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A wet sound, like kissing The rustling grew louder

"Wait--" And she sounded so unsure, so scared, that I had to shove my fists into my pockets "My old boyfriend is here sometimes I don’t want him to hurt you"

"Hurt me?" This was apparently a new concept

"No--not that he could, but I don’t want there to be a scene" A sly note in her voice "I broke his heart Have you seen him? He’s really tall, and handsome Older He has slicked-back black hair" Leander

"Hiirl backtracking "I’m sorry, a mistake, I’m just worried about you--"

"No You don’t worry about him My eain No, a different wet sound, and a man’s tortured wheeze, a whi, I had shovedplace, fists up

In time to watch Holmes slam her elbow into his throat a second ti an avalanche of coats doith him

"He tried to reach up"Let’s go Now"

We ht and trened herself--what looked like so Was that how she crafted a persona? Ran her scanner eyes over soirl she’d justand a set of painted-on freckles?

Behind us, a buzz kicked up When I turned to look, I saw a rabbed and hauled away by--August?

"Faster," Holhtly painted stairs, past the burned-out chandelier and the door with its painted eyes Indown the hill But I hadn’t paid attention e’d first arrived, and there was nothing around us--just the lu out to the skyline

"Where are we?" I asked her, but she grabbedAt the end of the block she skidded to a stop and pulled me around the corner of a warehouse I searchedto tell you about August" No response "He’s in touch with his brother He’s been talking to Hadrian, I think all this ti, still "Holainst the concrete Once, twice, she threw up into the street I got down beside her to hold back her hair, the long strands of the wig cold and stiff in ers A cold wind snapped down the street She didn’t shiver, but anyto snow

"Are you okay?"

"Fine" She coughed, then pulled off her wig and threw it to the ground The wig cap The false eyelashes Without theirl in cast-off black clothes with desperate eyes "Can you call a car?"