The witch hurled the bag directly at Cassandra’s chest. It exploded on impact, filling the air with a spicy smelling, milky-white powder. In that second, Cassandra understood what was happening. Coughing violently, she stared into Aimee’s eyes, her heart thundering in her ears, questions filling her mind.
Cassandra collapsed to the floor and was still.
Chapter 14 :
Prisoner
Aimee stared at the woman at her feet in silence. Breath coming in tight, anxious hitches, the witch felt both relieved and terrible about the act she had just committed.
“Make sure the spell worked,” Frank ordered from behind her. “Aimee, do it.”
Michael loomed over his shoulder, a tranquilizer gun at the ready.
“She’s down. Isn’t that what you wanted?” she asked in a soft voice.
“Check her,” Frank said, gesturing briskly.
Looking up the long corridor, Aimee could see the power of the dhamphir laid out before her. All ten of the men who had attacked Cassandra were either out cold or just coming to. They were battered, bleeding, and most likely had a few broken bones. Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, she kneeled before the fallen dhamphir.
The remnants of the spell’s ingredients powdered the sleek black armor and dusted Cassandra’s face and tresses. Gently, Aimee swept Cassandra’s hair back from her face and laid a hand gently on her neck. She could feel the strong, rapid heartbeat of the dhamphir.
“Did it work?” Frank asked testily from the room.
“Yes. It worked. The spell did its job,” Aimee answered.
Michael stepped into the hallway, leaned down, and rolled Cassandra onto her back. Pressing the tranquilizer gun to her chest, he tapped it a few times. Cassandra remained unmoving. “She’s out,” he confirmed.
Finally leaving the doorway, Frank stared at his latest acquisition. “My, my, she is pretty. I’m going to enjoy breaking her. Cuff her.”
Michael squatted over Cassandra, laid his weapon aside, and unhooked the silver shackles hanging from his belt. “I have to say, Aimee, you’re a badass witch.”
The cold hands of the vampire settled on Aimee’s shoulders as he pressed his body against her. “That’s my girl. Doing her job. Obeying me.” Frank kissed her cheek, nuzzling it gently. “You want to obey me, don’t you Aimee?”
A part of her soul was screaming in defiance, but on the surface of her mind all she felt was numb. Frank’s blood had twisted her will, making her want to obey him, to please him, to be with him, but its tendrils had not fully encompassed her. A sliver of rebellion burned inside, but it was like a tiny rowboat caught in a hurricane.
“Aimee?”
“Yes, of course,” she answered in a voice devoid of inflection.
Flipping Cassandra onto her stomach, Michael secured her hands behind her back, then hoisted her off the floor. “I’ll get her into the holding room.”
“I still don’t like that I can’t go in there,” Frank groused.
“The spells that repulse a dhamphir are also going to work on a vampire,” Aimee reminded him. “Others can feed her your blood.”
“It takes the joy out of it,” Frank sniffed.
Carrying Cassandra down the hallway, Michael shook his head. “C’mon, Frank. You got yourself a genuine dhamphir. You saw what she did to your men. She’s a tough one.”
Frank completely disregarded the guards slowly rising to their feet behind him. “Maybe they’re just imbeciles who have no idea how to fight like real men.” He cast a scornful look in their direction.
“I should go and make sure the spells are all active and that she’s secure,” Aimee suggested.
Giving her a dismissive shrug, Frank gestured after Michael. “Fine, fine. Go do that. I have to yell at some idiots. I need you to come around in like thirty minutes. I’ll give you some of my blood to give to her. I want to start binding her to me immediately.”
Aimee nodded, her stomach twisting in knots.
“I wonder how long it will take to get her completely in my thrall.” Frank sighed. “She better not be another one like you.”