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Answering Grégoire, I said, "Probably" And then asked, "What others?" as I followed the vamps to the door where I had entered

"The European Mithrans," Brandon said He balled up the heoire’s eyes followed the action with a look that spoke of hunger, and not just blood-hunger I was pretty sure Grégoire was polysexual Or maybe pansexual I wasn’t sure whether they were different and didn’t really want to know That whole prude thing again

"And you want the mad for what reason?" I asked as we pushed into the hallway

"For les deoire said "So as to lull the they can defeat us, of course" Which e us to les Duels Sang, no?" His tone was excessively patient, the way an adult sounds explaining so "Why?" all day long

Duels Sang Sang es, the totally legal duels that established place and ihts to the death "Oh," I said Then I realized that likely ain, the sound not unkind "You will fight wonderfully, little cat I have seen you"

"Take Jane to my office," Leo said to Wrassler "See that a sht up maintenant We will see to our toilette and join you"

"Twa-let?" I asked when the s, and ere alone, heading to the elevator "Like a French potty? One of those bidets?"

"Hewounds," he finished, with a particular e my lips Hanky-panky Gotcha Well, at least they’d letthe healing wounds would take I only had all night, and

The elevator doors closed behind Wrassler and er had to swipe a security card Now Wrassler rested his pal for his handprint to be read I had irades, but I’d wanted either retinal-scan devices or units that required a body-te adequate blood flow for life, to prevent anyone froet around Unfortunately, vans of life as measured by a biometric screen, so I’d had to take the chance that no one would try an anized and stored all huer the rights to access only specific floors There were restrictions for most humans, and--because Leo couldn’t bind ht of entry via the usual button control panel to all the norotten me onto any of thedown "Uh, Wrassler? I thought ere supposed to be going up to Leo’s office Why are we going down?"

A small explosion of breath escaped Wrassler and he looked up at the display in shock, his face going paper white "I don’t know, Janie Soht"

"How many subbaseain, which was a surprise "I think five But I’ve never been down all the way before" His face looked pale in the bluish light, and his sweat suddenly smelled of worry, which was odd Wrassler topped hed in at 350, all of it hardra about his stance and expression made me pullknife from my boot They weren’t much, but they were all I’d been able to conceal past the new security guys The last creoulda caught me in an instant, but the new rotation was not quite up to their level of awareness Yet

Beside un--or a seboth Colt 45 ammo and 410, two-and-a-half-inch shotshell ah a pine tree Wrassler’s gun had been fitted with a fiber-optic sight, and he held it steady as the doors opened to a storage room His shoulders relaxed and he holstered his weapon as he repalmed his print and hit the floor button The doors closed

I put awaythe floor I’d seen The room had been full of cardboard boxes and old metal-covered, hump-backed steamer chests, the kind that actually went on stea ships, long before steam It also contained lots of old books on shelves And paintings One or two had been in Leo’s hooire’s clan home I couldn’t renized the spotted fur on the lapel of a hts and poufy drawers and buckled shoes Sitting at his feet were three beautiful vairl were unfa like the vaoire a red-stoned ring, the girl a delicate bracelet, and the dark-haired boy a necklace of a bird in flight, set with blue stones

In another painting was Leo and another vamp, Leo’s predecessor, his uncle A of Adrianna and a fehteen hundreds Adrianna had tried to kill me on several occasions Next time I saw her, her head was mine

"Wrassler? Why’d we draw our weapons on a storeroom?"

Wrassler didn’t look atup all week Taking us to the wrong floors And there’ve been stories Tales For years About a dark floor Boo stuff" Which I translated as stuff that went boo and ain, and his scent now smelled of relief and the breakdown products of adrenaline "So we’re good?"

Wrassler nodded, still notmy eyes