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We carried Katia inside, and e had set down the cot in the living room, I sat down on the couch, near Katia’s head, and finally asked the big question "Where is he, Katia? What else is he planning?"

"I auesses," she said Her voice eakening fro, but not what he will decide to do now that I a hiirls by now, knowing I have been captured He does not trust me much"

"Okay, well, as the plan before?" Jesse said

"Take the patsy," she said without hesitating "Sorry, I h now that I know the details, I am sure he will take etic look "Sorry, again"

I shrugged It wasn’t like I was surprised But I was doing everything I could not to think about Molly being tortured "Then, once she is dead," Katia went on, "I was to sneak into your Trials and begin whispering in ears, sowing seeds ofthe vampires Dashiell is corrupt, Dashiell let Molly escape to please his pet null--sorry, again," she added tothat the ruhts after, I would go to some of Dashiell’s lieutenants, and if necessary, press themmm" She searched for a word, and finally settled on " to kill Dashiell?"

She spread her hands "Not me, no I was just supposed to induce soainst him We would leave it up to them whether they chose to kill him or exile hiain, like she couldn’t believe I was this far behind on the chain of logical events "Because," she said, "Oskar is planning to take Los Angeles"

Chapter 37

Jesse and I just stared at her

On the one hand, in thatjustified No one--not Kirsten, not Will, not Dashiell--had taken Molly’s frame job seriously They had all assue plot, and they’d been willing to let Molly die to keep her froodda Oskar in the beginning, he would never have gotten this far

On the other hand, I felt like a fool How had I not seen this co the orders was setting up a new business with the MC And I’d just told Jesse about how vae of chaos What could be more chaotic than a power vacuuh to hold the city alone, and the vast themselves for leadership Dashiell’s stance on peace--that it was okay to share poitches and olves--wasn’t as popular as he would like, and there was a great chance that whoever stepped into his role would declare doht last for years And while they all fought, Oscar would bein the sex industry So to speak

Before either of us could form words, Katia held up one hand "Let me clarify," she said "He does not want to run the city He knows he does not have enough natural power for that, at least not now But he wants to take down your structure, to create anarchy That will allow hi to an awful lot of trouble," Jesse pointed out "Couldn’t he just build his brothel soood point "I actually asked him that," Katia said wryly "In a respectful eles, but more importantly, he has connections here, both in the criminal world and the movie industry I believe he wants to start a side business in snuff films"

Vampire snuff films Goosebumps broke out on my arms Oskar wanted to use his new vampires--Molly’s friends--in filain

No Just a great big no

"Hoe find him?" I said to Jesse, who had dropped down next to rim as I felt

"If Katia is sure that Oskar would have irls after we took her"--beside him, she nodded--"I don’t really know Wait" He looked at the boundary witch "What is Oskar driving?"