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"What was it?" No wasted words or questions

And now I had to find a way around the truth "It tried to take the shape of a sabertooth cat of some kind It tried to take Immanuel’s shape And the shape of a black-haired hu I time" Which was a lot of information, but didn’t answer his question I hoped he didn’t notice

"Weeks? Months?" he de I was du a lot of bad news on hi, Bruiser" I tried to find a way of explaining what it ithout giving my own dual nature away "I don’t kno it ca between va for a long time That’s why it needed so much blood and protein Onlyand sht

"In the last weeks it had started needing er blood When the blood- took hi Grégoire to sign financial papers, using clan monies to buy land forwhatever it planned to do Take over as blood-uess" So it could use the city’s vas as it wanted? Maybe

When he said nothing to my observation, I went on "It imprisoned the rest of Clan Arceneau in silver in their clan hooire and send him to earth And look for the blood-servants of Clan Arceneau They’ll need rescuing, if they’re still alive"

"Was it some kind of were?" he asked

"I don’t think so," I said Not lying Not telling the truth

"It handled silver?"

I re ie’s land It had taken on some of the vamp characteristics, just as I had taken on soic as black and foul as the liver-eater I took a breath and went on "It could touch silver It could drink blood But, though it had a vaht, it wasn’t a va as a vamp"

"I don’tI can’t believe this," Bruiser said

"I think if you go into his roo bones, skulls, big stuff like that, as well as teeth and s the bones to take different forh the blood and goop in the hallway at Leo’s The tone of the background noise changed, as he entered a sa rooard to neatness or care

"There’s a skull in his room On the top shelf of the closet"

"Human?" I asked

"Yeah And somelooks like femur bones And other stuff Not human"

"The skull is probably I for Leo to lay to rest"

George swore, his voice breaking In the background I heard Leo shout, his voice ringing, full of coh the night," Bruiser said, echoing my oorries

"Call the vamp council," I said "I can report to the it isn’t I have to call the cops in too Tell them what happened"

"Yeah Sure" The phone clicked, the display showing CALL DISCONNECTED

The next call, to Jodi, went about the sa the lines of "Why didn’t you call me?" When she interrupted the third time, with the same question, I said, "Jodi, I don’t work for you I didn’t call you Get over it"

Sheout to his house," she said stiffly when she could speak again

"Leo’s?" I squeaked "Are you out of your mind? You ever see a vae? As far as he can feel and tell, his son just died He’s grieving, the way va Think about it If he’s out of control, and you show up, he’ll rip off your head and drink you dry George is the only one who ht be able to survive the experience You show up and the balance changes Stay Away"