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"You want me to do what?"

"I&039;ll do it," Tina said quickly I realized that the chair leg she&039;d been holding would ood stake Dammit! Three steps ahead of me, as usual "The queen shouldn&039;t have to undertake such a low task"

"Uh still having trouble tracking, you guys"

"Low task?" Sarah&039;s eyes were blazing "My death is not low! It will reunite one from me these fifty years"

"Guys?"

"I only meant the queen doesn&039;t have the stos," Tina added in a low voice "But I don&039;t lad to help you out"

"Oh" Mollified, Sarah backed off again "All right, then"

"Sarah, are you sure?" I kept a wary eye on Marie and practically whispered the rest "I mean, what if it doesn&039;t work? What if you" Wake up in Hell, I&039;d been about to say, but that probably wouldn&039;t do "What if I&039;?"

"You&039;re the queen," Sarah said, plainly puzzled

"Besides, you do believe it In your heart of hearts," Sinclair said I juotten he was still in the room "You know you do Else ear the cross? Attend church?"

"How do you know I go to church?"

"Elizabeth, I know everything about you"

"Okay, now you&039;vewould-be suitor to obsessive stalker But I&039;ll deal with that later Giveinto my palm like a vampiric OR nurse "Sarah asked me So I&039;ll do it"

"Thank you, Majesty"

Tina didn&039;t say anything; she just bowed her head

"Um, how do I do it?"

"Aim for the heart," Sinclair said He touched a spot on Sarah&039;s breast "Dead center As quick and deep as you can"

"And that&039;ll do it?"

"Yes No vah the heart, even if you remove it afterward She won&039;t disappear like in a silly ulped "Okay But first, Sarah, you should probably confess You know, go see God with a clean slate"

Sarah cringed "Can&039;t I confess to you?"

"No, of course not Just a second" I snatched open my bedroom door Ani, Jessica, and Jon nearly fell on me "Cut it out, you snoops Father Markus!" I bawled "Get up here! We need you!"

"I&039;ll get him," Ani said

"No, I will," Jon said, and they were in an instant and furious tussle Fists flew and they were kicking and scratching like pissed-off chinchillas

"Uh Jessica"

"Right," she said, stepping over Jon and Ani, locked in co back into oing to touch me with any of his his tools, is he?" she asked, actually tre The woman who yelled at Sinclair was scared of an old ?"

"No He&039;s just going to hear you out Just tell his you&039;ve done-"

"All?" she repeated, appalled

"Sum up, then," I said, exasperated "Then I&039;ll stake you through the heart and you and Marie can be together" And then I&039;ll throw up again, and hide under my bed for the rest of the week A fine plan!

Father Markus could move when he wanted; there was a quick tap at my door and then he poked his head inside "You called forso fast C&039;ave him the rundown "So, if you could, you know, make her shiny for God"

"I don&039;t think he can," Tina said "He can&039;t "

"And if she isn&039;t a practicing Catholic, it would be inappropriate, to say the least Frankly, it&039;s inappropriate anyway, given her ah status" Markus looked around nervously, unfolded his bifocals, and slipped thehost in here?"

"Trust me Well, just do the best you can" Could a priest do Extreme Unction on a va away from him, and I noticed for the first ti and mournful, like a priestly basset hound, but when he smiled he showed a deeply sunk dimple in each cheek, which fully cute

"Sarah, child" He slowly reached for her hand She flinched, then let him take it "Are you heartily sorry for all the sins you&039;ve committed, both in life and in death?"

"Yes"

"And do you accept our Lord Jesus Christ as your savior?"

"Eric Sinclair is"And Betsy is my Lady"

"In the afterlife, dear?"

"Well, I suppose so," she grumped "I mean, if He&039;ll have me"

"Very well, then I con of the cross over her head and she flinched behind her upraised ar happened She didn&039;t burst into fla like that I have to admit, I was relieved I

"Thanks, Father," I said

"Do you need-"

"Bye"

Tina held the door open, pointedly

"But I&039; your pardon," Tina said politely Then she fixed Ani and Jon with such a withering glare that they instantly lunged for the stairs Father Markus crept out, throwing one last glance over his shoulder as the door shut

"Okay" That sounded good; I&039;d try that again "Okay Here we go Uainst the wall Then I o U et rabbed my wrist

"Oh, thank God"

"No, it&039;s not that I haven&039;t changed my mind My clothes I have a closetful of Arain Tina knohere I live They&039;ll be yours now You&039;re taller, but we&039;ve got the sa my arret this, I proht"

"Mo worried

"Be with you in a , "Do it!"

I did it I sla into her, harder than I had to I was so afraid I&039;d wi went through Sarah, and through the wall I let go of it, and Sarah stayed pinned to the wall like a beetle to a card

And she was gone I knew she was gone, I could feel it And if I hadn&039;t been able to feel it, I could sure see it Her eyes, which had been slitted in rage againstall over like a landed trout, but I knew those for what they were-death spasain I felt Sinclair&039;s hand on my elbow "Steady," he murmured "It ell done And look!"

I looked Marie had an expression of intense surprise on her face; she was staring at her hands, which were transparent She looked up at ap where she&039;d lost her baby teeth "I&039;ht

There was a long silence while the three of us tried to think of so to say Finally, Tina spoke up "I&039;ll dispose of the body"

"Vampires have cemeteries?" I asked shakily I felt shaky, like any second I would fall flat on my face

She smiled "Yes"

"Okay Uht An unbelievably long night Tina, I&039;ht? I mean, you&039;ve always believed it"

"Of course, Majesty"

"Okay, well, will you do o downstairs and o away, and tell Marc and Jess and my mom I&039;ll see theht now"

"At once, Majesty" She picked up ood" She sreat"

So how co and pulling I refused to look Then she carried the body out Sinclair held the door open for her, then closed it behind her Naturally, he assumed "I don&039;t want company" didn&039;t apply to hi at the spot where Marie had just been

"Yes, I suppose so"

"I&039;m really happy for her"

"As a around here for half a century Years and years! And now they&039;re together That&039;s good, right?"

"Right"

I burst into tears, and suddenly foundhard and covered with cotton-Sinclair&039;s chest His aryou said was right Everything you did was right"

"I know," I wailed into his lapel

"There, now You made the hard choice, and that&039;s always difficult" He kissed the top of my head "But you were a queen to Sarah when she needed you, and Marie couldn&039;t have asked for a truer friend"

He was being so sweet, I cried harder