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"Can you?" I asked, frowning

"That is a question I hope I will never be forced to answer," he said Which wasn’t exactly an answer, but I knew hiet "Now, about this business ofI’m not sure I understand the concept"

I smiled "Then take me holorious

Chapter 10

The Falcon Club was decidedly seedy The air was thick with the scents of cigars, alcohol, and unwashed flesh, and it was packed with people-- of women here as well,the room Sex, I suspected, could be found here for a price

My nose twitched at the unpleasant arorabbed a drink froh the shabby tables, choosing one in the thicker shadows near the bathrooh away from the bar--and most of the patrons--that the air was alood view of the se situated to the left of the bar

I sat down and nursed the icy glass of beer between my palms This club obviously wasn’t one of yourthat they’d employed someone like Di Shard to provide their entertainment Given the state of this place--and the less-than-dapper look of its customers--a stripper would probably have been h given the club’s close proxiulations would probably have stopped that

I took a drink of beer and briefly caught the eye of a tall, somewhat hairy individual several tables over He ree Azriel had said he’d adopted e’d visited Classique, and I couldn’t help s else looking like that--obviously took nal, because he rose, hitched up his trousers, and began wandering over He was little more than four feet ahen he abruptly turned and headed off toward the bar

I just about choked onyou couldn’t interfere with the thoughts or actions of others unless it involved the key search in sohts, you should be thankful I did turn hirinned at the annoyance in his mental tones And what if I’d wanted to be mauled by a hairy bear type?

You have far better taste than that

The aer That wasn’t what you were saying when I ith Lucian

The Aedh’s attraction was ic enhanced

And the fact that he was also a fantastic lover had absolutely nothing to do with it That coreeted by stony silence I somehow controlled n of our spider-spirit yet?

We’d decided that--given the Jorõgumo’s sudden retreat last tiht be wiser if Azriel reht would e I could hide reen-eyed, brown-haired, and definitely not anything you’d label pretty--so it was unlikely she’d even recognizemore than just another non-human Spirits, Azriel had assured me, weren’t often attuned to the Aedh Aiven I wasn’t about to go anywhere without having her close at hand, it was a risk we had to take

No sign of her, he said But she is unlikely to arrive early given she is aware that we hunt her

Which makes me wonder if she’ll even turn up I mean, if she’s as smart as you said, she’d be stupid to come here

But, as Hunter noted, sometimes maternal demands overrun comriood A couple walked pastwith expectation The woman’s expression was rather world-weary Just another ht, as they ht If the bathroorimy as the rest of this place, it sure as hell wouldn’t have been my first choice for a rendezvous Even the lane behind this joint would have been cleaner

Trying to tune their noise out, I said, If she , ouldn’t she just snatch someone off the street?

Perhaps she requires more in a victi psychically, re maybe I should do a quick reconnoiter and see if I can sense any psychically strong targets in the room

You do not need to subject yourself to the less-than-savory nature of those in the club His mental tones held a note that I would have sas proprietary had it been anyone else There are four such people in the room

Who?