s cat was concerned.

Dialing Benchley, Jeff poured himself a glass of orange juice from the refrigerator.

“Dude, where have you been?”

“I’m with Sam. I told you that,” Jeff answered.

“You text me she’s a phasmagnus and to research it then don’t answer your phone. Not cool at all,” Benchley protested.

“We were. . . uh. . . busy. ”

The silence on the other end drew on a little too long.

“Bench?”

“You’re getting laid while my sister and I are busting our asses to get ready? Really? Really?”

Jeff winced. “Well, uh, you know. . . the whole ‘we may die soon’ argument sealed the deal. ”

“I think I kinda hate you right now. ”

“What’s up, Benchley? You weren’t texting me every few minutes for nothing. ” Jeff dropped his friendly voice and opted for his more authoritative one which he rarely used.

“Fine. I did some digging while Alexia was fixing up the van. Phasmagnus are super-rare. Vampires did a great job whacking nearly all of them. Phasmagnus can summon ghosts and have them do their bidding. Phasmagnus could get them to spy, to steal stuff, and could also make them corporeal enough to do damage or kill. The more the phasmagnus uses their power, the stronger they get. If this is what Samantha is. . . Jeff, seriously, every vampire in the world will be gunning for her. ”

“I saw her make a ghost solid. ” Jeff’s happiness was dissolving into dread. “Samantha touched the ghost and within seconds it was solid enough to scratch me, knock me back, and draw blood. ”

“Fuck me, dude. ”

“I know. ” Jeff rubbed his brow, wishing away his sudden headache.

“All from drinking Amaliya’s blood just once. . . ”

“Samantha was close to death. That has to be why. ”