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One hand on the open door, Juliet turned around and winked "Don’t wait up"

"You’re supposed to be doing a job!" The door clicked shut before I got the last word out

"She is so awesohed "I wish zombies could become vampires"

27

JULIET WASN’T THE ONLY ONE WITH A JOB TO DO THAT night Gently but firo "But it’s early I want to practice some more," Tina objected She stood, but in slow motion

"You may practice on your own," Mab said "Victory and I have another matter we must attend to"

"Really? What?" Tina’s face darkened as Mab and I exchanged glances "Oh, coht in so on, like I’m a child It’s not fair!"

It’s not fair made her sound exactly like a child, but even so she had a point

"You’re right," Mab said "If you’re to be recruited to help us, you should knoe’re facing"

"I’rin "Score one for the zombie"

"Do you remember what happened at the Paranormal Appreciation Day concert last winter?" I asked

"Of course" She did a couple of stiff-legged zombie dance steps "I almost became a pop star"

"I mean besides your fifteen"You ies?"

I hoped Mab noticed the utter despair in the look I sent her way "Those ‘bird thingies’ were ht And the Morfran is a spirit of hunger that’s, like, the essence of all demons It eats zombies Your cousin set it loose on Deadtown to feed on us to strengthen his demons so they could attack Boston"

Okay, not bad Maybe there was some hope for her

"Those birds went afterthe heouged her midriff Because zombies don’t heal, the wounds were as raw as the day they’d happened "But Vicky used her black dagger and iht? So the Morfran can’t get out"

"That’s correct," Mab said "The Morfran is bound to the slate, unless so it is e plan to do tonight"

"Why?" Tina’s eyes widened as she clutched her torso protectively "Won’t those birds attack Deadtown?"

"That’s e’re trying to prevent," I said

"We won’t let the Morfran attack anyone," Mab added "We’ll kill it before it can"

"You can kill it? Why didn’t you do that beforeyou know, the concert?"

"We’ve only recently discovered how," Mab said "So we ht It’s our best opportunity to weaken our eneue as though tasting it "You know, I always thought of eneirls whoabout guys who, like, want to destroy the world as we know it You’re saying I’ve got real enerin cracked her pensive expression wide open "That is so cool"

MAB SENT TINA OFF WITH A YARDSTICK TO USE AS A PRACTICE SWORD Tina cast a longing glance at ue She proress

As soon as the door closed behind her, I turned to Mab "Teaching that zo to happen" In fact, if I were taking bets on Tina’s et, child, that I spent some time with The Book of Utter Darkness as you slept"