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As the siren faded into the distance, coht up to me, and now I had a moment to wonder how I had been able to run so quickly I had been literally zoolanced down at the boots

While I brushed ain, they throbbed into my skin, as if they truly were a part offor any sign of trouble round h, I was able to relax, but only so how I could start backtracking in order to discover how I came by these boots More important, I had the sense that they would lead to o next, a prickle of awareness brought ?

Staying huddled behind the crates, I held my breath Then I shivered as a shadow appeared across the alley, on the wall A shadow that was sitting on top of the crates

And it was ai what looked to be a weapon at me

It was as if ht,it down froth I hadn’t known I possessed I didn’t even stop to see whoover the ground as I targeted a kick at the shadow’s throat

But ed, flipped to its feet, crouching, its hands in front of it, ready for another attack

For a suspended second, I saw its entire black forht

I should have been afraid, but I wasn’t, and as I auto to catch it square in the head with

Fuck this, said com as I zoo through the drunks on the lantern-lit, karaoke-blaring street, feeling a splash of liquid on my arm when I upset someone’s plastic cup on my way

What had that been back in the alley? And how could I ht Just head for a light

I whooshed into the first doorway I could find, slowing down only when I was inside the building and trying to blend in behind what I realized was a rack of herbs and bottles of oils

My heart was throbbing,when I heard a low, drawling voice behind me

"Well, cher," he said "It’s about time you arrived"

2

It was as if some sort of power had hold of me I spun round toward the voice, one of et

The man behind me jumped out of the way, as if he had expected my actions But I wasn’t done I hopped up and kicked out with runted, and when I followed up with a spinning ind of another kick, he ducked, holding up his hands and laughing

I settled into a knee-bent stance He waslaughing?

"Whoa," he said, s-fu psychos every day "Didn’t hten you Just calm down, darlin’"

My pulse double-ti his hands in peace He was no shadow attacker; he was definitely just a ish black hair that he had pulled into a low ponytail Gray eyes that burned against the toasty shade of his skin, eyes that piercednose and full lips, broad shoulders and chest Arms muscled under a black shirt with sleeves rolled up to his biceps He wore jeans and black boots with silver tips on them and

I stayed in that defensive position as I inspected hi out of the left side of his waistband, covered by his shirt? A firearaze traveled back up to his neck, where a leather strap held a pendant--a silver eye that gleaaped

The Eye of Horus, I thought The all-seeing eye There went estured to our surroundings We were in what looked to be the back rooick books on shelves and a ragged table to our right, half concealed behind a purple curtain No customers round No red eyes or shadow people to attack le tickled the back ofthat red-eyed creature fro, and that was the reason it hadn’t followed h look at me as well, "I would say that you’ve popped in for a quick reading, but I know better"

Coain? "What do you know?"

"Quite a bit, exceptfor"

I fit a few pieces together: the table to our right, this voodoo shop "You’re a psychic orks here"