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"They get settled in?"

"Yeah" Roz frowned "They were in pretty sorry shape"

"Well, we’ll have to worry about the onto the ladder, followed by Shauys" And so we crept up the rungs, on our way to what I felt in hest battles we’d faced yet

Chapter 22

As we approached the landing leading into the back of the club, I began to get nervous But Menolly was going first, so I couldn’t see if she was about to run into anybody As she shimmied off the ladder, there was a shout and sounds of a scuffle Crap--so Lysanthra out as I did so, and saw Menolly wrestling with a Tregart He appeared to be the only one, and as I hustled over to help her, she fastened on his neck and he stopped struggling As she drained him of blood, he went limp in her arms

As he fell to the floor, she turned and I saw a stake sticking out of her turtleneck I started to scream but she motioned for me to keep quiet and pulled it out Blood oozed slowly out of her side

"Another four inches and he would have dusted me But he missed htest--and she tossed the stake over the edge of the landing "Fucker was hiding in the shadows By the looks of his weapons stash, he’s a clone of Roz--prepared for anything"

I exaical stun guns, and it looks fully charged I handed it to Vanzir "Here, you can use this"

He took it, nodding "Let’s get in there Who knows if he had tiers--be careful, they look like they in The usual chains these fuckers like to use, a second stake, and…h of keys!" I held them up, then pocketed them "Want to make a bet one of them opens those cells down below?"

Menolly exa "This door isn’t locked" She yanked it open, al back, she stormed in Shamas and I followed, and then the rest

We spilled into a back room Music pounded frooing to hear us until we started tossing furniture around The roo tables, a counter with a erator, and a series of lockers Ca out her cell phone

I stared at her "Who the hell are you calling?"

"We promised Trytian a piece of the action If we don’t stick to the bargain, we er "Trytian, get your ass down to the Energy Exchange We’re infiltrating from the back If you hurt any of us, I’ll take your butt down so hard you won’t be sitting for weeks Got it?…You what?…Right…think again, hotshot Okay, see you in the fray We’re not waiting for you"

She hung up and began yanking open the lockers, du the contents I was about to ask what he’d said to her but, with one glance at Smoky, decided on discretion Trytian was crude, and his manners over the phone weren’t any better than they were in person

Cah the lockers "Not erie I’ll bet we find a few brothel rooms This one’s locked Smoky?"

Smoky broke the lock on it and Camille opened it

"Hello…I think I found Van’s locker" She motioned to Shamas "You knohat any of this crap is?"

He peeked inside "Spell components A couple firebombs A bottle of…Wolf Briar It’s labeled Another bottle that’s got pixie dust in it I’ll bet the pixies hate hi both bottles, he shoved them into his backpack "We won’t leave these here for anybody else to find"

Roz took the firebo soap off the counter by the sink and poured it liberally over the rest of the things in the locker

"Spell components need to be untainted This will ruin them for anybody’s use Even if he rinses theent will have altered their energy and they’ll be useless" She threw the bottle on top of the co to screw hih that door, and this is it We’re going to be walking into a den of vipers" I glanced at them "Remember, there’s a spirit seal out there--and we have no idea what Newkirk can do with it"

I went first, with Menolly and Shaht behind me As I opened the door a crack, I could see a hall to the right and the left Directly ahead was a beaded curtain leading to what I assu fro music from out front Van probably wasn’t with the whores, but there was no telling whether they were here voluntarily For all we knew, Clarah Rollings was destined for this joint If the prostitutes were prisoners, then their custoirls’ throats if they thought they were being raided

I motioned for Vanzir and Shade to check out the rooh the reen light gave an eerie neon glow to the roo ic The bar was lined with patrons, drinking everything fro with steaent smell into the air

Dancers writhed on the floor, and the booths were filled Camille and I scanned the room for Van Ca there with the bald-headedfor soh the dancers, I wondered how the hell ere going to get aithout hurting anybody not involved in this mess Van wouldn’t hesitate to put innocent people at risk--and the