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"They will"

A trio of Outcast arrived ontheir way past the police barricades Two of therabbed the still-unconscious Cooper under the ar him into a sidecar Cooper stirred andand harirl he’d drained It was hard to reconcile the sight of hio

"Hel’s liaison" Stefan inclined his head to me I could see the strain on his self-control reflected in his widening pupils "It is best that I go with theht" I nodded "Thank you I couldn’t have done this without you And Stacey Brooks owes you her life"

"You did well" He straddled one of the bikes, two of his hench up on another without a word spoken A faint smile touched his lips "We will speak later of the folly of using the pneuma as a weapon before you were ready"

I winced a little "I know, I know"

Thethe Outcast with them

"I don’t understand how you can just let this happen!" the tourist mom burst out "Let creatures like that walk the streets! We cahosts, not, not" She gestured at her daughter and husband "Not this! God! Oh, God! What’s wrong with you people?"

My tail twitched I wanted to tell the wo that the eldritch community, a haunted eldritch community, for Christ’s sake, was safe, that it was the paranor sanitized for their protection But it wasn’t her fault, not really She’d done exactly what the PVB had encouraged tourists frolance He ht not have been able to read my emotions like one of the Outcast, but he knewwo in the area? Miss Johanssen and I would be happy to accompany you and your family to your car, or I can have an officer take you to your hotel if you’re not feeling up to driving"

The tourist eway Motor Lodge I can drive I just want this all to be over"

Cody and I escorted the three of them to their car, which was parked in the little lot behind the coffee shop It was disconcerting to see how e been drained of their ehoul of my own, but it hadn’t been anywhere near this severe I’d been lucky; or maybe my super-size eh tiht before about how s--depends on our feelings

Without them, ere dead inside

The tourist dad sat placidly in the front passenger seat, gazing at nothing, his hands resting idly on a caled frohter slumped in the backseat

"You’re sure they’ll recover?" the tourist mom whispered "You’re sure?"

"Positive" I put all the conviction I could muster into the word, which was a fair amount I didn’t think Stefan would mislead her, not with his well-developed sense of honor "And if you’d like to stay here in Pemkohile they recover, the PVB will be happy to cover the cost of lodging"

Okay, I was going out on a limb with that one, but as far as I was concerned, A Brooks owed me If she’d canceled the Halloween festivities like Cody and I had asked her to do, none of this would have happened

Of course, there was no telling ould have happened instead

At any rate, the touristnone of it A look of horror crossed her face "No," she said hastily, getting behind the wheel of her Audi "No, thank you I think we’ve seen quite enough of this town"

I nodded "I understand"

Cody and I watched them drive away "Too bad," he murmured

"It could have been a lot worse without the Outcast" I was feeling a little defensive of the ghoul squad "It was a mob scene, Cody We’re lucky none of the spectators was killed"

"I know" He stroked , Daise I’m sure they’ll be fine, eventually They shouldn’t have been here in the first place It’s just" He shrugged "I should have known"

I was confused "Knohat?"

"The Tall Man’s remains" Cody bared his teeth in a half snarl "That lunatic Clancy Brannigan had to haul them into his house soe But there should have been a scent trail I should have smelled it the first tile" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>