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"Yes," I said "Let er to do By the ti a good idea about how to handle this visit than I had been the ht I wanted to talk in a low voice, because I certainly didn’t want anyone to overhear our conversation, but I also wanted to keep an eye on the few people in the room

In the fae way, Bellenos took my hand I wanted to snatch it back, but there wasn’t any point in offending him The bones stood out so much that his hand hardly looked human-which, of course, it wasn’t It was pale, freckled, and very strong

Past his shoulder, I saw Kennedy glance our way She shook a playful finger at ave her a stiff smile Ha Ha

"There are too ans," Bellenos said

I nodded

"Claude is a leader Der his conversation He wasn’t voicing any new ideas, so far

"If you have anyNiall, now is the time to make use of it"

"I would if I could I don’t have any such secret" His slanting eyes were a bit disturbing close up

"Is that the truth?" An auburn eyebrow rose

"The truthful answer is that I really don’t have any certainNiall," I said flatly "I’et in touch with hihtfully "The fairy prince is capricious," he said

"That’s for dareement

"I’m sorry that you can’t help," Bellenos said "I hope nothing worse happens"

"Like what?" Did I really want to know?

"Like ed "Like one of us leaving the bar to have sost the humans"

That sounded like a threat

I suddenly reht h the portal in the woods That hat he’d toldcorrectly "I could write a letter," I offered "I don’t know if it would reach him, but I can try"

I was sure Bellenos would press me for details, but toyou can think of You don’t knoell, but I’ the truth in this matter"

"I don’t doubt you," I said "I’ll do my best And I have a question to ask you"

He looked politely attentive

"A young woman, a woman at least part Were, cao," I said "She was irresistible to hih nor wo a vial of fairy blood She opened it when she got close to Eric to make herself attractive to him She may even have drunk it herself so the blood would perht have coarded hiot the blood from one of us?"

"I do"

Bellenos said, "It’s possible a fairy sold blood without knohat it would be used for"

I thought that was bullshit, but in the interests of getting an answer, I said, "Certainly"

"I’ll inquire," he said "And you send the letter"

Without further ado, he rose and glided out of the bar, receiving only a casual glance or two I went back to the calendar to check, the one posted behind the bar Danny had finally left to return to work, and Kennedy was actually singing to herself as she airinned atcloser to look at the June page whenI whipped it out of ot a boy and a girl!" he yelled "They’re fine! Tara’s fine! They got all their fingers and toes! They’re big enough! They’re perfect!"

"Oh, I’et over to the hospital to see those little ones Thesupper over, you hear?"

"I’ll tell her," he said, but he was in such a daze I knew he’d forget thelike a baboon, I told Kennedy the good news I called Jason, because I wanted to share the happiness

"That’s good," he said absently "I’ in on a wedding date There any day you just couldn’t be there?"

"Probably not If you pick a weekday, Ithat" Especially now that I owned a piece of the bar, though I’d kept that to myself As far as I knew, Jannalynn was the only person Sam had told, and even that had surprised ht We’re thinking in a couple of weeks"

"Wow, that’s quick Sure, just leton After Bellenos’s unexpected visit, it was iet that I had worriesbut it was fairly easy to put thes