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I fought the urge to hiss and claw his face off "Tell me, are those éclairs filled with vanilla crea? I always preferred the vanilla cream, ascar vanilla"

The older gendaranache," he said, patting his belly "My favorite"

"Let’s get this over with," the younger one gruh a thick metal door with a small, barrednear the top Inside was a sturdy wooden table and three chairs The older gendar endar his papers and preparing his pen

"Sergeants Bonchance and Legrand, questioning Made the events of March nine," the older gendar at thein the door in a way that told me we had a witness

"Please proceed," a h a rudimentary speaker

"Made that happened on the night of March nine"

And I told the the hottest sex of ot to the s and began to charge through the streets, the younger gendarrand, raised a hand

"Mademoiselle, just to clarify, could you please tell us why you were to meet the prince in this pachyderm?" The nasty quirk of his thin lips told ht have had in mind,dignitary"

"On your knees, mademoiselle?"

I smiled sweetly "I’m a citizen of Al no ?"

"Not with me I had barely spoken twenty words to the prince beforehand Whatever expectations he ht have had are his own business But pray tell, Monsieur Legrand, how does this apply to rand," the srowled

Bonchance put a kindly hand on his arave me a sympathetic look "Now, can you tell us how you incapacitated your kidnapper?"

Another saccharine smile "I hit him twice in the head with a heavy wrench I assuainst the law?"

Bonchance shook his head no, but Legrand leaned avidly forward

"Interesting But how did the gentleuinated?"

My nostrils flared, and I put up a gloved hand Funny, how I’d never had so much power before now, the first ti his shit "Please, ating ht I had killed him with the wrench? Or a knife? Or any other weapon at hand?"

"That question is not pertinent--"

"An attorney rand went silent, and Bonchance stroked hisout of the side of his mouth as if we shared a secret "You must understand, mademoiselle, that as Bludmen are rare in Paris, this is a new conundruainst the law to drink froainst someone who clearly meant you har you Please re your deliberations, that I was trapped in a very small, dark room with amy eyes tear up "And I’ed hirand scoffed "This is a police investigation, ossipthe doe-eyed act "I have a right to know the identity of my attacker"

"That remains to be seen"

"And I’d also like to discuss the disappearance of my dear friend Cherie, as abducted by slavers on the road to Ruin"

"That is not part of the current investigation," Legrand snapped

Bonchance added, "And only the city of Paris itself is in our jurisdiction, you see"

"You’ll not even take a statement? Not even send out a bulletin with her inforain "The whereabouts ofcabaret girls is not our top priority Girls disappear frequently, mostly as a result of the unsavory habits of your lifestyle If we spent our ti down every loose woate i the questions, mademoiselle; you’d do well to reround behindme that you’re satisfied to let slavers kidnap innocent travelers? And that when a ianthis na him in self-defense? Because I’d like to speak to a lawyer Attorney Barrister Whatever you call it in this insane excuse for a justice system"