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"We’re invited guests, child," Raphael said "Invite us in"

Duncan jerked in surprise, but the slave continued to stare up at the big vampire lord, her eyes blank and unfocused, until she sentlemen I’ll tell the master you’ve arrived"

"Master indeed," Raphaelslave "Thank you"

She blushed, ducking her head with pleasure as they walked past her into the house

"Where is yourmaster?" Raphael asked smoothly

"In the library, sirs Shall I show you?"

"That would be most kind Duncan?"

They followed the slave down a short hallway to the back of the house She stopped in front of a pair of doors and was about to knock when Raphael took her hand "There’s no need to trouble yourself, child Go back to your chores"

The young slave’s eyes took on that unfocused look again, and then she turned and walked away, as if they weren’t even there

Raphael watched her go, then caught Duncan’s gaze "The banker is alone in there, but there are others in the house"

Duncan wiped his hands nervously on his filthy pant legs and tried to calht, not just for his own vengeance, but to prove to Raphael that he hadn’tRaphael’s respect had so in his life, and he couldn’t help wondering if these new feelings were part of the bond of which Raphael had spoken

Raphael pulled open the doors and stepped into the library He radiated strength and confidence, do the room not just with his formidable size, but with the power that fairly poured off of hilow of it if he concentrated hard enough But then the banker spoke, and Duncan had eyes for only the man whose son had killed his family

"Milford?" the banker said, his thick body al of this?"

"Your son killed my family," he told the banker calmly "I want to knohere he is"

The banker leaned back in his chair, full of confident disdain "You want ain and opened a desk drawer, pulling out a metal lockbox The key was in the lock and he turned it, flipping the lid back to reveal a considerable aold coin "How much, Milford?"

Duncan stared at hiht he’d seen the deepest depths to which a old could compensate him for the loss of his family?

"Come on, boy Everyone has a price What’s yours?"

"I do have a price," Duncan said, enunciating each ith precision, so there could be no doubt "And that is an eye for an eye I want the life of your son"

The banker flicked his hand at Duncan in dismissal "Don’t be absurd Besides, he’s not here He went off to the army like everyone else I have no idea--"

Raphaelled to speak Fear sent rivulets of sweat dripping down his face, staining the starched collar of his shirt, which he wrenched open in his fruitless efforts to free his voice His gaze switched frantically froain

Duncan could hear the s, the squeak of his fingers on the wooden chair ararlic on the banker’s breath as he panted in fear But more than thathe tilted his head curiously