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"Wounded, but on his way"

"Wounded?"

"He’s on his way"

They had started walking again She raced along behind them "I don’t understand all this You all can be killed, of courseand Brent?"

"He will be along"

"Hoas he wounded?" she persisted, following closely

"Silver bullet," Lucian said

"And he’s still coining? He’s only wounded? He can’t comewho had the bullet?"

"Gerard," Lucian explained briefly "Willemor Inspector Trusseau, as you came to know him"

"So he knowswhowhat Brent is"

"Oh, yes, he knows He knoell," Lucian said "Just as we all know one another" She sed hard, following thereat hall, and there, the fire in the hearth was burning with an ever greater intensity Soht The shadows created by light and fire had shifted, risen somewhat And then she knehy

They were ht the fire burning ever higher, and she saw Trusseau--or Gerard, as Lucian had called him He was now by the fireplace He held a rifle at his side He s his head

"Well, Lucian, here you are at last I ’ of our kind, it took you long enough to get here And considering as well, that you have this fresh, young, vanor! Of course The Viking of old! And that’s it? You didn’t summon a host from around the world? Ah, well, I have always been underestiht that you’d have your friend, Mr Malone here, with, perhaps, a few of his own Ah, but sadly perhaps, his kind have been all but brought to the brink of extinction Fare their herdsand that old fairy tale has certainly done a lot to keep the population of those predators down Actually, it’s so easy to kill a olf All you need is a silver bullet Now as to vampires well, Lucian Your co your own kind now, are you? What happened to the rules?"

"You broke the me to do the same This is a neorld New rules"

"Not so new, not really Nas rery creatures, so there are always pockets in the world where my kind can thrive"

"Thrive? After the war, Gerard, you were in pieces"

A flash of anger crossed the vaotten I even hope that wretched Malone is just li somewhere--I didn’t want a quick death for hilanced at Tara, eyes sweeping her up and down "And here we have her!

Heiress to the old ined, but then, I’d sorace The wretched old fellow Once he and Malone got together at the debacle when the ar inwell, let’s just say that I don’t want either of theht, Gerard," Lucian said "And consider this--the extraordinary power Malone has is all thanks to you All those steroids and such you pumped into him when he was in your power He already suffered the tortures of hell at your hands I think you should actually hope that you end your pathetic existence before he arrives," Lucian said

"You think that you will do that, do you?"

A figure suddenly rose from the depths of the sofa, the back of which faced theant Louisa, with a skein of her long hair now covering her race She moved it back to show the horrible blisters and burns caused by the holy water Tara had cast upon her "You’re all dying here tonight--dying for good If there’s to be royalty a us, I do believe that I far better fit the role