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"Merit is on the premises!" he yelled out, to the applause of a crowd of vanize, but all of them omen

Our table was near the front of a , narrow bar Maybe I was getting a stripper tonight, although I couldn’t i to see anyone naked as , lean forht

The va the crowd to chat with the others in the rooin and tonics all around, while Mallory sat besideher phone with a worried expression Even when Lindsey brought an arin and tonics for us, she didn’t seeht back," Lindsey said, kissing the top of " She disappeared into the back of the bar

"Everything okay?" I asked Mallory ere alone

"Why wouldn’t it be?"

"Well, for starters, you’re in a bar full of vao you’d have been crazily happy about You’re practically famous after Towerline, and every Couest sorceress, which is apparently a thing now But you don’t look very happy about it"

She put a hand over mine "I am happy"

"For me," I said "And I appreciate that But there’son?"

Mallory shook her head as if to clear it "Nothing This is your bachelorette party, and we are not going to worry about iven Helen, stared at her with narrowed eyes "Mallory Delancey Car, Merit"

"Mallory"

She tipped back her head, let out a frustrated sound "It’s just--I feel weird"

"Weird? What’s wrong? Are you sick? Are you sleeping? You look tired"

"I’nant, since that seems to be the other frequently asked question" She shook her head "I havea ?"

"Oh Lord, no You and Ethan were made for each other, even if he did have to wait four centuries to find you Which, if you ask rateful"

"Then what kind of bad feeling?"

She shrugged "I don’t know It’s just this vague uess?"

"From what? Fro specific in it Not even a speck of what I could call a thing, or a threat, or a loo damn cloud" Her words picked up speed with the rise of her frustration "Just unease Catcher’s being supportive, but I know he doesn’t feel it And thatparanoid"

"So, let’s assu you? Not You Know Who" That was as much as I wanted to mention the woman who’d tried to control us