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We stared at each other, neither e If I didn’t think of so to decide she had it

"Why are you killing vampires?" I asked

"I hate vampires" She spat the words, like vampire tasted bad in her mouth "I would rid world of them But the vampire I hate most, she lives If I killed, I kill her first"

"The victims have been poisoned"

She flashed teeth at me It was almost a smile "I know I smell the blood"

"You poisoned the ers and she hesitated "Not my poison My sister’s"

Her sister’s? The Collector had mentioned the fact Akane had a sister--she’d also said the sister had died horribly when her transition to vampire failed

"She’s dead"

Akane nodded "Murdered" No sorrow in her voice Just anger

Is this about revenge? Was she killing to avenge her sister? But she was right, the one vampire who she would have truly wished dead, the one who ordered her sister changed, was still alive The Collector

Whatever Akane saw in h, but there was no reed to betray your own for your freedom You have no honor My sister had honor" Akane slid forward another step "She also reed to becoe for my freedom She die Collector keep host?" I rocked back on hosts, but now? I’d es, necromancers, demons, and skinwalkers--as I to dispute the existence of a vengeful ghost?

But I’d fought the snake, and it sure as hell had felt real to , and suddenly she wasin an arc toward my neck

I dove to the side

"Gil!"

The scholar popped out of the bathrooic washed over the roo from Akane I didn’t knohat spell Gil planned to use, but her ic didn’t alork as intended

Akane whirled around just as the purple light of Gil’s barrier spell lit the room The spell promptly imploded, and the backlash slaht over my ducked head Then she crashed into the ith a hard thud

Once the purple light died, I looked up Akane slu, but dazed Her sas halfway across the roohed "You did that on purpose?"

She shrugged, her sh "That stupid spell never works quite right Always explodes on et out of here"

With a nod, Gil tossed ht in the bathroo The stench of blood coating the air was a big hint

"Don’t go anywhere," I told Gil as I pushed off the tile

Ignoringstorew stronger Whatever had happened, someone had been hurt, bad And there was a sour stink in the blood

The skinwalker?

I shoved the door open an inch at a tie point ofet The thwup of Gil’s rain boots on the carpet followedmoved inNothing Then it ain A dark drop of liquid dripped fro pool of blood on the carpet

Oh no Forgetting caution, I ran to the edge of the bed

Joled body had been tossed in the center His severed head sat on the pillows, staring down at the long gashes that had torn open his belly Dark organs spilled out of the four long gashes It looks like an ani in my chest His body was in my bed, and it looked like someone had eviscerated him with claws

"Oh crap" This looked bad Really, really bad Andon?" a voice yelled

I jumped and whirled toward the doors Ronco and the tere there Their eyes ore spread over the bed

"I, uh--" I could not explain this

Magic surged through the air, and the scene vanished