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Last, I buckled on er belt People took r onthat it was an ancient and ical weapon that put fear into the iht it was soave Sinclair a call If possible, I wanted to talk to hi E curious "What’s up? I thought you were lying low"

"Things have changed," I said "Where are you? Can we talk?"

"Yeah, I guess" Now his tone was a bit cautious "I’ to meet Emmy for lunch in an hour"

"Perfect I’ll be there in five" I ended the call before he could reply And okay, ry Not my usual reactionary loss of temper, but a slow, controlled burn I’d cut Sinclair slack, I’d forgiven hi, I’d offered to stay out of the hile he worked things out with his sister And I’d woken up hexed forbeside the tour bus He greeted ly wallpaper in the living roo to his skin and stuck in his dreads Under different circumstances, I would have found it adorable

"You okay?" he askedstock ofroo to face hi with a splitting headache" I fished in the pocket ofit out to hi"

So in Sinclair’s expression shifted He took it fro the contents

"You knohat it is, right?" I asked

"Yeah" His voice was flat "You ris here in the States In the Caribbean, we call it a wanga bag Daisy, I’m so sorry I swear, I had no idea I would never have let Emmy do that to you"

"I know," I said "But she did And the thing is, I’, Sinclair, hell-spawn or otherwise I’ to let a vague threat slide, at least for a while Not this" I shooked Hel’s order"

He sed "I don’t think she "

I raised my eyebrows "Oh?"

"Here in Pemkowet," he clarified "It’s different on the island Look--you knohat, never mind We can talk about it later What happens now?"

I laid r’s hilt "What happens now is that Hel’s liaison needs to tell Emmeline Palmer to leave town"

"And if she doesn’t?" Sinclair asked

I hesitated "It gets ugly Which for your sake, for our sake, I don’t want Which is why I’ her to leave?" he asked I nodded Sinclair held the wanga bag balanced in the pal it Various eht," he said at length, closing his fingers around the leather sack "Let’s go see my sister"

We rode in silence back to don Pe at the Idlewild Inn, which was the most expensive B&B in town I’d never even set foot in the place before, but it was pretty lish cottagey, comfortable and tasteful, with framed nature prints on the walls and overstuffed floral cushions on the furniture in the lobby The hostess’s sht of us, r onto him--he hadn’t taken the ti little interior courtyard where dear E a book and enjoying a cup of tea

It lanced up at our approach, her face brightening briefly at the sight of her brother "Sinny! You’re early--"

And then she saw ed It was like a thundercloud had blotted out the sun

Without a word, Sinclair tossed the wanga bag at her feet

"Ah" Leaning over, Emmeline picked up the leather sack "I see"

A fountain in the center of the courtyard burbled cheerily I held up ent of the goddess Hel’s authority in Peaze was stony "I don’t take orders fro "Maybe not outside the sphere of Hel’s influence, but within this ten-htly "And if I don’t? Do tell You’ll ht?"