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"Yes" His tone was short, clipped, letting me know he’d said all he wanted to say on that subject

We don’t always get ant "Did she know about the zombies? Is that why she was afraid?"

He ha the entire piece "Yes, Miss Bell Yes She knew about theine them around her every second of every day, and it was more than she could deal with Finally she killed herself"

Hoful Poor Mrs Ankh, to feel death was the only way Poor Mr Ankh, left to pick up the pieces Poor Reeve, a little girl drowning in sorrow and confusion No wonder he insisted she be kept in the dark He didn’t want the same fate to befall her "I’m sorry"

He waved my sympathy away "The past is the past, Miss Bell"

Such easy words to offer--but was he actually living them? "Just so you know, I saw a rabbit cloud in the sky Zo, "And you want in the rotation"

I’d told ain I’d even questioned , "I do" I couldn’t waste an opportunity to slayokay? Had I had any moments of weakness? Had I had another panic attack?

I answered the first two bluntly but sidestepped the last one "Look, I was born to kill zo to do Whether you’re on board or not And yes, that’s a threat"

He grinned atif you’re unconscious"

He would drugwhile before sighing, nodding stiffly "Fine You’re deteret it And this tih The slayers are at Cole’s gym, and rotations are about to be decided for the week"

Crap My day with Nana would have to wait "Slight problem," I said "I don’t have a license or a car"

He released another sigh "Be ready in five My driver will be waiting out front"

"Thanks, Mr Ankh" I stood and walked to the door

"By the way, I wasn’t teasing about the cleaning and the food"

"I didn’t think you were" And he would learn I hadn’t been teasing, either I paused and glanced back at hi Reeve, I do, but all our secrets are hurting her She’s already suspicious, and those suspicions are ot to be another way"

"Miss Bell," he said, sla his pen on the desk

I knew a very stern lecture was coed into battle-ready clothing and gathered everything I’d need More daggers, a syringe filled with the antidote, a pocketful of throwing stars and iven me in the botto next to s that survived the fire, and I found iven it to your ed, but that’s the only daht like to have a faht it had coreat-great-great-grandfather known to write it? I enes just as easily as blue eyes, but my mother had never seen them Neither had Nana

What could this ht

But this had to be the surprise Nana hadsurprise it was

I owed that wolanced at the vanity mirror as I opened the door A habit I’d developed after firstCole I’d alanted to look ht irl in the lass, as if reaching for me

Tock How could Hoas Impossible

Tick In a daze, I walked toward her--toward me

Tock She never moved Ihand against the coolness of the glass

Tock Her hand fell away

A thousand different thoughts raced through ment Soas she? A part of es under her eyes curved and see, I swiped a tube of red lipstick frolass Who Are You?

I slammed the lipstick on the vanity surface and lanced back Breath caught inback inside and save me no satisfaction, only increased my shock Whatever she was, she didn’t like ht now