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Distracting your eneet an attack in If this ghost had wanted to catch uard and move in, this would have been her chance Instead, she just hung there in the air, staring at me I forced my jaw closed and kind of wished Kiyo had stuck around to hear this bizarre development

Finally, I said, "That’s not what I do And anywayI mean, wouldn’t you kind of know? Wouldn’t you have seen it?"

"No," she said mournfully "Whoever did it shot me in the head before I could see They hosts often appeared in their final state, as they’d looked at the ti and able to appear as she rerateful I wouldn’t have wanted to see her after that gunshot

"Well, I’ why I hadn’t already banished her "But private detective work isn’t o to one!" she cried "Or the police Only you can see o to"

"All the other - what, do you guys have a country club or soed Her eyes were so, so sad "I have to find out If so around, I have to know My family has to know"

From what I knew, family was usually behindYou have to be in order to move around like you do and come outside It makes sense If you’re this upset about what happened, then you’re bound strongly to this world while the, um, murder’s unsettled So, the odds are, you probably could appear to soet someone close to you to see you and hear you"

"But would they believethings You’re the only one who knows this is real"

I shook ate this stuff Certainly not for ghosts You’re getting my best offer here Otherwise " I held up the wand "You move on to peace"

She scowled and disappeared Yes, a very strong ghost, one who should have already been in the Underworld right then and there I shouldn’t have stopped to talk

But as oneso many slide by? Kiyo’s accusatory words ca a half-ass job in both worlds, too divided to give either my full attention

Nonetheless, I made the most of my day in Tucson I knocked off three more jobs for Lara, ot paid She’d hinted in the past that our drop in as creating financial probleht need a second job That made me uneasy because a second job could easily turn into her only job Finding an administrative assistant who could schedule and bill supernatural appointments wasn’t that easy

I came home at last to an e" tonight and that there was fettuccine alfredo in the refrigerator if I wanted it Eating in front of the TV, I selfishly felt resentful that he’d go out on one of the few nights I was home But ouldn’t he? He certainly had a life, one I was hardly in What really brought ht like this, I once would have been over atdinner For a second, I stared at e But, no If she wanted to get in touch clandestinely, she would Calling noould riskup on me Or most likely not answer

Frustrated, I decided I didn’t want to stay here anymore It eird, especially since I’d wanted to come home so badly earlier Yet, I felt like I wasn’t welcoentry baths for ht back to the Otherworld I aldom seemed like the only place I had friends at the moment

They were surprised to seechess in a for as she planned her next move Both jumped when they saw me

"Your Majesty," said Shaya They’d instantly gone from casual to formal mode

"Sit, both of you You should know better" I sat as well, sinking into a down-filled love seat that I’d inherited from the castle’s previous owner

Shaya and Rurik returned to their seats, relaxing somewhat "We didn’t think you’d be back for a while," said Rurik, ever blunt

Shaya looked twitchy, like she wanted to get up, despite what I’d said "Should I have the kitchen start preparing dinner?"

"No, no, don’t bother" It was coed banquet, particularly dinner, hosting the full court With my schedule and the fact that I didn’t even keep a full court - just the essentials - that was not the case around here My kitchen staff had it easy, and I certainly didn’t want theet in a sudden panic over a o, had they known I’d be there

I stared off at the empty fireplace, which had been unused since I’d taken over Had the Thorn Land shifted into winter, we doh Tucson was in winter right now, ht suardedwhat it was I wanted, if not dinner I wasn’t sure es on the war front?"

"No," said Rurik Not surprising Ranelle had probably only just gotten hoht now

I met Shaya’s eyes "It’s probably dinnertime at Dorian’s, huh? Or close to it"

She tilted her head thoughtfully There were no clocks in the Otherworld, but she had a good sense of the tiine so, Your Majesty"

"Do you think he’d hed "Hardly"

I glanced between the two of the a so crash his party?"

"Party crashing" entry, but it didn’t take Shaya or Rurik long to figure out what Ito action I couldn’t travel alone during wartime, so Rurik had to assemble a military escort for us Shaya left to alert the civilians who’d go with us and make herself ready for a royal visit Both of theentry weren’t so different, in a lot of ways Once at Dorian’s, Shaya and Rurik would have few official duties This was the equivalent of an Otherworldly night on the town

Inreatly I controlled weather Dorian could rip apart the earth And Nia? Her talent was in beautifying others, in hair and clothing Like those of my cooks, her skills were often underutilized