Page 35 (1/2)

Ria screwed up her nose "You have to buy the changeling stuff Get Clay to pick it ’cause you sure as heck won’t be able to s"

Talin released a slow breath "Give and take from both sides" Exactly as in any other relationship

"Yep Oh, yeah," Ria added, "be careful about claiave the other woman a blank look, she rolled her eyes "I bet Clay just touched you like it was his right? Figures" She didn’t wait for an answer "It oes, but they’re actually very, very choosy Wait for an indication it’s okay, especially with the dootta go We should do lunch one of these days"

"I’d like that," Talin said as Ria waved good-bye

It was te to ponder the mass of information Ria had shot at her, but she knew she had to focus It was far harder to banish the tantalizing i the scent of perfume from her neck, so she took it with her as she set up a srabbed a plain old pen, and reached for the first of the files Dev had sent It was Jonquil’s

Chapter 28

Jonquil looked at the fine needle otten off easy The wolf-eyed wo to make him screa had stopped since the day of her visit

He was too terrified to wonder what that meant

She’d taken blood, skin, and hair samples, made him anshat felt like a thousand questions Today he was supposed to go in for a brain scan He had a feeling that that hat Blue was really interested in, though you wouldn’t be able to tell from her or the Blonde’s expressions They were the coldest, most icy people he had ever met He knehat they were, of course What he didn’t knohat they wanted fro to let his uncertainty show Talin had taught hi tall and proud when they came to the door - the Blonde and an unfamiliar male No woman olf blue eyes and sured he could flatten the ht, no probleht with their bodies They fought with their h to have witnessed the end results for those who got on their wrong side Like when Sal had tried to pull one over on that group that had wanted to buy hi out his ears

"I’ to see if they’d fall for his voice When he spoke in a certain way, all slow and easy, people seeht up in it, but Blue had known about it, had warned him not to try it on the others She’d said not only would it not work, it would sign his death certificate He had decided to believe herfor now

The Blonde nodded "Your cooperation has been noted"

He wondered if that ive him anesthetic when they tortured him He opened hiswhat she’d said after returning him to the cell

I was never here You will keep your silence on that point

Why? Who are you to h, he thought, very aware of the reptilian light in thepeople Jon’s senses were screa at him to run, run, RUN! But there was nowhere to run - not yet - so he followed them down the corridor

As he walked, he decided to call the man Lizard He had secret names for everyone, even Talin She’d think her nae in the face of the threat e from Lizard

"Please enter" The Blonde pushed open a door

Halting a few steps inside, he frowned "What the hell is that?" He was facing a chair but one hooked up to devices that, even to his inexperienced eyes, promised pain

"A machine that will allow us to better understand your brain" The door shut behind him as Lizard spoke for the first ti in the pit of his stomach He knew Blue hadn’t authorized this He stared at the Blonde, a silent question in his eyes

Her expression didn’t change "Take a seat in the chair"

"No" A sharp pain stabbed into his skull, lanced at Lizard "Perhaps we should use one of the others?"

"There’s only one other left Open the screen"

Jon clenched his head in his hands as the wall behind the chair suddenly silvered froirl on the other side She was sitting hunched into the far corner, her knees drawn up to her chest Her eyesfear and - at seeing him - a desperate flash of hope

"If you don’t cooperate, we’ll use her," Lizard told him