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There was a consensus of head shaking

"Father Hadrian, perhaps you could tell us about your experience"

The priest poured a glass of wine from a bottle on the table and took a leisurely sip "When I was turned in 1955, my first meal was a blonde witch--maybe in her twenties Her name was Tamara I left her corpse and went to hunt for irl, maybe eleven or twelve or so with the sa the same dress as the woman I killed She told ical, ht even a woman in her twenties should be"

The hair on the back of Cain’s neck stood up There were millions of women with that name, and probably plenty of blonde witches with it as well, but his experience with Tam had always been one of confusion over how she could take hilanced at Anna, wondering if she’d made the connection, but the idea that Father Hadrian was speaking about the Tam they both knew hadn’t penetrated for Luc’s mate

"Anna, do you understand yet why this involves you?" Anthony asked

Her eyes widened but she maintained her denial "No… I… Why would it involve et how recently you were introduced to our world Your friend has been keeping a monumental secret from you Tam is the woman Father Hadrian rew up together Since ere kids…"

"Since you were about twelve?"

Anna shut her ht She ht around that time We’re still not sure exactly what thatturned to the sorcerer and werecat "Dayne, Greta, did you do the research I requested?"

Dayne nodded "I ic users are human, we’ve always been a wild card Up until noe’ve kept ourselves mostly secret from normal humans and considered ourselves part of the preternatural world, but if Jack gets enough power, he could sway ic users to his side I think he wants to expose the preternaturals and fight He’s absorbing power from his kills to make it easier"

Greta interrupted "I don’t think anyone considered there could be nificance to the way Jack the Ripper was killing The killings gotwith the most potent methods for power absorption, that would happen He could become unstoppable if he kills the other cyclers"

"He’ll also be a true iic user has, thethe nature of what he is already, my suspicion is that he’d becoer human body like what Hadrian observed with Taes flashed in his ruesomely murdered He didn’t knohy it pissed him off so much

"Cain?" Anthony said

The de included in the discussion He tried to low fro into fists "Yes?"

"We need you to protect the witch in your diuaranteed she’ll be safe If he kills all the cyclers, and ether, which risks your deic users were a demon’s one weakness Demons were exempt from death and could heal any injury--true immortals, but they could still be trapped by a curse They could still feel the suffering of starvation They could still be hurt

All eyes were on hi for his response He didn’t kno he felt about the little blonde witch, but if anybody was killing her, it was going to be hiical serial killer with a world dos, either

"I’ll protect her," Cain said, avoiding eye contact with the others This was killing the shit out of his reputation There were dranored it

"Of course, killing her would be more expedient if you could find a way to ’s tone was bland

"No!" Anna said

"Anthony!" Charlee said

"I said I’d protect her," the de the eyes of everyone at the table He dared theet her to tell you everything about being a cycler We still don’t understand hohy they exist or the extent of their powers," Anthony said

Cain growled "Watch yourself, half-breed I could take you out without blinking I’m sure you want to survive to be a daddy"

Charlee’s hand went protectively over her pregnant belly, as if the child were in danger instead of the cocky valared "Don’t forget, I have ic users in my employ I have a coven of vampires that stretches across North America and contacts with vareater than yours Let’s not ht"

Cain was bored now "Are we done here? I’ve got a witch to collect" He stood, already turning toward the door

"Cain…" It was the first word Luc had spoken since the demon had arrived "Take Anna with you She knohere the witch lives"

That would ht to his arm "What? No! Come withMy brother can’t harm you, remember? You can’t hold a solid foriven her soul and became a demon’s hostly Only her ain the sathy process--centuries Anna looked froo of herfor her, assu she’d follow And if she didn’t, he’d just have to find the infuriating witch on his own

Tas: clothes,to her She stood in front of a large bird cage, a tear tracking down her face

Henry had died three years ago He’d been her best friend and sometimes lover for almost two centuries A raven therian, he’d always had her back She’d come to think of hiical, second only to cat blood He’d taught herthe future than anybody else she’d encountered She’d known he was going to die at some point She lost everybody Always

It’s tih it was her own mental self-talk, she heard it in Henry’s voice instead of her own But whoever the ic, it would be too much to travel with, and all it could be noas a painful reminder of her loss

She wiped her face and put the cover over the cage, taking one last look at the door they’d o as he wished He’d preferred being in his bird form when he needed to think, and it was always handy to shift to it when people cas and boxes in the middle of her room and created a circle of salt She lit candles at the four directional points and sat in the middle with her spell book open Even with her power, she wasn’t sure she had the energy to perforic she could do by herself at her age, changing the s of her stuff was still a tall order