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I’ve been looking everywhere for you," Blaise said "I had to call Mrs Ross to find out you were here"

Her black hair ild and windblown, tu over her shoulders She had taken off her red bow tie and unbuttoned the top button of her dress shirt There was color in her cheeks and dark light in her gray eyes She looked extremely beautiful and very, very witchy

Thea and Eric had

"We were just" Eric said "Um Heh" While Blaise scrutinized hi it "Uh, can I show you around?"

"I don’t care much for animals unless they’ve been shish-kebabed" Blaise surveyed the room with one hand on her hip

Oh, she’s in a terrificdaht of the embrace she’d walked in on but Thea was supposed to be leading Eric on, wasn’t she?

Her eye fell on the Kleenex daubed with Eric’s blood Unobtrusively, she reached for it and crumpled it in her hand

"So you left the dance," she said to Blaise "Where’s" Who’d actually been Blaise’s date tonight? Sergio? Kevin? Someone else?

"There is no dance," Blaise said "They shut it down Leave it to Randy-he was always a royal pain" Then her face changed; she blinked and put on a sweet s?"

In the doorway to the corridor, Rosamund backed up, Madame Curie clutched to her chest She didn’t say a word, but her hostile green eyes never left Blaise

"Uh, sorry," Eric said "That’s my sister She’s- shy"

"So this is a family affair," Blaise said "How nice"

Thea said, "I think it’s ti horuntled lanced at Eric, feeling a little shy herself He looked the same

"Well-see you at school"

"Yeah" Suddenly he s toto Davis, you ood class"

"U her

But outside, all Blaise said was, "Sorry if I was rude But I’ve been looking all over for you, so I could tell you what a great tiht hair out with a char smile;-"it’s so much fun to be a bitch when you want to be"

Thea sighed, then stopped in her tracks "Blaise, the car!"

Kevin’s silver-gray Porsche looked as if it had been through a war The front buled, and the windshield was cracked

"I had a little trouble," Blaise said coolly "It’s all right, though; I ot a Maserati" She looked at Thea, then added, "You don’t disapprove, do you? Of treating humans that way?"

"No-of course not I just don’t want to get expelled again"

"It’s not illegal to have an accident Here, you have to get in through the driver’s side now"

She drove, not see to choose any particular direction Thea sat quietly, acutely aware of the probing glances cast her way every so often

"So," Blaise said at last in her silkiest voice, "did you get it?"

"What?"

"Don’t be funny"

Thea held out her hand with the crumpled Kleenex on her palm "I didn’t fill the vial; that was ridiculous But I used h"

"Hers, tipped with blood-red nails, dosed delicately on the tissue Startled, Thea snatched it back and the Kleenex tore She ended up with only a corner

"Hey-"

"What’s the proble," Blaise said so?"

"Fine," Thea said Her paled to keep her voice airy "I think he’s hooked," she added, trying to iant tones

"Oh, really?" They had ended up on the strip, which hted the curious half-smile on Blaise’s lips "And as that about Davis?"

"Nothing It’s where he’s going to college, so of course he’d likeabout the future Well, that was fast work Congratulations"

Thea didn’t like the way she said it More than ever, she wanted to protect Eric from Blaise-but she wasn’t sure how It depended on how much Blaise suspected

"You know, I think it’s the pop that’s the most fun," Blaise went on reminiscently "Human boys are all different-but in the end, they’re all the saive in completely, you can almost hear it There’s a ’pop’ Like a balloon breaking"

Thea sed, staring at the huge golden lion in front of the MGM Grand Hotel Its green eyes re"

"Oh, it is And after the pop, they just kind of collapse, and everything they are, their whole self, just sort of pours out in this internal hee And after that, of course, they’re useless Like a stag that’s too old to mate They’re just-over"

"How nice"

"You know, I think Eric’s ready for that pop He’s already in love with you; I could see that I think it’s ti a dress with a black rose design, threaded her way through stopped traffic Finally, Thea said, "Blaise"

"What, is that a proble difficulty with that? Are you a little soft on him, maybe? Are you a little too fond of him?" "Blaise-"

"Are you in love with hih Thea, and the last question seemed to vibrate in the air At last she whispered, "Don’t be ridiculous" "And don’t you try to foolto I know that dopey look you get when you’rehim"

Thea felt desperate It wasn’t just Blaise she was afraid of here Night World law couldn’t be clearer about the penalty for loving a human Death Not only for her, but for Eric, too

There was only one thing Thea could do She turned and looked at her cousin directly

"All right, Blaise, you do know me We’ve always been like sisters, and I know that however you act sometimes, you still love me-"

"Of course I do," Blaise said impatiently, and Thea realized that was part of the probleht of the Bally hotel’s neon pillars, she could see that Blaise’s eyes et She was frightened for Thea-and angry at being frightened

Thea grabbed her cousin’s hand "Then you have to listen to me" It was a naked plea "Blaise-when I firsthappened I can’t explain it-I can’t even really describe it But there was a connection And I know this is going to sound insane, and I know you’re not going to like it, but" She had to stop to breathe "Blaise, what if you found your soul that everybody said you shouldn’t love"

She stopped again, this time because Blaise had frozen For a moment they both just sat, and then, very slowly, Blaise withdrew her hand from Thea’s

"Found your soulmate?" she said

Warmth pooled in Thea’s eyes She had never felt so alone "I think so," she whispered

Blaise turned to face the windshield Purple light shone on her black hair "This is ht"

The tears overflowed "But will you help ers on the steering wheel a few times Finally she said, "Of course I’ll

help you I have to We’re like sisters-I would never abandon you when you’re in trouble"

Thea was so relieved she felt dizzy Paradoxically, it made her cry more "I’ve just been so scared Ever since it happened, I’ve been trying to figure things out" She hiccupped Blaise was looking at her again, s to help you," Blaise said, still s to kill hier"

There was ainside Thea seemed absolutely still-and the next instant it all exploded into chaos

"Never," she said "Do you hear"I know you don’t think it’s best-now But one day you’ll thankto hi"

"You’ll get over it" In the rainbow light of the Riviera, Blaise looked like sooddess of fate "It’s better to hurt a little now than to be executed later"

Thea was so angry she was shaking So angry that shethe saht eventually have started to listen But she was furious and terrified and she blurted out, "Well, I don’t think you can do it I don’t think you could take him froht for once at a loss for words Then she threw back her head and laughed