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HAVE A BLEEP BLEEP DAY

I--no, that’s not what IPCA does," I said "They don’t kill paranormals, they--"

Lend raised a hand to stopto kill me?"

"Why would I kill you?"

After a moment he let out a deep breath "I don’t think it’s you"

"What’s not , he stretched Did Iht--a little , since I hadn’t bothered to brush it yet

"Can you please go back to normal?" I wanted to look at him more now that I could see hi h three years of braces for that smile; no fair that he could copy it in a second "Normal? What’s that?"

"How you really look"

"Can you take off all your clothes?"

Okay, weirdest thing ever--I just asked et much creepier "Why on earth would I do that?"

"You asked ht it was only fair"

"I justme Be yourself But yourself with clothes"

"These are rew a few inches In uy Black hair, dark brown eyes, olive skin, and, oh yeah, absolutely gorgeous Like, belonged on one of the shows I loved so ed, deepened, and I wished I was talking with an actual teenage guy

"Definitely" I looked closer Still Lend under there Even the dark eyes didn’t hide his water-​colored ones; I could see hih

"This seeine" Then I frowned, curious "What does your real voice sound like?"

"What makes you think this isn’t it?"

"I think it would sound different Softer Like water" I realized how stupid that sounded, but his s look

"If you didn’t come here to kill me, why are you here, Evie?"

Aard Here I was, no uy I’d ever seen, fake or not Why was I here? "It’s my job"

His smile returned, this time with the usual ironic twist to his lips "Oh Your job Quite the career for soe"

"You’re not much older than me" Now that I’d seen him better, I was sure of it Corrupted es--old and nasty--underneath True immortals, like faeries, have eternal youth, but there’s so different in their faces All those years don’t add lines; they slass turned around forever on the ocean floor No eless

The shift in his expression confirfifteen" I went low on purpose

He looked indignant "Seventeen"

"See? You told the truth That wasn’t so bad, noas it?"

Lend shook his head, then sighed "Trouble"

"You bet I’m trouble," I countered with a s, a little Could you blauys I evercorpses, or ie, whatever else he was

"No, you’re in trouble" He looked and I followed his eyes right to Raquel, as not happy At all She finished crossing the hall and fixed a steely glare on ize, but then I rolled round me?" Maybe I shouldn’t have been so flip about it, but really After the night I had, the last thing I wanted was a lecture

"Out Now"