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A spray of crimson covered his cuffs Not his blood

My nose told me that much

He h dark hair clu and a unique definition of ‘help’"

There was definitely a story behind that And I bet it involves the void

Before I could ask, he took my arm, and steered me toward the door "We have to leave this city Immediately"

"She has Bobby"

No need to say who ‘she’ was Nathanial paused,as he continued toward the door

A sluure slouched just inside the doorway, a stake protruding from his chest I blinked, but I didn’t ask any questions--the vamp smelled like the blood on Nathanial’s cuffs

"Hermit?" a voice whispered behind me

The skin between htened, and I whirled around The room was empty Or, at least, otten cellar, and I hadn’t noticed earlier, but the metal coffin I’d been locked in wasn’t the only one in the room

"Hermit, is that you?" The decidedly feainst the far wall

"Stay here," Nathanial said Then he grabbed the crowbar he’d used on ht coffin before cra the crowbar into the seam As Nathanial pushed aside the lid, Sauised as Nuri, but neither did she look like the confident, dark-haired woel

She lunged for Nathanial, her fangs extended and her thin lips curled back He didn’t dodge, but held up his wrist She grabbed it, sinking her fangs deep

"The hell?" I surged forward, ready to rip her off him

Nathanial held up a hand and ht re with the need to yank her away After a moment, Samantha pulled back She licked her now full, pink lips

"Thank you, Hered her thanks with a nod

"Chae for ed, ly accurate, but as this fake Tatius hooked its fingers in the loops of shiny vinyl pants and glanced at ht of the true Tatius’s stare

Using his voice, Sae that blood both coenders loyalty, brother Your blood runs through Kita, but our blood is the same, and we have history Return I will reconsider my position on our companion"

Our companion?

"Those were his exact words?" Nathanial asked

Samantha shimmered back into her natural, dark-haired appearance "He e twice"

Nathanial nodded, the movement slow, as if he could buy himself time to think Then he turned and held out his hand to me "Back to Haven?"

"Better the devil you know and all that What about Bobby?" And Steven I was responsible for the city-shifter as well

Nathanial frowned, and Saether

"Bobby?" she asked

"A friend"

"A mortal friend?" At my nod, she waved her hand in a dismissive motion "Mortal lives are short We should escape while we can"

Yeah, that wasn’t an option I was considering Turningat Nathanial

"We will find him," he said, "but wein front of a door and scenting the air