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"Now all of the us to the current feed, "and one is the blood relation of a Mithran who is here to help" Translation--the vamp would resist if I had to kill his kin Lucky me More vamp politics, which I sucked at

"I want to see the vaill frowned, but led the way down the stairs into the ed roo like underwater undulations, the way they lass Last time I was here, I hadn’t realized they were bulletproof Which translated to freaking expensive

The place se Soht from the restaurant We reached the lower level and I looked over the va area They were all dressed in jeans and leather The servants earing silver chain h collars, leather and silver cuffs over each wrist Not bad, and totally unexpected in a vaill, they parted, revealing a vamp curled in a fetal position on the floor He had wood stakes in his belly, i onto a plastic sheet, which struck me as neat and tidy, or way too prepared He had silver shackles on his wrists And a pink glow all over hielina had spelled hi? Trying to get herself killed? "Keep hi he was spelled to set theill said It sounded like a curse "My master has placed her under his protection We cannot harhed and lifted a shoulder "Don’t worry," I said "Grégoire has ordered rew on Pickersgill’s face Grégoire outranked Shaddock He could do anything he wanted to the witch "Let’s get to work," I said

"They ain’t gonna be injured," one of the vamps said It still surprised me to hear a vamp speak with any accent other than European, and the country draas jarring, not that I let on I acknowledged the heir and her daughter and looked at the speaker, an emaciated woman with collar bones sharp as plow blades She looked stubborn Angry Desperate I asked, "Is your true child one of the escapees?" Meaning born from her body in the traditional human manner

Her head tilted, that birdlike or snakelike et to act human "Her name’s Roseanne," she said, her expression full of resolve, eyes narrowing at me I was pretty sure that determination was her intent to kill ill "Is there any chance the victim can be turned?"

"If there’s a spark of life left in Sarah, yes But it doesn’t appear likely"

I stared the one hand into my surprise supplies "If she can be turned, then it isn’t murder If she’s dead, I don’t care what you want"

The va prey Grizzard took a slow breath as fear pheromones laced into the air fro vafemale It was Amy Lynn Brown, the miracle vamp who came out of devoveo in two years time I inclined et away froet staked when I catch them, even if the human woman can be turned, so it’s in your best interests to keep the thes snapped down I stared down at her "You have a problem with my methods, call Leo Pellissier" I held out my cell "Speed dial seven" Scrawny breathed deeply, which she didn’t need to do, but it seehter’s hand on her arm She closed her eyes and stepped back froain Maybe it was the thought of talking to Leo Or ht that I talked to Leo Or called the MOC by his first name Or Amy Lynn’s insistence Whatever It worked

I looked at the sheriffs "Unless y’all want to take theins said, "Hell no"

Grizzard said, "What a your pardon, Constantine, Dacy, ned the papers, then they’re treated accordingly That’s the law as it reads right now Of course that e if the Supreress gets around toa decision on citizenship"

"Yeah, yeah But all they do is talk," I reave rin I turned back to the va to be handled, drew out a h it twice I finished with, "Adelaide, grab a fire extinguisher" She looked puzzled but went to the corner of the roouisher

To the others I said, "When the door opens, close your eyes, turn away, and cover your ears Understood?" I looked at Scrawny "If you can immobilize your child, you can appeal a death sentence to Leo" Her eyes filled with bloody tears Crap A weepy vaot that they used to be human, and still have humanlike emotions Amy Lynn patted her arm

From my box of supplies I pulled two silver ned after a net I’d once seen used to i, interlocking crosses, which burned and scarred most vas with tiny sterling barbs all over them They weren’t sharp, and so wouldn’t hurt hu, to vamps I’d had the netsto be security on this gig They were for close-in work, useless at any range, but perfect for this job

I gave one to Grizzard, and one to Scoggins, explaining how they worked "Have you ever used a fishing net? Throw it out and pull it back in? This is just like that When you throw, you hold the silver and this rope When it lands on a vamp, or a vamp and a human, you release the silver and yank the rope It pulls the silver mesh taut and encircles them It’s painful but if the net is removed quickly, the wounds can be healed by a renade, and saw every eye land on it with reactions from curiosity to fear to hu "Nohy didn’t I think of that?"

"This is a stun grenade, called a flashbang," I explained to the vaned to ned to temporarily neutralize enemies in combat When detonated in a closed space, the concussive blast and bright light is enough to overwhelht-sensitive cells in their eyes, s had been designed for hu used on vamps Vamp eyes were different from human eyes, and while I didn’t think the devices posed a perer to vamp vision, I didn’t know it for sure It wasn’t like I’d been able to experiest concern was that the flashbangs had been known to ignite accelerants, and the elina’s paintings depicted a master vamp with her arms on fire, and she had survived, so I didn’t know for certain if the myth was true or not But I saw no reason to take chances, which hy I had Adelaide standing by with a fire extinguisher

"Okay Pickersgill, you and Scraw--the mother of the true child inside, yank open the door fast, I’ll toss in the stunner, and you slam it They’ll likely throw themselves at the door, so be ready to muscle it closed Once it detonates, with any luck, they’ll all be down, but I’ Yank the door back open I’ll enter first, followed by Grizzard and Scoggins Adelaide comes in next to put out anyone on fire"

Scrawny blinked at the phrase as if deciding how to react to its coarseness I shrugged It hat it was "The rest of you follow, but don’t expect to see much There will be a lot of smoke that’s painful to breathe and hurts your eyes Try to hold your breath" Right Tell vamps to hold their breath "Humans, I mean

"Dacy," I located the heir’s blue eyes and delicate form She was like a doll, but a powerfulto black in a slow, controlledto red at the sairl is still alive, you start her transforone"--I looked around--"then we’ll need these" I passed out wooden stakes "A belly thrust will immobilize them Then, if Lincoln Shaddock, Blood Master of the Shaddock Clan wants, an appeal can be et off the property, I’ll handle it alone"

Dacy looked away, her eyes bri them all cry "If Lincoln was master of the city," she said, "ould have a Mercy Blade to help us We wouldn’t have to--" She stopped, and drew in a breath thick with tears "We wouldn’t have to hurt our scions, risk their deaths" She dashed a hand across her cheeks, leaving blood s out the stakes, "Mercy Blades don’t chase down freed young rogues They only"--I searched for a kind word--"help out with the long chained" Help out Right Help out as in stake and behead them while they lay chained to a bed But I didn’t say it Go ues But I won’t kill them if I can help it" She stared at me in surprise As slowly as a human, she took the stakes and passed thee s tothem to belly thrust