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"You ht not die?"

I shrugged in answer

"That would ruin a perfectly good day"

I s deep into the rew deeper as the sky brightened and Eli processed on T-shirt The world spun and halted, spun and halted, a sickening motion that made me want to toss ot an idea," Eli said, his voice far too casual, the inflection off so the blood diamond to track him? All we’d need are some witches we trust"

I flinched The blood diaic artifact that had been empowered by the sacrifice of hundreds of witch children And I just happened to have possession of it My arm ached more and I pulled up my sleeve to discover that the lines traced on it were darker, or brighter Redder anyway I hid them beneath the silk T-shirt sleeve Someone I trusted once accused that I’d find a reason to use the blood diaood, and that using blood- road to hell I said, "So, no"

"No, what?" I forced my eyes open and looked at Eli And realized he hadn’t spoken, he hadn’t suggested the blood diamond Eli’s eyes were on the road, hands at two and ten The SUV was stuck behind a ceate the narrow, one-way streets Eli hadn’t spoken at all I had been drea A chill started between e raindrop landed on the windshield, a splatted star reaching out fro, rain pelted frorayed the city around us into a misty, watery film, a return to the darkness of predawn Eli slowed and turned on the windshield wipers, his motions efficient and se isolated the interior of the car fro it faht by the stor," I said

I didn’t think I should close ht of the rainstorm It looked like I’d been beaten by two-by-fours Bruised and broken looking

My cell buzzed and I pulled it to see that I had a file from the Kid I opened it and read his latest bit of research Raisingon the vehicle, I said, "We need to talk about witches we can trust Sabina said to get the Truebloods to introduce us to the witch coven leader here, but I’ that route if I can help it" Molly had probleain I’d been hard on our friendship--for a good cause, to save lives, but still If I could avoid using Molly, I would

"Good Molly has family Kids"

I nodded He understood I blinked, yawned, and forced myself to concentrate on the file open on et Alex to look her up, and Lachish Dutillet is the leader of the New Orleans coven, a person of color of Creole descent" I skihter disappeared under the rule of the Daheads"

"So we’ll just hop on over there and change her mind?"

I didn’t know if he was serious or not, but it didn’t matter "I have no idea how to convince her to help us," I admitted as I examined her photo She was maybe mid-fifties, salt-and-pepper hair, Creole skin and eyes Pretty A bit stout I showed the poor-quality photo that Alex had captured from somewhere online to Eli "She has to hate vamps"

"You could tell her you killed the varunted I didn’t think that would help But Jodi ht, with her familial witch connections If I hadn’t run away from the press conference like a cat with her tail on fire, I could have asked her in person I texted Jodi, Intro to NOLA coven leader? Today?

Instantly I got back fros in works now

"Well How about that," I said "Jodi already contacted her" Eli grunted in acknowledgh my info on the coven leader and said, "Lachish means ‘she alks, or exists, of herself’ It’s biblical" Eli said nothing "Naer could er son Elion a pedestal sometimes" Before I could roll my eyes he went on, "And what does Jane Yellowrock e‘i Digadoli, means ‘yellow-eyes, yellow-rock’ Yellow-eyes because I’m a skinwalker and, hey, the eyes" I pointed at old the white man found in the Appalachians that eventually caused the Trail of Tears, so the yunega--white ift and a curse"

And that was soht of before

CHAPTER 8

Eye of Newt

It took forever to get ho visibility I closed the files, too tired to concentrate, and lay ed my injured arm If I’d had my bike, I would have been soaked to the skin but hootten how ate city streets on a bike I missed Bitsa I had left a voice mail for Jacob, the Harley Zen-priest master motorcycleto put her back together again, but he hadn’t returned inally built Bitsa from the rusted reraveyards I knew Bitsa was in bad shape, but it was taking an awfully long tiet her back Andhe should have called He just should have I felt a tear trickle downI missed Bitsa Which was not stupid It wasn’t Fortunately, Eli didn’t notice in the dull lights

We finally got to the house and Eli parked on the street, the rain still tapping down in a light shower Oddly, I was sorry the ride was over It had been nice Stress-free Vamp-free Eli openedI watched hi, Eli?"