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"It wasn’t Trent who told riped "Cormel, I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but listen to me," I pleaded, but Cormel turned to look behind him at his people "We can’t always have ant Trust ht knohat I was talking about "You gained this knowledge of fixing souls fro if it had been aup the elves, but if Cor in and out ofa decision I could tell And I probably wasn’t going to like it

"Prove to ain be fixed Do that, and I will call the debt you and Ivy have accumulated null"

I shivered at his expression, both riven with a co "It will send Felix into the sun," I breathed, and those in the front whispered th and fear as it went

Cormel dropped his head His eyes were a norain "He’s halfway there already," he said in regret "We will do this at my house"

Trent scuffed forith Nina, but I didn’t ht never come back up "No," I said, and Cor we fix his soul here?" he said bitterly, indicating the cold darkness "I won’t do this here, nor at your church, nor at any elf holding," he finished, gri at Trent

We needed a neutral place, and unfortunately one was staring at ested, and I swear I heard Jenks dart off to check it out

Corht even be able to sit down "Neither one of theh pull with their masters or you wouldn’t have used them in the first place to try to kill Ivy"

The ht about that for a ained her balance and glared at hi her fear of hi "Make sure the apartan to break up, so into the night Cor the he the bottle back inwhen I tried to take her other arm, and I backed off

"You sure you don’t have any other ideas?" I asked Trent as we started across the grass, Nina’s aggressive stalking held in check by the va to like," he said "You never know It ht, I thought, but I didn’t say it as wefor Ivy What happened after that was not going to be my problem

Chapter 9

Felix sat on the couch not four feet fro ry eyes while I wiped the glass coffee table with a salt-soaked rag The three heavies by the door weren’t helping, even if the undead vaet up here so we could get on with it

I juaveto the open kitchen Trent, too, had started, and he turned froraffiti sprayed on the inside of the closed blinds His eyes roved over the space, evaluating the lifestyle of the average living va out of here in a pinch, generally doing his warlord/businessed and swirled varaffiti, the apartment looked the same as when I’d last seen it I wondered if Marsha and Luke were still alive and running It was possible, seeing that the real intent behind it all had been to get Ivy involved

"Hey, Trent Be a pal, would you?" Jenks called, and Trent went into the kitchen to take the top off a jar of peanut butter It had been an exhausting night for everyone, but I thought it interesting that he’d asked Trent He’d never askedreh caloric needs

Must be a bro thing, I thought as I tossed the rag into the sink in the kitchen Jenks rose up and down on a colue as aited for Corive hi me wonder if there was a charm or a spell I hadn’t found the first tiers were cold, and I knelt with the low table between ht the bottle out ofand set it on the table Felix’s eyes turned a savage black, but he didn’t s worse This was so dumb Where in the hell was Corhosted out with a va at the senerally like burnt a to Ivy, who’d never saidI appreciated Nina was downstairs waiting for her--which didn’t sit ith me

I knew Ivy could take care of herself, but not when she was suffering from internal injuries and eak But Nina loved Ivy Thatto be with Ivy, up to and including killing her Vaic didn’t make sense to e pale green candle "Better?" he said as he waved the match out He looked odd in so selfish and tell hihter with her, for God’s sake Why aer himself like this?

But I needed his help, and I forcedhiss "Better, thanks," I said as the clean scent of sea foam overpowered both the scent of sulfur fro from all three of us Leave it to a female vampire to have a candle that could outstink the ever-after

"You’re doing the right thing," Trent said as he sat in the closest chair His eyes were on Felix, but all I could think was, This is aforced," I said softly, and he gaveit careful scrutiny In front of us, Felix groaned

"No one does," he said as the vaer "Don’t blame yourself for what follows"

Maybe Uneasy, I took the bottle froet Felix to settle down I prided , but not this tiet his way--to the letter of the law and no further My eyes flicked to Felix, and my jaw clenched Ivy, I will not let this happen to you

My bag of scribing salt hit the glass table with a gentle hush and I dug deeper Jenks’s wings clattered, an instant of warning before voices rose in the hall It was Cor man came in without even a knock, flanked by three more of his heavies and an aide I stifled a shiver as weover Trent’s presence How uys did Cormel need, anyway?