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He nodded, and his gaze followeda hole in thethat it would be a bad mistake to think he was as meek and as mild as he appeared

The office door was open, and the vampire inside--a man with ebony skin and dark hair--looked up before I could knock His eyes were an alainst his skin

"You wanted to see me?"

Obviously, the bartender had psychically warned his boss of my presence "I did"

He waved a hand toward the somewhat scruffy leather chair on the other side of his desk "About what?"

I sat down "The fill-in entertainer you hired today"

He snorted "I can tell you one thing: She won’t be co back She did a runner well before her set was finished" He studiedclose to amusement in his eyes "See he kneas iven I need to speak to her"

I showed hi olves these days"

"Well, no, just me You could say I’m special"

"Could I, now?" He leaned back in his chair and studied ive you the nano limpsed in his eyes was definitely evident in his voice, and I had to wonder what the hell was going on "No, they are a means of self-preservation"

"Do they keep Hunter out?"

I hadn’t felt hi to read my mind, but then, with the best telepaths, you didn’t "Mostly" I shrugged "Probably as much as it has kept you out"

He sht"

"As can she, and usually the worst possible ones"

His srew as he leaned forward and offered rip was fir A vath and who saw no need to display it--unlike Hunter

I studied hi over our brief conversation, then said, a little hesitantly, "Are you, by chance, on the high council yourself?"

"And where would you get that idea, young lady?"

"It’s a guess"

"Then it is a good one" He picked up a pen and began to tap the table lightly

Unease slithered throughwhen cornered in a small room with a vaht I could be of use to the council, or one of the ones who thought it would be better for all concerned if I were killed?"

"Neither I could not see the sense in killing you before we’d explored and discussed all possible outcomes" A half smile touched his lips "And I would never, under any circumstance, side with Hunter"

"Oh" Great He hated Hunter, and I was here under her orders

"Never fear," he said, aler when it is the master I would rather see dead"

"If you did attempt to harm her," Azriel said, voice flat but nevertheless deadly He rested a hand on my left shoulder as he reappeared beside me "You would be dead before you even left your chair"

"Ah, the reaper hi when you’d turn up"

"I am never far away"

"Indeed" He studied the two of us for a moment, then said, "You do realize, don’t you, that Hunter has no intention of ever letting you off her leash? Her plans for you are vast, and the keys play only a minor part of that"

The keys were hardly aoverrun either by the denizens of hell or unhappy souls unable to ot that impression But, for the moment, I need her Or rather, I need her resources"<ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>