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Sudden nerves grabbed le Wanted to say, "What? No title for me? Like, famed vamp killer?" But I didn’t And I stifled the titter in the back ofto one of the most powerful vamp councils in the United States? Oh yeah

The door closed behind us with a swish of air, a soundproofed thump, and a final click Two muscle-bound bouncers took their places in front of the door, raphed, eyes on us Ar locked in with vamps, sane or not, Beast rose and studied the scene, muscles bunched and breath hot in my mind

The vamps were seated in carved black chairs on a dais, at a narrow, curved, half-round table that was probably ebony, a black rug under their feet They were dressed in black, the owns It was a lot of black Playing to the stereotype? There were little brass plaques on the table’s front edge, engraved with clan names This wasn’t a full council, apparently, but an executive session, with only clan heads present I identified the blood-masters or heirs of Clans Mearkanis, Rousseau, Desmarais, Laurent, St Martin, and Bouvier The chairs for Clan Pellissier and Clan Arceneau were vacant, but I figured they had a quorum If vaain, but I wrestled it down, and studied the wouilera, the priestess--a vamp I was not supposed to know, I reminded myself

Jodi and I stood two steps down fro in the principal’s office My near-hysterical titter made a third bid for freedo

Rafael Torrez, scion and heir of Clan Mearkanis, leaned forward, his black eyes on ot in the first sally "You were hired to kill the rogue vaht was not one of us Why should we pay you?"

Anger zinged throughto try to cheat es of survival and death Beast rose into my eyes Growled low in my throat A threat

Instantly, the whites of Rafael’s eyes and his face blazed with blood flush His pupils widened to black It was a young-vamp loss of control

The other council affe But Rafael didn’t back down His fangs snapped doith a soft click Pheromones of violence filled the room Vamp menace has a smell, sharp and spiky Intense in a rooht their own reactions to Rafael’s scents Jodi stepped away, her hand going for her gun, which she no longer had Her fear spiked Human prey smell As one, the vaer churned in the air like poison

The va beside Rafael, placed a hand on his arm "Be still," she said, her voice infused with power It was alth But her eyes were ontoo much

I couldn’t help it I started to laugh The va their heads in unison like a circus act The scents changed to outrage and insult, violence of a different kind I extended a hand in apology, as if waving away my amused eruption The vamps siotthat took over Iuessed Never knew Not till he went nuts and started killing off and feeding on hu to tell me he didn’t smell like a vamp? Feed like a vamp? As far as the world is concerned, he was a va even worse" I saw several eyes blaze at the insult Well, tough Beside me, Jodi’s fear increased, her body tensed in indecision

"My contract specifies that I was to ‘dispatch the rogue who is terrorizing New Orleans’ I did that, within the ten days allotted me for the bonus Which I want The fact that he had eaten a vamp and assumed his identity is not my problem" Their chins went up in a collective reaction, and I realized I had called them vamps several times How rude of ue One is a good, clear shot of his teeth, which has a caption of ‘sabertooth vamp’ They’re on my Web site with details of the kill You’ll pay or I’ll bombard the Internet with the fact that the New Orleans vamp council is not to be trusted in contractual ht next to the shot of his teeth Let the world decide if I fulfilled ed vamp pheromones saturated the air, sharp as pepper and vodka Three of the clan heads were gripping the table, their eyes vaht Prey response Not very smart of her The head of Clan Desmarais, calmer than most, opened a thin laptop and tapped some keys "She speaks the truth," he said, his eyes on the screen Deslanced at me "The composition of the shots is quite unprofessional And what are the shadows on the corners of the photographs?"

"My blood," I said, bluntly

He leaned toward h his nose "You are not bleeding now I smell no open wounds at all"

"Lucky me" Let them wonder why and how