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I pushed a little harder "Do you concede?"

Geoffrey fixed his gaze on irl wants to be here, Hel’s liaison Why must you be so cruel?"

Oops, I’d all but dropped my mental shield I let it blaze briefly, then dwindle to a cohis intent Behindvoice tell Bethany, "Don’t even think about it"

"Yeah, I wouldn’t either if I were you," I said to Geoffrey "I er and faster than me, and you could probably throwa sweat--which you probably don’t do anyway, right? Sweat?--but the thing is, what if r fro the flat of the blade against his skin and setting the keen edge against his supercilious nose "What do you think happens when a dagger capable of killing the immortal undead wounds undead flesh?" Iquestion I have to ad the wound never heals What do you think?"

What Geoffrey the prat thought was that it was better to lose face than his nose "I concede," he grated

I glanced up at Lady Eris "Does that settle the matter,dauda-dagr, I unstraddled Geoffrey and got to olf claps

Vaure

Twenty-six

Prat or not, Geoffrey Chancellor was right about one thing Young Heather Simkus did not want to leave the House of Shadows

Bethany led her away in tears to change out of her Salome robes and back into street attire Cody and I stood around waiting uncomfortably until they returned ten

She o, my lady?"

"I’irl’s cheek with surprising tenderness, a gesture belied by the fact that she licked her tears froertips Mortal sorrow, tastier than olf blood "But you have the s of a fine acolyte, and you e" She shifted her gaze, now ht’s outcome is satisfactory, Hel’s liaison?"

That wasn’t exactly the word I would have chosen, but at least we’d gotten e caame for your own aone the other way, I’d be trying to convince the chief of police not to return at sunrise with a search warrant and a battering ram"

Lady Eris lifted her chin and narrowed her eyes "That would be very ill-advised for all concerned"

"I know" Whatever the outcome, I suspected it would result in a bloodbath that would shatter the tenuous peace Hel’s order maintained between eldritch and "

"Very well If you’re done ‘just saying,’ you have my leave to depart," her ladyship said pointedly

"Coon Heather Si"

On the second-floor landing, Heather pulled away frolance toward the top of the staircase, where Bethany and Geoffrey were standing to watch her departure He had his arm wrapped around her waist, and there hat appeared to be genuine looks of reret on their faces I couldn’t tell if the vibe was sexual or parental or cultish, or a co was for sure--it was creepy

Outside, Heather slumped morosely in the backseat of the police cruiser while Cody radioed in to report that she’d been found

"Look," I said softly to her, "I know high school sucks But it gets better"

"Easy for you to say," she murmured "You were probably a cheerleader"