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"I guess that’s some comfort--"

"He’s dead," she cut in harshly "How is that ever going to be a coet my head bitten off if I tried sympathy on the bitch "Where is his body? And is the Directorate being called in on this?"

If they were, it could get tricky Uncle Rhoan worked for theuardian division these days--but he had no idea I orking for Hunter and the council And I wanted to keep it that way, because the shit would really hit the fan if he and Aunt Riley ever found out They’d always considered me one of their pack, but that protectiveness had increased when Moreed to ith Hunter--although I now suspected I couldn’t have actually refused to ith her--and once they’d dealt with me, they’d track her down and confront her And that was a situation that could never end nicely

I’d already endangered the lives of toothem into this mad quest for the keys--I didn’t want to make the situation worse in any way

"Yes, they are," she said "But Jack has been et first bite at the crih I doubted her pun had been intentional "That really doesn’t help with the probleet in the way of this You are a consultant, nothing more, as far as he is concerned"

I snorted "A consultant you’re using to hunt and kill"

"Yes And you would do well to re as the council and I agree on your usefulness"

"And," Azriel said, suddenly standing behind h I had little enough energy to spare "You would do well to remember that any attempt to harm her would be met with evenpleasant about it "We both know you cannot take a life without just cause, reaper, so do not less threats to ain," he said, his voice stony "And in this case, as in the last, I would revel in a death taken before its tionized her enough

That is a soiven she is clearly vaain, as he’d no doubt intended He’d grown so to hi far too much time in flesh form Whether that was true or not, I had no idea, but I certainly preferred this more "human" version to the remote starchiness that had been present when he’d first appeared You knohat I ly, I do He touched ht but sorow tedious She hed The sound was harsh and cold, and sent another round of chills down my spine "Reaper, you aht just be teh to do it, too

"However," she continued, "that time is not noill send you my friend’s address, Risa The Directorate will arrive at his hoation before then, and report your iiven me a whole hour Whoop-de-do "Where does he live, and what sort of security systeot in place?"

"I’ve just sent you all his details"

My cell phone beeped ale Hunter’s friend--ent by the very Gerhton, a very upuess--I certainly couldn’t iular folk in places like Broad

I read the rest of the text, then looked up at the ain "Is the security syste is--was--a very old-fashioned va otten him killed While there was no electronic security system on earth that would actually stop a de other than a demon had killed her vampire friend

I ht all the tih I’m sure she’d claiue the point with her when she wasn’t?

Certainly not me

And yet you do, Azriel commented, a trace of amusement in his mental tone

I think we’ve already established I’ to be there?"

"No"

I frowned "Why not?"

"Because I have"--she hesitated, and an al that needs to be attended"

If that glea involved bloodshed of some kind After all, the council--and Hunter--considered it perfectly acceptable to punish those who broke the rules by allowing theer va around to garner my impressions, especially if she cared for the dead man as much as I suspected