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I didn&039;t have long to wait The door opened behind ed He didn&039;t say a word to a ca in off the street, and he opened the passenger door He paused and looked back at me

"I have a measure of respect for your principles and skills, Dresden But this situation is of your own , and I cannot allow it to continue I&039;et in the car, and I didn&039;t offer him any reply Hell, he hadn&039;t said a word that was untrue Ortega had a genuine ax to grind and people-well, fellow monsters-to protect And thus far, the Dresden-versus-vampires scoreboard read a whole bunch to zero

If a vampire had done that to the White Council, I wonder if ould have reacted with as a&039;s car hadn&039;t yet gotten out of sight when Thoered casually over to me Thomas was a shade under six feet tall, which put hih, and despite my earlier comments about his outfit, he was one of those ood The fishnet shirt he wore cast patterns of shadow over the pale skin beneath it, adding to the lines of muscle on his stomach

My stomach hadI&039;d have looked pathetic in a shirt like that

"That was sih," Tholoves froh I take it this duel isn&039;t the only game in town at the moment"

"Why would you say that?" I asked

"I&039;ve had a pro hitter following me ever since I landed yesterday The itch between lanced around "Is he here now?"

Tholittered "No I introduced him to my sisters"

The White Court were the most human of the vaies, on pure life force rather than on blood Most often, they would seduce those they fed upon, drawing life fro the act If a couple of Tho Tho to be a probleunoons to take out people I knew if I didn&039;t agree to this duel"

"That explains it, then," Thoa really doesn&039;t like me much Must be the unsavory company I&039;ve kept in the past"

"Gee, thanks How the hell did you end up his second?"

"It&039;s a asked him to be his second Show of solidarity between the Red and White Courts Instead, Daddy dearest found themember of the family he possibly could to stand in"

"You," I said

"C&039;est moi," Thomas confirmed with a little bow "One would aletup into a sure Hirimaced "She&039;s in Aruba is how she is Which is where I was until one of pappa Raith&039;s goons dragged me back up here"

"What did you two decide on for the duel?"

Thomas shook his head "Can&039;t tell you Shiro is supposed to do that I ria&039;s vanished car "Yeah"

Thomas was quiet for a second, then said, "He means to kill you"

"I know"

"He&039;s dangerous, Harry Smart My father is afraid of him"

"I could like hi to have soht"

"Sure Theoretically"

"Theoretically?"

Thoa&039;s been alive for about six hundred years It isn&039;t so nice"

"From what I&039;ve heard, the Archive will object to anyif he gets caught"

I frowned at hietting caught?"

Tho anything I wouldn&039;t oing to do so that would attract attention toinvolved That&039;s clever"

Thomas rolled his eyes "I won&039;t throw a banana peel under you But don&039;t expect any help froht and then I&039;m back at my beach house" He drew car keys fro lot "Good luck"

"Thomas," I said to his back "Thanks for the heads-up"

He paused

I asked, "Why do it?"

The valanced over his shoulder at me and smiled "Life would be unbearably dull if we had answers to all our questions" He walked out to a white sports car and slipped into it A second later, loud, screaine roared, and Thomas drove off

I checked ed frolasses Once he spotted a refused to cancel the duel?"

"He made me an offer I couldn&039;t excuse," I said

Shiro grunted "Duel is wills Toley Field"

"A stadium? Why don&039;t we put it on pay-per-viehile we&039;re at it" I glowered at the street and checkedsoive you the keys to my car I can pick it up from Michael&039;s tomorrow"

"No need," Shiro said "Mac called me a cab"

"Okay" I pocketed my keys

Shiro stood quietly for a a means to kill you"

"Yes Yes, he does," I said I rindthat like I didn&039;t know it already"

"But you do not kno" I frowned and looked down at Shiro His shaved head gleaht "The war is not your fault"

"I know that," I said, but my voice lacked conviction

"No," Shiro said "It truly is not your fault"

"What do youits resources for years," he said "How else were they ready to start their attacks in Europe only days after you defeated Bianca?"

I frowned at hiar from inside his jacket and bit off the end He spat it to one side "You were not the cause of the war You were merely the excuse The Reds would have attacked when they were ready"

"No," I said "That&039;s not how it is I mean, damn near everyone I&039;ve spoken to on the Council-"

Shiro snorted He struck a ar a few tinificant could happen unless a wizard did it"

For someone asn&039;t on the White Council, Shiro seeeneral attitude pretty well surrounded "If the Red Court wanted a hy is Ortega trying to stop it?"

"Premature," Shiro said "Needed e of surprise is gone He wishes to strike once and be certain it is a lethal stroke"