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"Let her go," I said, et er twitched I blurred left, as the gunshot popped I cut right Grabbed his gun arm, and sla I took the gun, gave hiazine like the badasses do on TV Unfortunately, I didn’t really knohat I was doing, so I suffered a moment of aard confusion while I fiddled with the stupid thing Finally, I just flicked on the safety

"What the hell?" said the other thug--the one asn’t screa about his broken arrowling deep inshifted inside me Pain exploded in my head and the world went red Blood rushed toofopen Like so screairl passed out The thug with the broken arony to think about running

I staggered The pain receded Faded to nothing I hadn’t had these awful headaches for a few days Maybepains as a demon spaeren’t over yet Whatever the case, aspirin wasn’t going to cut it

I picked up the girl and ran her toward the front of the shopping center where a group of teens were frantically shouting someone’s nauy walked up with an unconscious girl in his arms, I set her on a nearby bench and hid behind the corner "Over here," I shouted I heard their footsteps and exclaain

What a rush

I took stock ofto have rescued soroaned in ave me hope

I finally arrived at home and stripped off my ruined clothes which I trashed After a shower I put on soht as well try to cae iven h, I had to be prepared

Soed Maybe Dad had escaped Maybe Shelton had decided to help ht be Nyte or Ash I had several h the peephole and saw an empty stoop I turned away Another knock I spun back and looked No one was there Soht be very bad It could be h the hole once more and a pair of violet eyes stared back atElyssa stood there, her eyes neutral rather than filled with hate or disgust That was a step in the right direction

"I know about your father," she said

"How could you possibly know already?"

"My people have an extensive network Word gets around fast when sooes down in the supernatural world If I’d knoho your father really is I would have also known you’re an incubus"

"Oh yeah? Is that better or worse than vampreys and faders?"

"A ratulations One o"

"Oh coet hiues They split from the Red Syndicate Any lawful Syndicate member would have turned him in for the bounty, not kept hi the incredible urge to kiss those soft lips, fangs or not

"The Red Syndicate has an official ie to uphold in the supernatural community, even when it comes to demon spawn"

"That’s funny I can’t believe evil blood-suckers would be worried about their public ie "

"Vampire politics are tricky They’re very aware of which way the wind is blowing Even if they consider your father a rogue, they’d treat hi to law"

"And what about ?"

"They would, considering they disowned hiuarded, but she came in anyway I noticed she had two short sai swords sheathed on her back They looked a lot like the ones she’d constructed for Kings and Castles She wore a black forenerous curvy physique She had a knife on both thighs and a belt withspheres attached to it She looked like a ninja goddess

"Well, aren’t you just armed to the teeth?"

"In my line of business it doesn’t pay to walk around in ht I’d like to see "I have to try to save my dad You know I can’t just leave hi him We could petition the Overworld Conclave for their intervention"

"You said ’we’ Does that mean your family will help me?"

"Oh, hell no," she said with a shake of her head "They don’t even know I’m here"

"Do they know about me?"