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"So what did she see?"

"That, I’uess I had to be thankful she’d toldto pick up a little e and yet know there was a whole lot more to uncover

We continued on down the darkened hall This was an area I’d never been through before and, if it had been day rather than night, I ood look around As it was, I could barely see anything more than the darkly stained wood panels that lined the hall

"What was your other reason for co here?" Zaira asked

It tookabout Jorõgumos?"

She frowned "I am by no means an expert, but I can tell you they are particularly nasty spirits"

"That," I said gri there’s one active here in Melbourne?"

"Maybe Anything you can tell us about theriood reason When they come into season, they take on the for ical Bihich is a type of Japanese lute Once their prey is ensnared, the Jorõgumos bind the, depending on where the particular Jorõgu cycle"

Which was an exact description of as happening This thing was a Jorõgu cycle?"

"Up to half a dozen" She shrugged "Depends on the size and age of the Jorõgu yet "I don’t suppose you know an easy way to find this one"

"No But they rarely stray fro patterns Work that out, and you should be able to ascertain where she will attack next"

In other words ere already on the right track Zaira opened a door about ht As had been the case in the hall, warht spread across the room but barely lifted the shadows

We were in a s office that was basically furnished An old wooden desk dominated the center of the room, and with it was a leather chair that had seen better days Shelves lined all the walls and were overfloith books of every size and color The weight of the, and the shed in appreciation There was nothing quite like the scent of old books, even when it was almost overwhelmed by the richer scents of lavender and rose

Zaira sat down at her desk, pulled open a drawer, then carefully lifted a silk-covered ball onto her desk This wasn’t any old ball, but one of power I could feel the energy radiating off it even fro," she said "But there’s no guarantee it’ll work As I’ve said, she learned long ago to blockher"

I crossed ainst the doorframe "I just want to know if she’s okay I know I , but--"

"But you are your hter and, in nore your preht, and neither should you"

Surprise rippled through me More powerful than my mother? That was unlikely, because her talents had been sharpened and honed in athat had frustrated the hell out of Mom

But all I’d ever wanted was a noriven who my mother was and hoealthy ere--and in many respects, my psychic abilities had stood in the way of that desire I had learned to control and use the skills that being half Aedh endowed, sier of doing otherwise I ht be stubborn, but I wasn’t a fool

But it washere in Zaira’s office, having to rely on her for information, that I wished I’d listened to Mom

Zaira unwrapped the crystal and placed her hands on either side of the ball Light flickered deep in its heart and sent sprays of silver cascading around the walls Zaira took a deep breath, released it slowly, then closed her eyes and placed her palrew deeper and, after several minutes, the crystal beca what she was seeing and whether it involved Ilianna Mo to contact the dead for her clients, but it was never her favorite method She preferred séances, si relative made communication with the dead easier For her, it was also less taxing and more accurate

But Zaira itch trained She would be able to do far ined

Tih , was happening The only reason I didn’t start pacing was the knowledge that it would

But eventually she sighed and removed her hands from the crystal The cloudiness eased iht returned

Zaira leaned back in her chair and rubbed her forehead wearily "Well, the good news is that she’s not dead"