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"I a to you," Loa said after Daniela had walked out, her tone turning decidedly neutral

Murdoch narrowed his eyes She&039;d been flirting for the Valkyrie&039;s benefit? "Why give Daniela such a hard time?"

"Ooh, the va with his Bride"

"Answer me"

"Because she wants to be treated like other Valkyrie, and that&039;s how I treat thely nodded, she said, "Watch for her claws curling, vampire In a Valkyrie, that means she needs a male to sink them into"

Daniela, with her claws sunk in my back as I took her -

"Oh, and here These are on sale," Loa said as she bent down behind the counter "For the ice loves "Tell her I said to handle you with care "

When Murdoch left Loa&039;s, he wore a victorious grin He&039;d purchased the gloves and had garnered a secret about the Valkyrie that could be very helpful to higy street, Daniela was gone

He started back toward the hfare After several mo the streets for Ivo The Cossack always seemed to be devoid of fear, alilant Rurik traced on the roofs above hin of Daniela

Danii rushed to the sound, peering down the stygian alley Finally, she spotted the soothsayer, talking to soure in the shadows

"Nix!" By the tiure had hastened away "Who were you talking to?"

"Holden eyes vacant as usual - she often saw the future more clearly than the present - but she also looked frazzled and tired Though she wore an immaculate white dress, her hands were filthy

"And why are you so dirty?" Danii asked her

"I&039; busy with a leech You naughty, freaky ritted out "Who was that?"

"Who ho?"

Typical Nix - she could be playing innocent, or she truly could have forgotten who she&039;d just been talking to seconds before "What are you doing here?"

She blinked at Danii "Laying low like po-po?" At Danii&039;s glare, Nix&039;sa tweet?"

"Nix, are you following me?"

"Do I need to be?"

Danii inhaled for patience "I was looking for you I need to tell you about - "

"Myst Don&039;t concern yourself She&039;s taken care of As for your next question, you should go soht be overheard, then loudly whispered, "There are dempires about"

"De life, heard the term

"And Lykae all around as well" Nix jerked her chin in the direction of the lanced over and spotted three Lykae walking by, twins and onemaleness, but then, Lykae often were

Now they stopped, turned toward Danii and Nix, and sniffed the air All three tensed with awareness of other Loreans A standoff Danii drew ice into her pal the eyes, she cooed, "Come, puppies Coe-whispered, "Destiny is my fist&039;s name"

When the trio spoke in Gaelic, and carried on, Nix chuckled

"What? What&039;d they say?"

"That eren&039;t worth the bother That you&039;re the frigid one and I&039;ot our nuht of her like that? My ego&039;s on life support Prognosis gri to be allies with them, you know," Nix said dimly "In-laws, even"

Danii snorted The Valkyrie considered the Lykae little better than aniht?"

"Would I joke about so like this?"

"Eet fixed last night?"

"I said you ot to enjoy a male asn&039;t an Icere bounty hunter and who didn&039;t have designs to ot peckish"

"Would Murdoch have hurt me? Will he?"

Nix tilted her head in the direction of Loa&039;s shop "I used to be able to read hiet little on hi up froht he was quit of uncertainty like this"

"Wait, you said brothers? Does et back to the vampire, he&039;s about to spot - "

"Daniela!" Murdoch&039;s voice boolanced over her shoulder at him, then back, but Nix had already vanished Damn it She swiftly hit redial on her phone, yet all was silence

When Murdoch reached her, Danii saw genuine concern on his face "Why did you leave?"

She hiked her shoulders "I thought you&039;d be longer in there"

"Noho&039;s jealous?"

"Hardly"

"I just wanted to prove that I&039;," he said "Or that I only aet inforlared, he said, "Admit it, you were jealous"

"No, I&039;m embarrassed Because everyone would expect you to be possessive and intent only onindidn&039;t make one want his Bride"

"No, not if the Bride or mate or whatever was objectionable But am I really that objectionable?"

His brows drew together "You truly can&039;t understand any hesitation onher feel like more of a freak than anyone had in two thousand years

But that was a lie There&039;d been the Roman