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Asim was silent for the space of two breaths "So do it," he said so softly that the words were little more than air

Cyn froze, stunned and suspicious Could she trust the vampire? Why would he do this? On the other hand, what choice did she have?

"Why don’t you do it?" she breathed

"I cannot," Asim said with simple honesty "He is rew softer, estured with a shoulder to where Liz lay unresponsive while Jabril lapped blood fro a chance? What do you have to lose?"

What indeed, Cyn thought She opened herRaphael had told her about his Mistress’s death "What happens when he dies? What about the others?" She nodded at Jabril’s vaer on what their

"They are weak I will handle the her and Liz to the wolves flashed vividly through her ain "So suspicious Are we not allies?" He ran a thin finger down her cheek "I would not waste such beauty on the likes of those No, I had another sacrifice in lanced at the PI’s back

Cyn was repulsed by his casual cruelty, but if was a choice between her and Liz or the PI who had delivered them to the vamps

"What happens to Liz?"

"She comes with me"

"No"

"Yes," his voice hardened "Elizabeth remains with me and you walk away free That is my offer Rest assured, I will treat her far better than Jabril ever did Mirabelle"

"I want Liz safe"

"As do I Ti out, Cynthia He will finish soon, and your only chance will be while he is distracted by the feeding Do we have a deal?"

Cyn sed, choking on her next word "Yes"

The gun nudged into her hand and she took it, running her fingers over its surface, verifying its readiness Asim’s hands dropped from her and she jerked quickly away froirlish mouth lifted away from Liz’s pale skin, watched as he threw his head back to savor the blood rolling down his throat In a single, sun, took careful aier twice in quick succession

Jabril’s eyes flashed open in the final seconds, more irritated than alarmed, but it was too late for even a vae of his nose, quickly filling with blood as the rest of his head bleay He fell backward, propelled by the force of the blast, Liz rolling fro enough for Asim, in a burst of vampire speed, to sweep Liz up and throw her into the truck Cyn made an aborted movement in the PI’s direction, but Asim tumbled her on top of Liz and shoved the bewildered PI toward the dead Jabril with the sa but had to jerk ahen Asim slammed the hatch shut

She clambered back to thein time to see several of Jabril’s vamps collapse to their knees, their faces contorted in pain and grief Others re fro and veins bulging as if under some terrible strain Suddenly one of the at his own hair, ripping out great bloody chunks of scalp along with it As if this was so on their own flesh, turning their faces to the night sky in a horrible cacophony of

The first one turned abruptly, his own blood running down his face and hands, his head swiveling slowly fro yelloith fury when he spied the terrified PI backing slowly out of the circle of cars The va white and sharp He howled again, but it was no longer in grief The maddened vampires turned as one

And Cyn screaht silently, the only noise the whistle of tires on asphalt With no other cars on the road, the va better with only the hts were on the road far ahead, where he could feel Cyn growing more frantic with everytaken, and what awaited her there His people had lost all contact with the outside world so the wireless dead zone He found it odd that such a thing could still exist in a world where every person seemed to own a cell phone He heard Duncan curse beneath his breath as he tried once again to establish contact