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"The Europeans’ greatest desire," Leo went on, readingiron frootha"

"I don’t have it," I said "I never saw it" I kneould smell the truth on e Or in any of a hundred small towns or cities that had been settled by the white erous to leave in the wrong hands, and I’d hadsearches for it And then it hit me "But they don’t know that, do they? The EuroVamps think I have the spike"

I was sure that the EVs had paid good money for research on me, which made it likely that they had used the services of Reach WhichI closed my eyes

On soht that Reach was a friend of sorts Even knowing that he’d sell his ht cost es in the roof of his mouth and spoke around them "Soon, little kitten, you will have to find the spike Or there will be nothing I can do to protect you Nothing at all"

I reym, and my mouth went dry--my shoulders wanted to tense Beast wanted to slash Leo across his perfect, beautiful face But none of this was actually Leo’s fault I had drawn the attention of the heads toa way to cut Reach out ofa de the blood diamond, one of the most powerful black arts devices in the witchy world But the spikeit had been made by vaotha, the spikes le spike, covered with the blood of a murderer, a thief, and a holyto the snatches of stories I had heard, it had been turned to evil from its first use

I didn’t knohether the spike still existed or what it did, exactly, except it was believed to allow the handler to control vamps So far as I knew, the spike had been carved up or melted down Whatever form it now had, it was rumored to be here, in the States soic ceremonies that slowly stole the life fro circle in Natchez It had been ugly Yeah The vamps would hold me down and drink me dry if they had even a hint that I knehere the spike was

Leo nodded once as he saw that I understood "If you bring all the objets de ie to me, I will try to shield you and the witches you seek to protect"

Yeah I just bet you would, I thought

Leo went on "Before the Europeans arrive, there are several things that must be accos that pertain directly to you,months, you will continue the work on this New Orleans Mithran Council building, bringing it to the highest level of security that can be achieved You and Derek Lee will continue to oversee the security arrangements of the Pellissier Clan Home, as construction nears the end And you will discover the location of the iron spike that you claim you do not have You may also be called upon to assist in rapprochement with the witches in the Americas, but we shall discuss that another time"

CHAPTER 3

Boo Stuff