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"Neither did I," she said, "but there’s a reason we didn’t, and it’s a creepy one: the killer packed soe makeup so they wouldn’t be seen"

He went still "What sort of ‘shit?’"

"Flower petals"

Either kill me or take e…

He has been poisoned Richard, still hu theo to France and see to the arrangeround

That su where they had fallen Heavily-laden carriages jolting as their drivers whipped the horses into straining and pulling their occupants and the baggage out of Paris as fast as they could go The ugly granite walls of the asylum, streaked by black streams from the countless chamber pots emptied from the s The smell of fresh-burned wood ash on the wind--

He who believeth in me will never die

Sa me why you look like I just kicked you in the cajones?"

"It’s nothing" Rafael had watched as the body had been carried out of the asylue cemetery There he had observed the funeral, and stayed behind to watch the grave for weeks Nothing had disturbed it No one had crawled out of it It is not Donatien "Our shift ended thirtyfrom his chair "We must clock out"

To keep up appearances, Rafael and Samantha drove their own cars to work and home, but they both lived in the penthouse apartht club, Infusion The club served as a oth crowd, as a business front for the Jardin Noir, and the headquarters of its suzerain, the Darkyn high lord’s former chief assassin, Lucan

Rafael reached the club first and went immediately to his master’s downstairs office Lucan, who had an unexpected flair for creating wealth, had taken overthe day, his tresora, Herbert Burke, did the rest Rafael suspected it was hisbeside Sah Lucan would never adh his colass of bloodwine As fair as Rafael was dark, Lucan had the face of a film star and the frame of a stunt man, and used theloves encased large hands, which when bared could kill any living thing they touched

"We are paying too s of ale," Lucan said to Rafael without looking up "I should like to find a new beverage supplier before this one bankrupts me Why are you late?"

Rafael tried to think of alternate suppliers, but all he could surave "A huht There are indications that perhaps one of the Kyn were involved"

Lucan stopped tapping the keyboard and turned his head "Which Kyn, precisely?"

"I cannot say for certain The victiray eyes turn to chrome "The wounds were found to be packed with flower petals, and covered with greasepaint"

Lucan reacted to this by not reacting at all "Then Donatien still breathes"

"No," Rafael insisted "Richard sentAfter, I sat watch for a ain"

"Donatien was, unlike you, a patient soul, and in fact he did somehow survive his second burial Richard had me hunt him in nineteen thirty-nine, but he used the Nazis to elude me When he never resurfaced, Richard decided the war had killed him" Lucan raised one blond eyebrow "You still do not believe me Very well, this victim you found, was he violated?"

Rafael nodded "Sodomized with an electrical device"

"The Brethren rarely violate, but when they do, they do not leave such work to be discovered Donatien enjoyed putting his cruelties on display, and he always signed his work"

"The lash marks" Rafael could see the pattern of thele" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>