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"Oh, but I want to," I breathed,blue eyes Every detail of his face called to er toward his cheekbone

"Oh, dear Lord" He sighed "Not now"

"Now"

"Back to the cabin And I’ you in, whether you like it or not"

As he turned to lead me back down the hatch and into the halls of the airship, Miss May’s voice rang out over the burbling sound of water, calling, "Maestro! Our bargain!"

He rubbed a spot between his eyebrows and shook his head as if trying to clear it "Keen!" he shouted, and when she ran over, he said, "Take Anne to the cabin Lock her in Wait outside If anyone asks, say she’s ill And if she wants so to drink, tell her no"

"Aye-aye, Maestro" She was clearly delighted to be escaping our adventure on the deck

I balked against her tugging I wanted to watch Casper play With an impudent bow to Miss May on her throne, he walked to the harpsichord and sat, flipping out the tails on his coat After cracking his fingers, he began to play a song I hadn’t heard before, and people lined up to dance Keen pulled on eantry of the Maybuck in full swing

By Casper

Watching hile-round,sort of way Andover the keys with a sensuous faled Both of Keen’s shoving hands couldn’t budgeCasper become an entirely different creature, transformed by his art

"Ah, "

I tore lasses of a man I hadn’t seen at our first dinner on the Maybuck Heat his odd burnished-leather waistcoat, which buckled twice under his neck and around his chest, al tofor a hts sharpened, and I took a step back from the man, who stood just a little too close forthe festivities?" The man’s accent was thick, his voice cruel He stepped closer Even frolasses, his eyes were piercing in their fervor

"No I’ to my room" I tried to sidestep him and reached for Keen

With the sparseit into his, and propelled me across the deck I couldn’t exert ht I could He was as hard as stone, and I began to panic My eyes flew to Casper, but he was focused on his harpsichord, utterly lost in his , "Sir! Sir! Beg pardon, sir!" over and over He ignored her

"Everything to your liking, Van Helsing?" Miss May called in hercreature, ain’t she?"

I heard the threat implicit in her little speech One look at the decorated rail of the deck, one inhaled breath of cloud-crisp air, toldanyone any reason to find fault with enially, but I could hear the steel underneath

He steered rew short as my body instinctively shrank fro at?

"And do you knohy you glow,h to leave a bruise on a normal woman I flinched for effect

"Itto playus fro up in the corner She nodded knowingly, as if she kneas happening But she couldn’t have i to low because you’re a Bludlass of my spectacles was especially made to reveal your vile kind to my eyes I’m a sort of trophy hunter, you see"

"You mistake me," I said, but I heard my own voice waver

"I don’t htened another notch The pressure would have broken a Pinky’s arm at that point, and I would surely have bruises for at least a few hours I clenchedto escape

By then, ere standing over the tank I could smell the horrid salt of it, and I turned ht spray froainst my cheek It burned