Pretty When She Destroys (Pretty When She Dies 3)

“You know what? I’m so sick of that!” Jeff whirled about on Cian. “I can’t see any of this magic! It’s supposed to be all around me and I can’t see it at all! You and the other supes can see all the shit I can’t! I’m just supposed to trust you that it’s there!”

Cian grabbed Jeff so fast he didn’t even have a chance to cry out. The vampire banged him onto the ground, straddled him, tore his wrist open, then blood was filling Jeff’s mouth. The vampire hunter fought back, fists smashing into Cian’s body, but it was ineffectual. As quickly as Cian had attacked, he released Jeff. In a flash of motion, Cian stood calmly nearby licking the wound on his wrist.

Spitting, Jeff rolled onto his side. The taste of the cold blood caused him to heave, yet the little he threw up did not stop the icy burn filling his veins. As Jeff raised his eyes, he saw the shimmering dome of the ward, the writhing pillar of black shadows, and the ghostly glowing swirls of power.

“Oh, my God,” he whispered.

Magic was everywhere. Pulsing in spells set along the perimeter. Glistening over the windows and doors of his house. Writhing in black tentacles among the zombies. The world was filled with magicks of the supernaturals he called family and friends. It was so overwhelming, Jeff lay on the ground enraptured, yet terrified. On delicate little paws, Beatrice sidled up to him and sat at his side. She let out one soft meow, then begin to clean one of her back legs.

“The infusion will last a few more hours, then will dissipate,” Cian said in a matter-of-fact tone.

“You could have asked,” Jeff grunted, climbing to his feet.

“I was tired of your complaining.”

“Infused humans see like this all the time?”

“Yes, when they wish to.”

Beatrice twined between Jeff’s legs, her tail wrapping around the prosthetic one. To Jeff’s surprise, he could feel it. Looking down, he saw the ghostly outline of his phantom limb superimposed over his prosthetic. “This is freaky.”

Like the Red Sea parting, the mass of zombies split apart revealing Aimee kneeling between the vampire and the phasmagus. Bright, glowing colors flowed around her and orbs of light twirled around her body. Amaliya and Samantha were gradually stirring. Cian moved so fast he was a mere blur, then he was cradling Amaliya as she opened her glowing white eyes.

Samantha sat up, her blonde curls falling into her face, then lifted her hands to her head. “Ow.”

Rushing to his girlfriend’s side, Jeff knelt before her. “Sam, are you okay?”

“I think I gave myself a headache.” Samantha lifted her eyes.

Jeff recoiled for a second, then gasped, “Oh, shit.”

“What?” Samantha’s eyes glowed white like Amaliya’s, but there were specks of black swirling in their depths.

“We match,” Amaliya said, pointing to her eyes.

“Fuck me, bitch.” Samantha’s expression was unreadable, but her hold on Jeff stiffened.

The dry, leathery smell of the zombies was cloying and Jeff wanted to get Samantha back into the house. Regardless of the shimmering dome overhead, he felt vulnerable in the night. Beatrice crawled onto Samantha’s lap, purring loudly.

“Are you okay?” Cian’s concern for his girlfriend was stamped all over his face. It almost made him look nice.

Amaliya rubbed her temples with the tips of her fingers. “A headache, that’s all.”

Jeff helped Samantha to her feet.

“They’re at full power now,” Aimee said, a triumphant smile on her face.

The witch clutched an old book to her chest as she stood to one side. Jeff noted that it was her Book of Shadows. It cast light like a prism, illuminating the witch’s face in a glow of bright hues.

Amaliya also appeared wobbly on her feet, leaning heavily against Cian. “That was a rush.” The zombies stretched out their hands to help keep Amaliya steady. “I’m okay,” she assured them, and the undead fell still again.

The glow in Samantha’s eyes slowly abated.

Amaliya’s eyes faded into their regular blue-gray color. “I can raise the dead without spilling blood in cemeteries now.”

Jeff and Cian both looked around at the zombies maintaining their watch.

“And apparently keep the dead under your power without...”Jeff pointed to her eyes.