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The ground before the oldest row of head stones had been disturbed, and he wondered if so the sisters from their sleep so as to peer at their bones and decide whether they had starved or had been diseased Modern , not even the dead

"Are ye one of the protestors?" a sharp old voice asked behind hi"

He turned and looked upon the elderly athered from a nearby field "One of my family is buried here Her name was Sister Marian Christopher"

"There’s one Marian" The old rave, which occupied a corner beneath the shade of an elm tree, and looked at the stone Her name, Marian, was all that he could make out The year of her death had been wiped clean by the wind

He knelt and placed the bouquet of lilies before the stone "I loved you from the first moment I saw you," he roundskeeper hobbled over to stand beside hi the sisters to a Catholic cemetery down the road They would have taken the stones, too, but the protestors raised bloody blue hell, and now it’s in the courts" He nodded toward the grave "There’s nothing there, lad"

"I know" His hell on earth had taken the dream of heaven from him, but he prayed she was there "She is at peace now"

"No, I rave and took out the coffin to move it with the others in this row," the old man said "I reha about?"

"There wasn’t a body, lad" He gestured toward the eood to be home," Phillipe said as he carried Alex’s suitcase into her bedchamber at La Fontaine

"It sure is" Alex sat down on the bed she shared with Michael and bounced on it a few times She had to tell hiland and come back to New Orleans a week early, but she still hadn’t decided how to explain things "You don’t have to unpack, Phil I’ll take care of it"

He nodded but made no move to leave "I called Suzerain Jaus downstairs He tells me that there has been no word of your brother He claims he never called you or told you that John had been found"

"I know" Alex faced hiht she knew about her lover’s seneschal was right "I lied to you about that John’s still ht eyes "Why would you lie about such a thing? We are all worried about your brother"

"I had to get away from Richard and Michael, and I needed you with me" Alex took a deep breath "I’m human"

He frowned "Yes, you are the most human Kyn who has ever existed, but--"

"No, I’land I found a way to synthesize more of Beatrice’s Tears, and to create a serue back to hu before Michael woke up" She approached him and saw hiious"

He hesitated "You’re ill again I thought as one very pale Let h lord will understand"

"No, Phil, I’roped for the right words "I would not ry, but I cannot believe you"

"I could show you my X-rays and my blood tests, but all you really have to do is smell me or bite uest"

Phillipe bent down and inhaled "Mon Dieu" He straightened slowly, as if so had broken inside him "What have you done Alexandra?"

"I’ve found the cure" Tears uys that I would All I had to do was keep looking I kept looking and looking, and then there it was I’ doctor, don’t you think?"

Phillipe pulled her into his ar hand stroked over her curls as he rip on her es now Does Michael’s talent give him access to all my memories? Can he look into my mind and find out what I know and what I’ve done?"

"Non He must knohat it is that you reet it But Alex, he will know that you are once more human the very first time he smells or touches you" He hesitated "He will never force you to beco" She unbuttoned the collar of her blouse "That’s why you’re going to do it"