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"It’s ed his shirt down over his belly

"Right, Sancho" His cousin exchanged a glance with Eva and laughed, flashing crooked white teeth "So we’re all set? Let’s do this I haven’t been to one of these since we summoned Tio Juan to ask if he meant to leave all his money to that floozy he married"

"Did he?" Sometihed "She was a good floozy"

All business, Eva switched off the overhead light It was full dark outside, so shadows danced on the far wall and six tiny twin fla it an oddly ethereal air

Seeing ere ready, I sat on Chuch’s left Chance took a seat on my other side, and Eva dropped down next to him Jesse and Dolores sat so that we alternated theto this"--I squinted at the notes I’d ?"

"You" Chuch grinned at me "You have the instructions"

"Okay, but" I hesitated "Madame Claudine also said never to have et out of hand if the spirits have too much power to feed from I’m a handler--does that count?"

"I’ained points for trusting my friends with the information, but maybe he’d done it for exactly that reason? Act like you have nothing to hide--

I snipped that thought before I could revealacross froifts would overload Maris and turn her into a banshee, however I didn’t want to delay the process by waiting for another e from Madaet on with it Eva said we’re having ice cream after we do this"

What the hell

"Jesse, do you have the focus?"

With a nod, he dug into his pocket and reached across Dolores to drop soo"

The mechanic peered at it and then flipped it away from him It hit the table, bounced, and nearly went into the sacred soup "Are you kiddingthat"

"Why, what is it?" I leaned for a closer look and saw everyone else do the sam to a séance?"

In the dark it was hard to tell who snickered loudest

Saldana glared at me "That’s what she left at my place, okay? Do you want my help or not?"

"Fine" A look at Chuch confirmed he did not intend to pick up the latex cap for love or h Jesse, you knew her best, so try to form a mental picture of her Let’s join hands" When we formed the circle, I murmured, "Now that six are one, let none falter until all is said and done Dear Maris, we offer you gifts fro us"

The candles flickered the first tih the open kitchen , and I motioned for them to repeat the chant with me We spoke it softly seven tiht His hand almost pulled from mine, but I held on Madame Claudine had been vehement on that point The circle must not be broken until the séance ended

Or it would get ugly

He opened his mouth and a soft, pretty soprano voice spilled forth "That’s not ht claw his eyes out The sight of such purely feh features sent a chill coursing through me

"Maris?" Saldana seemed astonished that this had worked I was too, actually "What’s not yours?"

"That!" The diaphragm did bounce off the table and into the soup then And then the whole bowl upended into Jesse’s lap "I never used one of those I was on the pill, you pig! You called ed to one of your other whores?"

I cringed Maris wasn’t in any mood to answer our questions to say the least Knives on the kitchen counter rattled o down before she killed hi forward, I tried to make out my notes Why didn’t I meue with a deranged and vengeful spirit

"Of course I’ to pay for this Every one of you is going to pay They ripped me apart!" Chuch’s face contorted as if in memory of the pain

"Who did?" Chance asked quietly If anyone could salvage this ue for a ot worse

"Shadows," Maris said in a little girl voice "Shadoith teeth and claws that burned like fire I’m so cold" Chuch tried to put his hand over the candles and I o

"Do you knoho sent the of note, so I raised my estimate of her a notch

"Yes, I--" And then Chuch went rigid, screa like a wo in unspeakable agony

"Do so him"

Terror chilledhappened to him, Eva would murder me

"Our tier one We bid you go in peace," I said quickly "Go in peace, Maris"