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"Yeah, I lanced at Caave the sood at picking up on nuances "What did they do? Beat you up? Set you on fire?"
She let out a long sigh "Rolled h I felt like a pincushion"
"That sounds about right They’re sadists I knew that already But I’ll ad They didn’t work for her Or, it turns out, foron that involved your Koyanni shifters I don’t dabble in the affairs of ainst Shadow Wing"
At the last, his eyes flashed and I saw a glint in them that made my stomach shift Daemons were often more powerful than demons, and we still didn’t knohat abilities Trytian possessed I wasn’t entirely sure anted to find out, either
"We were both played"
"Apparently so Hold on one minute" Trytian stood, walked to the side, and pulled out a phone The clamor in the restaurant was so loud it was hard to think While aiting, the waitress deposited ourinto our food
After a moment, Trytian returned He sat back down, leaned forward and cocked his head to the side He interlaced his fingers, cracking his knuckles
"Listen, puss--" He stopped as Shade shifted in his chair "Delilah Nobody plays art in my house will be dead within the next five art inuntil it’s over"
I blinked "How many?"
"Forty-five…fifty My Second knows for sure But not Van and Jaycee--I only deal with theement They aren’t in s of uin on ice He didn’t even blink
"And you’re co that ain, the difference between Trytian’s methods and our own seemed so clear
"Oh, don’t try that with me, pussycat" He held his hand up as Shade stood "Get over it, Stradolan Yes, I knohat you are," he added, giving my startled lover a quick, cold sart you come across, don’t you?"
I stammered "Well…yes…but…"
"You don’t know if they’re sent over here fro, if they’reto escape their past and live a relatively norart Isn’t that the way you work?" He slapped the table--one, quick, hard slap
"He’s right" Ca the corner of her lips with her napkin
I swiveled , but she shook her head
"We do operate that way The Tregarts are our enenored his snort "He did us a favor, because no doubt at least a good share of the Forty-five? Fifty? That many fewer demons we have to worry about"
I sed uess so"
"So, what’s our next move?" Trytian asked
I didn’t like the implication of that little stateether?"
"I don’t think we have any choice on this We were both deceived" He gave a little shrug
Trytian had repeatedly offered to ith us On his terms But I still didn’t trust him We could definitely add to his arenerals already But he knee’d never ko to his orders, so as he expecting? He had threatened Camille last time--it was obvious he wanted her But no, Trytian would fuck her if he had the chance, but he wouldn’t go to these lengths just for sex He was an opportunist, not obsessed So it had to be so he could be hoping to gain--and obviously, he knew about it even though we had conveniently left outit e told him e knew
"Tell us who the bald-headedout with Van and Jaycee He’s not one of the Tregarts, but he is a Koyanni, and you know about him, don’t you? You knohat he carries And that is why you want to ith us" He wanted the spirit seal, and he knee could lead him to it
Trytian licked his lips, but then he leaned back, locking gazes with me "Let us proceed on the supposition that you’re correct We each hold pieces of the puzzle Without the other, we flail in the dark…at least for longer than ould if we lay our cards on the table Separate, we’re strong Together, we’re stronger"
Trillian snorted "What’s to prevent you fro for?" He was playing with his knife and now pointed it directly at Trytian
"Put your blade away, Svartan You deserted the Sub-Realms like the rest of us You’re no better thanbored Okay, I tell you who the bald-headed Koyanni is, and you let ht when you find out where he is Better hurry My offer expires in the next five ive you some privacy to discuss it while I make a trip to the john"
As he left the table, I let out a long sigh "He wants the spirit seal He knoho this guy is, and he knows he has one of the spirit seals"
"Do you buy the bit about hiarts?" Shade looked skeptical, but both Camille and I nodded