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Her grandmother was silent on the other end of the phone, but Amaliya could hear her breathing.
“Grandmama?”
“I’m trying to remember more about the dream, but it’s very hard. I know she said you were in danger. But, I think she said something about a woman with red eyes. I can’t remember,” the older woman wailed.
“Do you think she will come to you again tonight?” Amaliya hated the sense of foreboding that was filling her.
“Yes, yes. I do. But I’ll be ready this time. I’ll remember what she says. ”
“Call me if she does, okay?”
“I will. You better answer your phone this time!”
Amaliya smiled despite the sick feeling in her stomach. “I promise I will. ”
After a few words of endearment, she hung up.
“Who is Bianca?” Samantha asked in a worried voice.
“She was in my class with Professor Sumner, aka the asshole. He killed her, too, but they found her in her grave. She didn’t rise like I did. My grandmother says that Bianca visited her and said he’d killed her. That was my grandmother’s voicemail. She couldn’t remember much else other than I’m in danger from a woman with red eyes. ”
“All vampires have red eyes when in a rage or hungry,” Cian said, frowning.
Clutching her phone, Amaliya leaned against the counter. She felt sickened by the thought of Bianca roaming the afterlife as a ghost, but was grateful that she was trying to help Amaliya. “I bet this is about Rachon coming to Austin. ”
“Or it could be Etzli. ” Cian rubbed her back gently.
The memories of her death were flooding her mind’s eye and Amaliya closed her eyes, pressing her palms against her eyelids. “I hate to say this, but I hope she visits my grandmother again. ”
“This is really bad, right?” Samantha’s voice sounded weak, but close.
Amaliya looked up as Samantha opened up a cabinet, grabbed a glass, and filled it with water. The other woman’s hand was shaking, too.
“I doubt it is anything significant. We already know that Etzli and Santos are intent on killing us. Rachon is coming because she has a hidden agenda. I hate to say it, but the ghost of Bianca isn’t really saying anything we don’t know,” Cian said.
“It has to be significant though,” Amaliya protested. “If she’s haunting my grandmother, her warning has to be important. ”
“I’m not saying that it’s not, Amaliya. I’m saying that it’s not anything we don’t already know,” Cian said. He appeared quite calm as he gazed down at her. His touch was gentle, but she could see by the look in his eyes he wanted her to calm down.
“I’m pretty sure this is really bad,” Samantha said, daring to defy Cian. Amaliya could see the fear in the blond woman’s face as she gazed at the male vampire. Cian was imposing in the moment. He was exuding calm and strength, but also a dangerous violence lurked underneath his exterior.
“I agree with her,” Amaliya said.
Cian lifted his eyebrows, chuckling. “Oh, really?”
“Ghosts don’t haunt unless they have a reason. Unfinished business, that sort of stuff,” Samantha insisted. “I’ve been reading up on it all day since I saw that ghost this morning. This Bianca chick is trying to warn us about something through Innocente. You can’t ignore that! You can’t say, ‘Oh, well, we know everyone wants us dead. ’ Yeah, maybe they do, but this is a very specific warning. A woman with red eyes. ”
Cian started slightly, his hazel eyes growing distant as he folded his arms over his chest. “Huh. ”
“What?” Samantha and Amaliya chorused.
“Rachon has maroon eyes. It’s a trait that runs in her family. ”
“She’s not coming here to help us then. She’s coming here to kill us,” Amaliya exclaimed.
“She is The Summoner’s favorite kid. She’s totally going to be gunning for both of you. You can’t let her into the city!” Samantha protested.
Cian stared off at some distant point in the horizon, then shrugged. “I’d rather she come here and get it over with then. ”
