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"Anything behind that bush, Vale?"

I jerked and flailed at his father’s shouted words, and Vale’s lips curled up, revealing white teeth

His eyes raked fro out from beneath foa which end of a Chinese buffet to start at I’d felt like a stone-cold predator since waking in Sang under Criminy’s bloody wrist, but now irl I’ve ever seen" Myplinked against Vale’s back, and he laughed and held up a river-smooth stone for ed, unaffected Barely loud enough to be heard, he said, "So" Another stone thwacked hiloved hand "Stay here I’ll be back" Before I could respond, he had disappeared, leaving shivering leaves and skin in his wake

I flopped onto my back, just in case one of the otherat the lavender-gray clouds, I listened for more footsteps Partly because I wanted to avoid notice and partly because I wanted Vale to co to be licked all over But most of all, I wanted them all to leave so I could find Cherie

I didn’t s over the sypsies But from the men’s shouts, at least I knew they hadn’t found a body She was sile and clever, and I could only hope she was hiding in another copse or backed into an eypsies to finish its plundering and go the hell home Maybe Cherie was a predator, but she was also a beautiful young woman, and all we knew of Franchia was ancient history froers actually lurked here?

The hooves of a single horse pounded close, the blud her rider’s harsh treat hell-bent for Paris in that daht But the others round"

"Great hureatness in the bellow of his baritone Bludmare squeals and the squeaks of butts in saddles ain "Lorn, you’re withthrough the rubble Bring in at least a silver’s worth of plunder, or don’t bother to come home" He spit in the dirt, and despite my ambivalence, I flinched That was some cold shit

I barely heard Vale’s muttered "Have fun in the catacombs, arsehole"

The horn sounded, and the horses took off amid the men’s whoops and hollers I sat up before Vale could pry his way through the bushes, s I looked less like a twitterpated girl and erous lady on a rinned and held out a hand, and I took it, well aware that the two gloves between us lessened the heat noa hot cast-iron skillet with a paper towel I stood, but he didn’t let me loose "I’m Vale Hildebrand, first son of Curse Hildebrand" He paused as if waiting for a response "Lord of the Infa? Really?" Dark eyebroept up, and he rubbed the stubble on his chin "Damn, you’re hard to impress"

"I’m not from around here Name’s Demi Ward" Then, before he could derail e and size but blond?"

"Unfortunately, you’re the only one today Maybe I should start setting snares"

He released h to look hione We were on the coach together--it was just us and another girl and her chaperone and a gentleman Headed to Paris"

He put a hand on the small crossbow on his belt but refused to look away "Who wore the pumpkin-colored dress?"

"The chaperone An old nurse coach "There’s a bloodstained scrap of orange ribbon Old bat irl" His hand landed on the puffed shoulder of own, and I took a deep breath to meet it "I’m sorry We try to catch the slavers before they swoop in, but they’re fast"

"Slavers?"

"We call theh we honestly don’t knohat happens to theet into the catacoh they’ll so man Probably sell ’em as servants or concubines, once they’re into the city"

I couldn’t breathe, and my back felt more boneless than usual "Do you never find theround" His eyes went skittery, and I kneas lying "Sometimes we can catch the slavers at the scene, scare them off before they take down the coach They wear dark cloaks andarrows over a personal attack They shoot the blude afla like chickens Easy pickings"