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Mother Night

She started to bend down to pick up the ribbons, but Sage scooped theirl, she perched on the ar to sit on the cushions in case the mouse’s relatives were still in residence

The paper with the warning about the nature of the spooky house rapped around the paperweight The handkerchief rapped over the paper Everything was tied securely with the ribbons

"Nohat?" Rainier asked

"See if thatis still a "

She watched hi viciously, when black, beetlelike things fell from the curtains as they shredded

Her heart jus scurried into cracks in the baseboard She couldn’t tell if the beetles were real or illusion--and since seeing them made her skin crawl, she really didn’t want to know

"Still a ," Rainier said, peering through the glass "At least, I see out over the front lawn"

She th from the

Rainier studied the glass panes "We could open theand clier a spell that will put ht"

The look in his eyes Assessing Considering Weighing his desire as an escort to get her out of danger regardless of the cost against his responsibility for getting the children out safely, since they were here because of his invitation

Just as he was here because ofher invitation

"We walked in together, Prince Rainier We will leave together"

Another assessment Then he nodded

"Stand to the side as much as you can, but hold what’s left of that curtain out of the way," she said

"Surreal, ht and didn’t say anything more

"You wear Opal; I wear Gray" And there was the sie er than she looked

"You’ve already taken a hit," Rainier said

"Yeah" And that was pissing her off because breathing still hurt like a wicked bitch

Not that far froht-iron fence Fifteen paces at the most She could throw a stone that far

She waited while Rainier fetched the poker fro some of the material, he pulled back the remains of the shredded curtain

She stared at theDark outside now She couldn’t see the fence or the street Just her reflection in the glass If she broke the glass…

A sensation at the back of her neck, like delicate legs brushing, crawling

Letting instinct decide, she channeled her Gray power into her hand and then wrapped it around the bundle before she cocked her arlass

Soet out?" Surreal asked, stepping closer to the glass "Can you see if the bundle got past the fence?"

Her reflection in the night-darkened glass And then it wasn’t her reflection Another woman’s face stared back at her and…

The woer points, slashed at Surreal’s face

Surreal turned her face away and flung up an arh her jacket sleeve before Rainier yanked her out of reach

"Should have gone through the ," the wo "Should-a, could-a, too late now Find an exit and don’t use it, it’s gone forever Gone gone gone Like you’ll be You’ll join h And your face won’t look so pretty when you do"

"Who are you?" Surreal asked

"He paid me And then he killedme play with all the tricks and traps Don’t die too soon, Lady Bitch Not until you’ve seen mybest surprises"

"Who is he?"

"You’ll find out" The woan to fade "When you’re chained to the house too"