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Oh God My bed "Don’t worry about it You saved the kitchen?" Tired, I started for the hallway I’d send Corh, the bathrooms were trashed I think every vampire in the Hollows had used my shower I’d probably just throas left of my soap away Even so, it wasn’t as bad as my bedroom

"I’m really sorry, Rache," Jenks said as I peeked in, nose wrinkled as I hustled to prop the stained-glassopen I couldn’t deal with this just yet, and Trent went across the hall to make sure Ivy’s as open as well Soh my closet and my clothes were everywhere My perfumes, too, were knocked over, most of thean to get mad Multiple someones had had sex in my bed by the look of it There were nasty scratches in the headboard and the top of the footboard had been snapped off as if someone had kicked it in the throes of passion

"Oh, Rachel," Trent breathed, his wordsa warm spot on my shoulder "This was totally uncalled for I ary, I turned to the kitchen "Not half as sorry as Cor small without Rex beside her, stood at the threshold to the kitchen She sluued as she leaned on her six-inch bow "Rachel" Her lisping, raspy voice, too, lacked its usual flair "Is-s-ss Ivy well?"

Damn it, Corain finding a drop of good in the ugly "Your sister and brothers are keeping her safe"

Jenks’s wings cut out for a brief second "Holy pixy piss, really?"

Trent nodded, a faint smile on his face as he put a hand on the small of my back and almost shoved o, and at Quen’s urging, I’ve coardens I’ve been told that pixies would have been better--"

"Not likely," Belle interrupted as we caood manners," he added, and Jenks frowned

Slowly my shoulders eased After the disaster of the rest of the church, the dishes I’d left in the sink yesterday looked like heaven, even if everything was covered in pixy dust Da-a-as to bare veins to keep theuys are the best," I said, miserable as I stood beside the center island counter and looked atfro a thin layer of sparkles, and the huge antique farainst the interior wall Ivy’s latest research was in her usual careful disarray, and the bag of cookies I’d had for breakfast yesterday looked untouched "I can’t believe you kept the, and Jenks’s wings shifted to an embarrassed red

Trent set his book on the center counter with a soft thump A thin cloud of spent pixy dust rose and vanished into nothing "So is the rest of the church as bad as the front?" he asked as I slid the singleopen Thank God Al’s chrysalis is still here The church stank, far worse than if it had si vampires It had been an all-access party The sanctity of the church had been broken by Newt three otten it reinstated, but it was expensive, and insurance wouldn’t cover it a second time Cheaper to just move I can’t e in the garden," Belle said, having snaked up a thin line to stand on the counter "We kept thehty task"

I shookit "Thank you Thank you so much I can’t ever repay you"

Jenks looked pleased, but Belle scowled, sullen "If I had a flight under my direction, the entire church would have been untouched"

"They would have just burnt it to the ground," I said, eyes on the ceiling "You chose what I would’ve saved" It was going to be hard to find any sleep tonight, but then again, I probably wouldn’t get the chance to sleep My face scrunched up as I thought ofa new one

"I’ll check everything out if yousexist, he just didn’t wantuntil he had a chance to h the church froer to get through the next twelve hours, but the other half just wanted to getthe rest until I could deal with it

The cat door in the back rooer across the pixy dust, head co up in surprise when Trent pulled ly, and for a th fro his cinnamon and wine scent under the chaotic varew loud, then vanished as he followed Belle out Trent’s grip was firy slipped between us as our auras tried toback even as I made sure he didn’t slip away coh people try to kill or iotten in a week tends not to matter as much

"Thanks," I said, and his smile became devious "Could you do me a favor and open the s in the belfry first? With them and the back door open, the place airs out remarkably fast" Most of it was surface stink They hadn’t been here long enough for the pheromones to soak into the paint and ork

"You bet" Trent rocked back, andatto kiss me, but then he turned and headed down the hall Just the idea that he was thinking about it was alood as the kiss would have been, and I found a smile I could tell the instant the belfry s opened as the pixy dust vanished in the fresh air I could never repay Jenks for keeping the kitchen untouched, and as I ran the tap for ater to make up some suds, I pulled Trent’s book closer

It wasn’t the first elf spell book I’d ever seen, but again I was surprised that most of the charic that deic had developed hand in hand despite the long-standing anger between the that I’d promised coffee, I set the book aside The charht as I dued the water to cold Easy, but I wasn’t sure hoas going to do it without asking the Goddess for help Lots of elves didn’t believe and still got the job done Landon, for exah he probably believed in her now

Landon My lips twisted in disgust He’d used Trent and me to try to destroy the vaious-oriented dewar and the political-faction enclave had disavowed any knowledge of his plot h still in charge of the dewar, Landon had lost credibility Trent had lostto Ivy, still at Trent’s ue unease, it almost felt like a norrounds, the scent of it re here with Ivy, even as hard as it was so didn’t coe of sadness at the thought that itin with Trent, but this latest snag made it feelover so was really ending Jenks, Ivy, and I had been through worse We’d get through this, and everything would return to noret back up as if nothing has changed?

I folded the bag of the grounds down and fastened it shut with one of Ivy’s binder clips I wished I had a reset button How far back would I take it? I wondered To the day I made that deal with Cormel? Farther?

I snapped the coffeemaker on, then found a smile when I heard Trent and Jenks in the hallway "Coffee ready yet?" Trent called loudly