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I wrenched out of his grasp and rubbedo into a coma, Demi"

"Your mom’s in a coain and rolled ht was a brass octopus offering me millions of diamonds

Vale’s hand cuppedlittering chandelier "I wouldn’t," he said with a heavy gentleness "And neither would your friend Cherie Have you forgotten her already?"

That finally broke through the dizziness--that anger "Of course not Of course I haven’t forgotten her She’s likeher? Have you done a single thing today, asked a single question? Or have I been running around Paris, spending my hard-earned francs to buy up teeth, in the hopes that you’ll see how much I care for you?"

I pushed away from him, but hter But he couldn’t stop in, Vale! This life eats me up There’s not a spare moment I’m lost and dizzy and exhausted and constantly hounded, and I’ old men’s bodies,every moment to be kidnapped, to be stolen away like a child in the night" So knocked at the back of my brain, and the sudden realization would have takenme "Oh, shit I should’ve just let the elephant take me away I had my chance, and I totally blew it It’s what I want ht, didn’t I?"

"You are a fighter, bébé Do not bla your instincts"

"But I do And these teeth--are they even hers? Will they bringher at all? If I stop to think about it for even a heartbeat, I nearly go rief and frustration But the absinthe quiets it Only the absinthe and your ive me any peace at all, you bastard, and how dare you throw it back in my face?"

I wanted to shake my head, but I wanted his hands on nificant look that made me feel even more warm and loose-limbed than I already was I sed hard and sat forward, and Vale’s hand slipped around to cupmy cheek "Please, Demi Please, bébé We’ll look harder But no more absinthe"

My lips parted as I leaned forward to kiss him, and he jerked back "Why, Vale? I don’t understand"

"I can taste it on your lips"

"So?"

"So I want nothing to do ood and blood"

I , "Don’t be silly Lenoir said--"

He stood smoothly, from his haunches to his feet before ently on my pillows, but I felt the loss of his touch so keenly "Lenoir," he breathed "What else did he tell you, bébé?"

"That it was harmless That the stories weren’t true That Bludet the word"

"Of course you do He wants you to forget"

"He doesn’t He wants to paint er star Wantsin the Louvre, surrounded by crowds" I was in his arainst his shoulder like a child

"What he wants," Vale whispered in ive in completely, a little at a time" He placed my head back down, and I puddled limply amid the down pillows With infinite care and a face as hard and sad as weeping stone, he drew the covers over me

"But he’s an artist--" I started

"Oh, bébé He’s a man, and allback, and I giggled softly to myself