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She poured peroxide onto a cotton swab and dabbed at Finn’s hand He had gotten a real gouge, right in the palm Her brow knitted with concern Finn balled the cotton swab into his hand, his eyes ht"

She nodded "Just let e it"

She did so The bloody cotton swab lay on the desk She reached for it, but Sara was already picking things up

"You’re sure you’re all right? You going to be able to play tonight?"

"Oh, yeah Nothing would stopaith the kit and the garbage

"I’ll get that dragon right off the shelf"

"At least I didn’t break it," Finn joked

Joseph shrugged, returning a rueful s myself That could have been a kid Not that you’re not just as i deal," Finn insisted "Meg, we do have to start to ood hand, suddenly, within the shop, feeling the need to be as close to hiht!" Morwenna called encouragingly

"Thanks!" Finn called back

When they returned to the street, darkness had fallen cohts from the shops still open poured out with their false illuan said with dish they had already walked half a block away, he turned back, studying Morwenna’s shop with a dark and brooding expression

"Finn… ?"

He turned back to her He smiled And yet his look was as a false as the illuht," he said fir when he squeezed right at the point of his wound

"Sorry," he said lightly "Oh, Finn!"

"Can we just forget it, please!" he said sharply But he still had her hand

And she could feel where his blood was soaking through the bandage

Chapter 4

The hotel was new, and on the outskirts of town It did, however, have aesthetic appeal, having been built in a colonial style popular in New England To compete with the many bed and breakfast places in and around town that oozed history, char at lawns, balconies and porches circled around the structure

The roo was custoed much--except to add seasonal enhancement The room abounded with nylon spider-webs and little plastic arachnids A kettle that e had been set up in one corner, with an attendant ielded a huge dipper--ready to pour out the spiked and seasonal punch--two bucks a shot Creatures swung frorotesque and coreat Halloween party

Meals were served until eleven; snacks and drinks after that hour They were to begin their first set at nine each night, and play until one, with breaks in between Finn had been surprised at the thousand a night they had been offered to play, and when setting up the equipment with the help of Adam Spade, the muscle-bound bouncer, he wondered if they’d actually make it back to the establishh a few inches shorter than Finn, he had the huge bulk of a body builder He looked as if he had been born to be a bouncer, but he was a decent enough guy, even if he grunted more than actually talked He wasn’t from the area; he had worked for the hotel chain at another location To hidistance, was Spade’s exact opposite--skinny in a suit, lanky as Ichabod Crane He had a nervous way about hi them it was a supper club, but a hotel, and now and then, a late night guest could be young The lyrics had to be clean

Finn told him not to worry

But by the end of their first set--a mixture of their own music and pop covers--he was elated to see that the place was packed Sam Tartan’s pinched face had soe crowd

A number of the local Wiccans--those with a touch of hu to accept the fact that other citizens would arrive in costuht be called seasonal dress, but was, however, the sa