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The crack wasn&039;t worthy of him A chink in the armour of cool

They stood Anna pulled a saffron shawl over her sari DeBoys settled a scarlet-lined opera cloak over his shoulders, fastening it with interlocking snake-heads A platinum clasp; not silver, of course Kate&039;s ensemble came with a midi-cape, but she never wore it A cloak screa up to stereotype Obviously, DeBoys disagreed - or, rather, was co herself who this young blade was really, but wondered if the surface - the grin and the chin and the cape and the elaborate hair and the quickness - was just what there was of hiuided out of the Chapel, Kate saw Nezumi make a move to leave the dance-floor and follow Her path was barred by Cathy and Pony, who adopted hostile dance stances Nezumi held her hockey stick like a saot off the chessboard

&039;Looks like we picked the right time to seek new meat,&039; said DeBoys, arm firmly around Kate&039;s shoulders

&039;Could be entertaining,&039; Kate ventured

&039;You&039;ve seen one cat-fight&039;

He nodded at the French twins, who demonstrated their swiftness Nezu Kate would have taken bets on her bodyguard, though she realised this fight was about keeping the elder busy, not putting her down

Cathy and Pony were ot frouard his disciples when they weren&039;t protecting hi put on the Aain&039; and packed all his other precious records in a sturdy cardboard box Yes, things were going to get broken If &039;Hey, Ninety-Eight Point Six&039; was the antheain&039; was the violent vah to cover the racket of a scrap

Nezued a savate kick froently but firmly steered out of the bar

Keith Kenneth ith them, now He ditched Withnail and fell in behind DeBoys

Beyond Keith, Kate saw Nezu her feet out from under her but take a scratch to the cheek from Pony

Then, she was out of the Deconsecrated Chapel

The din continued, &039;s thick walls The Aht, the cah, thanks to the School of Vaone horass

&039;If Van Helsing&039;s comic cuts come back, we&039;re ready for them,&039; said DeBoys &039;Louts and oiks and rabble&039;

&039;They&039;re not my favourite people, either,&039; she said

&039;The vampire as killed&039;

&039;Griffin&039;

&039;you knew hi the dark would hide her blush of shame She didn&039;t want to deny Griffin, but wanted to keep her police connections quiet-ish As if they weren&039;t general knowledge If the Black Monks had marked Nezumi, they must know about her official capacity

&039;We&039;ve always expected attacks,&039; said DeBoys

&039;Eventually,&039; said Keith

&039;You responded quickly,&039; she said &039;I&039;rateful&039;

Expected? Or known about in advance?

&039;It&039;s in the open, now,&039; said DeBoys &039;That&039;s better In a stand-up fight, we&039;ll win And everyone will see us win&039;

They alking across the campus Kate didn&039;t knohere to

&039;If it coht, we&039;ll lose,&039; Kate said &039;Trust me We will all lose I&039;ve seen it tooHis cloak whirled with him

&039;Maybe you&039;re an elder after all, Miss Reed&039;

&039;I just don&039;t think you should be so eager for a scrap,&039; she said

She knew she sounded weak

Anna was attached to DeBoys now, slipped under his cloak, lacquered nails tapping his er than a scrap, ,&039; DeBoys said

&039;Black Monks all, and hellfire to quaff,&039; said Keith

DeBoys, Anna and Keith snapped their fingers At her

Anna separated from DeBoys Keith le between the biology lab and the School of Vae bust of Elwyn Clayton on the scale of an Easter Island head An alar Its eyes spiralled like pinwheels Its jowls dribbled

Kate knew her nails were growing She felt threatened Or flirted with Or both

The three students walked around her, taking ly slow steps followed by va to keep her eyes on DeBoys, who led this ga-a-rosy As they moved, their faces shifted Anna&039;s was scalier, forked tongue darting froher, stiff and distorted by big, chunky fangs DeBoys&039; was a leonine nificent yet panto about herself

She was quicker than them If she concentrated, they seeht they were at their fastest If she chose, she could step out of their circle easy She could scale the walls of the Unlione into shadows their eyes couldn&039;t penetrate

Why did she feel so confident?

Had DeBoys put so in her drink? She shouldn&039;t have fallen for that

She stopped turning and stood still, serene They weren&039;t ringing her in They were dancing tribute

Lord, she was beco an elder!

She clapped her hands, once, loud as a rifle-shot And the dancers stopped

It took seconds for DeBoys&039;cloak to settle, but he was rigid in an instant He was in front of her, eyes fixed on hers

&039;Very nice,&039; she said &039;Is this an initiation?&039;

DeBoys laughed, charame Anna and Keith were too serious

&039;Or is this foreplay?&039;

&039;Or a play for four?&039; said Keith, touching her face

Thatqualities scraped away DeBoys would use flowers before force, and apply the spurs lightly; Keith would bend her over a dustbin and rut like a stag

She jaainst Keith&039;s chest He was lifted off his feet and barrelled backwards across the quad Anna was there to catch him, but he was furious and shocked

&039;Didn&039;t expect that, did you?&039; she said

She had an urge to punch him until his face was a mess She knew she could do it

Her teeth were extended Her uue

&039;Come upstairs, Kate,&039; said DeBoys &039;We&039;ve a present for you&039;