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"Like er said to Charles, his voice rough like that of a man who’d sarettes, though His scent, rising through the air to Anna’s nose, was earthy and ical, sharp with a predator’s musk

"Was it a real one?" Anna asked hier looked up at her and laughed, exposing ragged, blackened teeth as sharp as he sht be that the artist saw somp’n Somp’n he out ter not have seen, wolf-kin" He patted the cement arh, he built me a friend, so we’re all happy Even the Gray Lord, there, she thought it were funny Didn’t hardly hurt ettin’ seen and not tellin’ her"

The fae could hide what they were Could look just like anyone else But the hunger that shone in his eyes when he looked at her was as immortal as she was and a lot older

Her wolf didn’t like hirowl He should know that she was not prey

He laughed again and slapped one thigh with a hand covered in a worn fingerless glove "If’n I forgot ether and in the darkness under the bridge she saw the spark when they struck-"she’d chew reat octopuses that live ’round here, she would" The thought seeht be worth it"

"Troll," said Charles

He had been having so otten about the real threat Reminded, he jerked around, crouched, and hissed

Charles took out one of the plain gold studs he wore in his ears and tossed it at the fae, who caught it with inhu manly quick hands

"Take your toll and go, Old One," Charles said

"Hey, Jer," cao bothering them, or the police’ll have us outta here You know they will"

The troll in huold up to his nose and smelled His face twitched, and his eyes swirled with an eerie blue light before they settled down and becaain "Toll," he said "Toll"

"Jerry?"

"No troubles, Bill," he called up to his what friends? His rooeood afternoon"

He looked at Charles, and for a moment an oddly noble expression crossed his face, his back straightened, shoulders thrown back In a clear, accentless voice he said, "Word of advice for your pay into the reeted them in the first place, and scrae

Charles didn’t say anything, but Anna slid off her perch and followed hi as that statue?" she asked, belting herself in

"I don’t know," Charles answered And save hi I’ve never seen a troll in its true form"

She started the car "A toll is supposed to be for crossing his bridge We didn’t cross the bridge"