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"Madairls, at least She won’t allow opiu the perforirls are"

I could hear his s?" The word dripped icicles

He cleared his throat "They’re lovely girls Just watch out for Liirl"

Looking up at the trapdoor, I pinchedto bring sorime-speckled, scared-to-death monster I was

Vale put a hot hand on my shoulder "Are you sure this is what you want?"

I drewbackoffup ona star in the cabaret while I hunt for her, I choose cabaret All the way"

"You’re crazy, bébé And I don’t like it"

"You don’t have to like it" I smiled, then frowned My mouth didn’t knohat to do with the odd mixture of excitement, terror, and expectation "You don’t think they’ll mind me?"

He snorted and rubbed dust offunexpected shivers down irl in a cabaret? No, I don’t believe they will mind at all"

That wasn’t what I meant, and he knew it "Where I coerous"

Vale held up his pendant, and the green glow bloomed between us Honestly, he looked as nervous as I felt "They’ll take you in because you’re beautiful They’ll keep you because you’re talented And because you have fangs, they won’t try to take what you don’t wish to give" His eyes esting his words "And what about you, Vale?"

Looking up at the trapdoor as I just had, he gave a lopsided grin that hosts and raves and phosphorescent waves in the ocean, of toounder the surface "I told you, bébé I don’t hat isn’t given"

The green still meant he couldn’t seewithup, he flicked a lock and threw back the door, blindingsun after an endless nighto home, either So I’ll follow you to Paris and Paradise" He winked "You’re going to needcity"

Bits of feather and glitter fell down froht, and someone called, "Oh la la! Careful, chérie!"

My heart leaped, hearing my friend’s name Vale’s hand on my shoulder reminded me almost instantly that chérie was one of theDearest Peopleto plan A shadow appeared, and I put up a hand to shield h the explosion of light was sharaced with eyelashes as long as plu!" Vale called, with lusty cheer thatin the back door? You know that is not allowed here"

His face burned bright red, and the daireen elbow-length glove He recovered quickly, at least "I’ve brought a surprise for Madame Sylvie Let us up, will you, Mel?"

The face disappeared, and Vale nudged entle push that involved the war bustle behind ht Before, I would have been vexed that he atchingthe skirts sith abond, I wasn’t exactly sure Maybe it was the way the daimon’s eyes had twinkled at him with secrets fondly remembered and excitement over future possibilities Or le touch we’d shared and the fact that he had been about to kiss me before a mutant mole-rat tried to kill him Maybe it was because he was the only friend I had here, and I’d already told him half my secrets, and if e it gave h the trapdoor, it took a few moments for the scene to coalesce into any sort of sense We were backstage, the red velvet curtains casting everything in a blushing glow Stage lights shone in every direction, blinding me no matter which way I turned Girls ran back and forth, dozens of daimons in a rainbow of colors, speckled all over with satin and sequins, which made me feel a little at home, at least The face I’d just seen, Mel’s, waited just a few feet away, attached to a petite but stunning body with proportionsI briefly wondered where the girl kept her innards and if dai as how they fed off of huest joy? Before I could speak, Vale popped up behind ed seamlessly with the boards