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But wait

I didn’t have to put out or even fend him off Just play nice for a fewpowder They’d sent up roorinned "On the bed, monsieur," I cooed

A red-faced elderly man appeared around the screen, cane in hand I patted the bed

"Mon dieu, but you are even prettier up close, ma chérie Can you believe I’ve neverwaited to make your acquaintance"

I stood and draped an arm around his neck "And I yours," I whispered into his ear

It was too easy Far too easy One caress, and he had what he needed, while I earned a full belly I sprinkled a few grains of sleeping powder over his head, and soon he was snoring softly on the bed, fully dressed and cheeks enflaave hi useful A wallet, several nice handkerchiefs, a horribly creepy-looking condom that looked as if it had been used before stuffed in a silda’s better quotes There wasn’t a whiff of Bludic and cataco card from his wallet and used his handkerchief to dab the blood away from the little rip in his neck I would add his name to the "Innocent" column of my spreadsheet He said he’d never h, I believed hi Crim, Tish, and the people of the caravan, I’d learned to read faces, and as far as I could tell, he hadn’t lied

I slipped off my boots so I could take the ed feet as I fled across the uneven cobbles to the back door of Paradis With one ear against the door, II wanted less than to further entertain the oldthe walk of shame and have to answer questions about why I was so quick at my work The hallway seemed e after last night that it had an unfortunate tendency to squeak

"You work fast, bébé"

I bit back a scream and spun, hands curled into claws Vale’s amused and skeptical calm made me even more likely to rake out his eyeballs

"So--what, Vale? You’re followingin the courtyard of the--" He chuckled and rubbed the back of his head "Yes, I’ that I thought you’d want to see, as soon as you were doneentertaining the great artist"

Rage shot upin the night "First of all, entertain is not code for sex Third, I just assumed you’d kissed half the daimons here, and I’ve never thrown that in your face So how dare you judgeforall too inhuman

"Simmer down, bébé I didn’t comental pauses to yourself" He tried to take my hand, and I smacked his wrist "Keep your paws to yourself, too I’ve had enough of being grabbed at"

Hands in the air, he stepped backward, and I shook htly wound and unpredictable in er It was true, what I’d told him Except when I was in ainsttouched like an object

"Fair enough, bébé I don’t want to ers was so s close Duh--he’d been trying to hand it to , actually

I took it with shaking fingers, holding it up to the ht

"I know there is no way to know if it belongs to your Cherie, and I know it’s unsettling, but"

"But if you’re using a Bluderous without her fangs"

"That’s what I was thinking"

The fang ed root I had a sudden curiosity regarding whether little Bluds and hid them under their pillows for a creepy, blud-spattered Tooth Fairy

"Where did you find it?"

I held it out to him reluctantly, but he shook his head and crossed his arers Macabre as it n After all, it could have been a fanged skull

"Well, you see"

"Stop acting cagey, brigand"

"Being a brigand involves a certain a, and froon claws, unicorn hairs, mysterious valises covered with stamps--"