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"There is a book about you?" Alonzo asked, his dark Spanish eyes aglow

More pop-ins! Oh, wait It was possible Tina hadAt least ere in one of the parlors this ti ambushed in the kitchen by bitchy librarians In fact, this was my favorite parlor (who knew I&039;d ever live in a house where I&039;d have a favorite parlor?), with the cheerful candy-striped wallpaper and blond wood furniture Big east-facing s let in tons of natural light (I assuht blue cera to feel like I was spending half my (new) life in parlors Thank heavens we had four, or I would get bored with the wallpaper Now the idea of opulent mansions suddenly made sense

"Really and truly," I answered Alonzo "Look: we only told you guys so you wouldn&039;t freak out if you, you know, happened to be in Barnes and Noble looking for soirl at the coffee counter"

"I appreciate the genuine concern in your otherwise needlessly provocative statement," Alonzo said He shot his cuffs and looked at his watch, a big chunky silver thing that looked like it weighed down his wrist He did it so often I assumed it was some sort of tic

"Provoke this," I retorted

"The book is not quite out yet," Sinclair pointed out, clinging to hope like a balding ht new fall offering," I added "Place your orders now Beat the rush!"

"I&039;d like to beat you," Sinclairof hi you in the loop"

In fact, there had been a wicked big argument about it My initial take was, let them read about it on the New York Tis? I er probleed (as the opposite of alleged?) life story Like Jessica being deathly friggin&039; ill Sophie needing revenge The Europeans needing to kick me out and take over Maybe on that last one; it was possible they only needed to clear customs on the way home Anyway, a book nobody would think was true was the least of my problems

Tina and Sinclair were adamantly opposed tooff each other, they kept tellingand repetitive ways that it was better to tell these Europeans about the book before they found out themselves and used our silence Use it how, they didn&039;t elaborate

Anyway, sincedead was that nobody told reed to let Alonzo and the others know For once, I&039;d called the(well, Tina had called forcompany Yeah! How &039;bout that?

"I confess," Alonzo was saying, "I have no idea what to say This is an unusual proble look

"Listen, totally off the subject, can I ask you so?"

"Majesty, I am at your disposal"

Noas the perfect opportunity Jessica was asleep-or, at least, in her roo It was just us dead people

"What&039;s it like, to make a vampire?"

"Oh, well" Alonzo looked uncharacteristically flustered, and ran a hand over his smooth head "I never, ah, stayed to take care of one That is to say-"

"You always chomped and moved on"

"Would you ask a lion to sit with the corpse of the gazelle, as the hyenas and vultures tore at the tendons?"

"People aren&039;t gazelles," I pointed out, restraining ht it up "So therearound, ones you made?"

"It is likely," he said reluctantly "In my youth Now, of course, I have much more control over the thirst"

"See, I avoid that whole thing by not even drinking You should try it!"

"This, what you say, &039;avoid the whole thing&039; This is physically ie crossed his features all at once Ithis head soto start a fire up there

"Feeding leads to killing It happens tiain, vaine," I said, speakingsomebody I mean-"

Okay, I had killed someone Two someones Wait, four, if you counted vampires Hmmm, official Gray Area ahead But they were all self-defense, right? And the vaht? Neither of which Alonzo could clai up smoothly fro up an instant later "Sure No problem"

Sinclair raised his eyebrows at me, but didn&039;t say a word or make a move

So ent

We&039;d put our coats on; he had put back on the slightly tips he had left in the hallway upon his entrance For myself, I&039;d slipped into a soht red rubber boots-it et out Spring in Minnesota meant thaw, and thaw meant mud

"At last," he teased e had walked a block without saying anything to each other "I have spirited you away fro"

"Yeah I don&039;t even knoe&039;re talking I sort of thought when I first met you, that we&039;d end up at each other&039;s throats You know, after Sophie had her turn"

"Have you decided what to do withsnowbank "Seriously? You&039;re asking me?"

"I am but a loyal subject Your will is ht" And, weirdly, I did "Is it real? I oing to cut off your head because you were a bad va with it?"

"Well," he ad poo that had likely been there since January, "I wouldn&039;t cal, but I respect the power of the monarchy"