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That didn’t make sense to me Didn’t the secrecy protect her more than it protected any of us? Riley hurried on before we had too long to examine his statement

"Of course, it doesn’t matter now that they’ve decided to move on Seattle We wil surprise them on their way in, and il annihilate theh his teeth "Done And then not only is the city al ours, other covens wil know not to mess with us We won’t have to be so careful to cover our tracks any every night We’l rowls and snarls were like applause Everyone ith him Except for me I didn’t move, didn’t make a sound Neither did Fred, but who knohy that was?

I was not with Riley because his proic had been wrong Riley said it was only these ene without caution or restraint But that didn’t go along with the fact that al other vampires must have been discreet, or huo

I couldn’t concentrate to work it out, because the door at the top of the stairs had not h Today I’ techniques There’saround on the floor like toddlers When it gets dark, we’l go outside and practice I want you to practice hard, but keep your focus I a another member of this coven! We al need each other - every one of us I wil not tolerate any more stupidity If you think you don’t have to listen to " He paused for a short second, the e you are when I take you to her" - I shuddered and felt the treh the room as everyone else did, too - "and hold you while she tears off your legs and then slowly, slowly burns off your fingers, ears, lips, tongue, and every other superfluous appendage one by one"

We’d al lost a limb, at least, and we’d al burned e becaine how that would feel, but it wasn’t the threat itself that was so terrifying The truly scary thing was Riley’s face as he said it His face was not twisted in rage, the way it usual y hen he was angry; it was cales into a smal smile I suddenly had the ied hiine what could have happened in one night to create that cruel, perfect s a little, and saw as Raoul’s sears turning in Raoul’s head He wouldn’t kil his victiet soroups," Riley said, his face norether and then divvy up the rest evenly No fighting!

Show me you can do this rational y Prove yourselves"

He walked away fro the fact that they fel al, and e of the room He touched a few va them toward one of the new leaders or the other I didn’t realize at first that he was heading in my direction, because he took such a ay around

"Bree," he said, squinting tohere I stood It looked like this took some effort

I felt like a block of ice He must have smel ed my trail I was dead

"Bree?" he said, softer now His voice reminded me of the first time he’d talked to me When he was nice to ive you aDoes that make any sense to you?"

He stil couldn’t look at o?" I murmured I couldn’t help myself

Riley smiled a tiny bit "Can we talk?" He jerked his head toward the door "I double-checked al the s The first floor is total y dark and safe"

I kneouldn’t be as safe once I walked away froo had wanted to tel me What had happened? I should have stayed with hi ave Raoul a few instructions, nodded to Kristie, and then went up the stairs From the corners of my eyes I saw a few people curiously watch the direction he was going Riley passed through the door first, and the kitchen of the home was, as he’d pro and led h a dark hal past a few open bedrooh another door with a dead bolt We ended up in the garage

"You’re brave," he coht it would be et you upstairs with the sun up"

Whoops I should have been o are pretty tight, right?" he asked, just breathing the words Probably, if everyone were silent in the basement, they would stil be able to hear hied again "He saved my life," I whispered Riley lifted his chin, almost but not quite a nod, and appraised Did he believe me? Did he think I stil feared the day?

"He’s the best," Riley said "The sot"

I nodded once

"We had a little reed that we need soerous He’s the only one I trust to scout ahead" He exhaled, alot too short a fuse and Kristie is too self-absorbed to get the big picture, but they’re the best I’ve got, and I’l have to o said you were smart, too"

I waited, not sure how much of our story Riley knew

"I need your help with Fred Wow, that kid is strong! I couldn’t even look at hiine if our enemies can’t even look at us It wil be so easy!"

I didn’t think Fred would like that idea, butfor this coven of ours Would he want to save us? I didn’t respond to Riley

"You spend a lot of tied "Nobody bothers me there It’s not easy"

Riley pursed his lips and nodded "So?"

I shouldn’t have asked The words just ripped out of their own accord I waited anxiously, trying to look indifferent and

"We don’t have time to waste I sent hi If our eneo wil ine where Diego was noished I were there with hi and putting himself in the line of fire in the process But o was thick with Riley, just like I’d worried

"Diego wanted "