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"Wait Who are they?" I halfway expected King Oberon and Queen Titania to be waiting on the other side of the door

Claire didn’t respond She righted the chair she’d knocked over, then crossed over to the door She undid the deadbolt and opened it, butit wide and stepped aside

"Hello again, pretty lady," theover the threshold I recognized him immediately--he was the leader of the trio of "train people" who had accosted me outside the bar Ryder’s co quick furtive glances around the room as if she halfway expected an a toothy s a seat at a table near the door Claire closed the door behind him and reset the deadbolt

"You’ve met?" Claire asked

"Yeah, we’ve had the pleasure," Ryder responded

"Wait," I said, focusing on Claire "You know these people?"

Claire looked at me "Don’t be afraid, Mercy Ryder’s here to help us"

"Help us what?"

"He knows about Emmet Ryder has experience with the supernatural I was researching the gentry, trying to figure out why E around Most of what I read was nonsense, but when I found Ryder’s website--"

"Wait You found him online?"

Claire winced at the sound of e "He’s offered to help He’s come all the way from Louisiana" When these points failed to move me, she leaned in toward me, her tone conspiratorial "He’s dealt with the daoine sidhe before"

"What do youthe top of the knife he wore strapped to his leg "And with other supernatural creepy-crawlies too Skin-walkers," he continued, "dehed

"But you aren’t a witch yourself You htenergy, so I didn’t doubt his story I forced myself to shake off h the lens of y surrounded hi froto s it

Ryder held up his forearan to glow, a pulse of energy racing along its lines Its design began to change, beco animated beforeit "You got soirl," he said with a leer "I’d sure love to squeeze it out"