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"Aye" He tugged on the lead rein, stopping the horses before offering me a hand "But you’ll ride this time, lass Like a proper lady"

"Thank you" I smiled and let him help me up onto the empty driver’s seat Once he whistled the tired horses shuffled back into motion, and ere off

As I suspected, the smell drove everyone away fro fro as I keptto draw attention to h the snarls ofout fires by pu seawater from tanker carts into the household tubes If the owners survived the night, they’d be returning to a wet, scorched mess, but at least the stone shells of their homes would still stand I hoped my own place would still be intact, and then I recalled that it wasn’t h escaped itive rant

The cart creaked to a stop at the back of a loading dock, and the nobber helped entry over there, with their boats," he toldin the direction of the yacht yards "I’d walk you over, but I’ve to unload all this scram first"

I started to thank hi him a deep, respectful curtsey "I will always re" He looked pleased and embarrassed "Get on with you, then"

I started toward the yacht yard, but as soon as my escort went to hitch the horses I turned and hurried toward the docks I could see the uard on the deck of the Talian ship, and counted a the prisoners shackled to the mast Montrose Walsh as well as Celestino On the dock below stood a beater next to a row of bodies covered by blood- and soot-stained tarps; on the very end was one soaked ide patches of brackish water

This thing will occupy my flesh, Dredo where it can never touch me I understand noill be where Harry has been, all this time

Zarath hadn’t won Not yet

The beater bristled as I approached him "You can’t be here, miss Crime scene, this is"

"Inspector Thomas Doyle sent me," I lied "I am--I was--in the employ of Lord Dredmore I’ve come down from Morehaven to identify his reht he were already tagged"

"I’ve been asked to confir down the line of tarps I glanced back "Which one, please?"

The beater took a step after me, stopped, and then waved an arot to the tarp and dropped down beside it, gripping the pendant tightly as I uncovered Dredmore’s head Death had leached the cruel beauty from his features; they resembled a waxen mask cast in a too-smooth mold When I lay my hand on his brow it felt like icy, damp stone

"I said not to touch!" the beater called to me

"Sorry!" I re the chain round his neck before I stood and stepped back "All right, Lucien The spell is over I’ you"

While I waited for Dredmore’s spirit to return to his body, I wondered how he had fathoether forht My doubts loomed as Dredmore’s body remained still and lifeless

"Don’t you do this todown to sht You’re a deathe, damn you Surely you can overcome it--you must try For me, please"

A shadow fell over Dredmore’s body, one that was shaped like Inspector Doyle "Step away from the corpse"

"He’s not a corpse"

"Kit"

I turned my head "I lied to you, Tommy I didn’t kill Dredmore He wasn’t in his body, you see, because he put his spirit inside my pendant Give hih of that" He took hold of my arm "Come away now"

"But he ake up He has to" My throat went tight as I considered the now very real possibility that I had been wrong about"I worked it out, I know I did" Was there some sort of spell I was supposed to cast? Surely not I’d break it the ot over here, sir" The beater joined Doyle and glared at me "Told me you sent her"

I looked up at the sky "Lucien? I’ve made a mess of this I need you to tell rabbed me by the arms and shookmore for him"

"Damn you" The moment he stopped I shoved him away "You swore you wouldn’t do this"