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I flipped on the light that was clipped tostore with all sorts of wonderful gadgets, including belt lights, rope as strong as the rope oodies Roz had taken a buttload of one wild a couple of es were narrow in this area I took the lead with Shamas and Menolly; behind us came Caht up the rear We started down the passage, cautious not to touch the sides of the walls There were viro-reen variety was a nuisance, the purple could kill Trouble was, neither was easy to see and clung to the walls just waiting for victiainst the bricks

I nervously glanced to the right and left, keeping an eye out for any ghosts The shadows that hung out in Underground Seattle were dangerous and usually pissed off Glancing over my shoulder, I said, "Camille, can you or Morio sense any supernatural activity here?"

We paused while she, Morio, and Shade lowered themselves into trance After abehind us! Soh I’ht"

We turned just in ti toward us She was translucent, a look of horror splashed across her face She looked like she was screah us--a cold breeze rattling by as she ran on ahead Suddenly, she stopped, turned, and flailed It looked like sorabbed her around the waist and tossed her over its shoulder, though we couldn’t see as carrying her The girl reached out, a knife in her hand, and slit her own throat As the blood began to pour, she faded from view

"What the fuck was that?" I was still cold froh us

"I don’t know," Shao look where she disappeared"

We stopped where she’d faded, and I knelt down, airound There, on the bricks, was the stain of dried blood It didn’t look terribly old, either I glanced around Off to one side, soht irl had been holding

"Well, we know she was real And that her spirit hasn’t rested" There was an alcove nearout of it I peeked in, cautiously, just in case it was a bloatworgle or so equally noxious But it was a body, probably dead for around three weeks And it was our girl

I leaned down to examine her "I e had a corpse talker with us She hasn’t moved on, she’s still here"

Shade looked over my shoulder "She was a Were I can see her astral form still around the body A olf"

"Crap But they don’t capture female olves for Wolf Briar" I shookwith her, but I’ll bet you anything that she was kidnapped by Van and Jaycee for some reason Maybe prostitution,for her See if she had any ID--that e can let her fa" Morio turned to Caroup"

While they prepared their spell, I gingerly hunted through her pockets and found a wallet--it was a small clutch, with a checkbook in it I eased it out of her skirt pocket, wincing as I tried to avoid the decolanced at the nah the contents of the wallet

Thirty-two dollars in sht it had to be Clarah by the spirit we’d seen--hugging another girl who looked a lot like her Maybe a younger sister They looked so happy it s, all right I tucked the license, the , we’d at least have these things to give back to her family And we could come back to pick up her body ere done with the bar

"That’s all we can do here Let’s e As we neared the area leading into the tunnels directly below the club, we cae

"Looks like somebody decided they wanted so at the wall, but not touching it He motioned to Morio, who joined him "Can you find any traps, or er to open the secret entrance is down here, but I think there’s so…stand back" He moved to the side and held out his hands With a soft whisper, he flexed his fingers as pale blue light began to e across the bricks like a misty cloud As it reached the central point in the wall, a crackle of sparks raced through the fog, and the scent of sulfur filled the air

After the light cleared, Morio exaain "It’s clear now" He reached down and a soft click sounded An entrance appeared as a secret door swung open

"We’re in," he said,back to his place beside Camille

Shamas and I took the sides of the doors We peeked around the corner, and--surprisingly--saw a string of di The passage was empty, and so we cautiously entered I motioned for Vanzir to close the door behind him

"They could have built a level between the basement of the club and where we are" I kept ed, or in case somebody came down from above

"Want to make a bet it’s not a pleasure palace?" Camille , Morio and I won’t be able to cast a spell, but we have a protection charive us protection unless someone interferes If we’re attacked, it will break since we can’t concentrate on it while we’re on the ladder, but there will be a few seconds lead tiri"

We all nodded

"What do you need us to do?"

Cath apart "It’s simple, just close your eyes until we tell you to open them"

As Morio moved in back of us, Camille took the front Theyaround us, fro a circle I closedI could feel it tingle as it slid overback and forth in a counterpoint, low chanting on the currents of air, but powerful enough to make my skin crawl

"Spirits of water, spirits of earth…" Cain, throaty and warive birth…" Morio echoed back at her, soft-spoken and smooth

"Spirits of fire, spirits of air…"