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I couldn’t let that happen I wouldn’t

She flicked her wrist at her side, theyour friend?"

I shrugged, not looking up, notpresence weighed down on me in the blackness

"Answer my questions truthfully," her dise your friend?"

"I don’t know," I heard

"Then hoill you find hi on not saying anything She clicked her tongue "Answer me"

"A mutual friend"

"This friend is a shapeshifter?"

"No"

"What is he?"

"She is a scholar" I gavee

"And where is this scholar?"

"I don’t know"

"Then hoill you find her?"

"I’ll call her"

"What is her phone number?"

"I don’t know"

The darkness around itated sound escaped the Collector’s throat "What do you know?"

Oooh, an open-ended question "I know that sunlight prompts the brain to produce happy cherouchy due to light deprivation"

The darkness surrounding me retreated with a snap The street fell into focus I swayed, disoriented The Collector’s icy--and completely unamused--eyes dominated my vision

My hand ached, and I realized Nathanial held rip I looked at our hands When did he--? Hell, what did itcreature," the Collector snapped Then she turned "Jouard shuffled his feet "There appears to be a proble I’ve sent for another But until then, there is only one car"

I couldn’t see her face, but it rowled soed onme several steps away When ere several yards from the other vaainst his chest

I stiffened "Nathanial, I--"

"Shhh, Kitten Listen to me," he whispered, his lips so close they brushed my ear as he spoke and I still scarcely heard

And if I could scarcely hear hiainst his chest, and he let out a sigh as if he’d expected ht I frowned This wasn’t the first tiht him He clearly considered contrariness my default mode I huffed out my breath Okay, so maybe I’m a little difficult at times, but I’m not completely unreasonable If this was the only way to have a somewhat private conversation, so be it

"I know you need to search for the unaccounted-for , and I will help you when I can, but you must be careful"

Like I don’t know that "Trust et Bobby and Gil added to the Collector’s zoo"

"Kita, there isa precarious line with va to seduce us with grandeur--"

"You She is trying to seduce you"

I felt his lip twitch, just a sainst my cheek A frown? A smile? I wasn’t sure After ahairs with our laws You are a companion, so she cannot separate you from me by force unless we are in her territory"