Page 16 (1/2)

"Nice," Sean said

"The bathrooh into the bathrooarden tub, the shower, and stopped by the se bathroom," he said

Bathrooms were my pet peeve "At least it’s clean"

He turned His eyes narrowed "We’re on the southeast side of the house I can see the road"

"Yes"

"I’ve spent a lot of ti your house fro?

"I know for a fact that there are three arched s side by side with a small balcony in the place where this bathrooular s situated one under the other to flood the tub with light

"If you would like a large archedso people can view you in all your naked glory while you bathe, that can be arranged"

"Dina," he growled

"People say that physics has laws," I told hi to the bedroouidelines"

Sean followed me out A flat screen TV slowlyspat out a re, Sean," I told hilad you’re here You knohere the kitchen is, so if you get hungry in the ht, you’re welco else you need"

He opened his ed his mind, and said, "Sure"

I stepped out and closed the door I needed to take a good long shower and wash all the s up on nore the fact that Sean was three rooms ahen Beast barked A few seconds later I heard a car roll up and stop by the inn I checked the o Hummers parked on our street The doors opened and the vehicles disgorged large ht you be?

The lastwrapped in cloth With my luck, it would be a missile launcher Prepare to be exploded in three, two, one

Thedark hair spilled out

Not a governent Last I checked, neither the FBI nor CIA per locks

The man handed his burden over to another, pulled a couplesonal, the ether, ar their hands in prayer I squinted Fingers of their hands together, pal and held horizontally The Holy Pyrarabbed my bra and pulled my keeper robe out of the closet They would want to talk and they were sticklers for foret dressed

Ten seconds later I went down the hall, dressed in a long gray robe with a cowl, broom in hand Sean was already out of his room and dressed

"Who are they?"

"The Holy Cosmic Anocracy I don’t knohich House"

"That doesn’t tellAnd why are you dressed like a et you a primer to read" I went down the stairs "If we’re lucky, it’s just et complicated"

"How co e of rounds They just let n

I reached the door

"Dina," Sean said "I need to knoe’re dealing with"

"Va"

Chapter Eight

I stepped outside and walked along the curving path toward the edge of the lahere six vampires waited Sean followed me The men-at-arms watched us All above six feet tall, all with identical square bulges under their trench coats, which made them look like football players with their pads on Syn-ar around

No banners Odd Usually they had a banner

"Protocol ARMED," I s slid as the house prepared for battle

It’d been a long time since I’d dealt with the Holy Cosmic Anocracy and back then I always had my parents to back me up Now my backup was an unpredictable ho was prone toon theest va with broad shoulders, a great wealth of brown and gray hair cascading down his back A short beard traced his square jaw Hue For varewat me now had to be close to sixty And because he stood with his back to the streetlight, I couldn’t see hiic into the brooentle blue The valowing pale red like the irises of a tiger The blue light of the broom played on his syn-armor, molded to the lines of his powerful chest I covertly looked for the glyphs gloith dark red His rank translated roughly to Knight Sergeant Bad news

I stopped about six inches from the boundary of the inn