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It could happen to Rosa, too
“Is Mr Hunter home?”
She frowned “I’m sorry There’s no one here by that name”
Her words hit him like a fist as he felt his hope deflate He hadn’t realized until then that he’d been holding his breath, praying to see so it all
“Sorry I disturbed you,even sicker than before, Nick turned around He’d just reached the steps when the woman’s voice stopped him
“Now that you mention it … I do believe we purchased this home from someone named Hunter”
Hopeful, he looked back at her “Kyrian?”
“Yes! That was it I remember ’cause it was so unusual”
Kyrian had lived here That was a good sign “Do you knohere he went?”
Grief darkened her eyes as she stroked the dog’s head “Up to Jesus, baby Sorry We purchased the house as part of an estate sale after that poor oodness … twenty-five, thirty years ago Long before you were born How do you know hi his throat “He was family to me”
“Oh honey, I’m so sorry Do I need to call your ht?”
Nick nodded “Yes, ma’am I’m fine My mama don’t need to knoas here Sorry I disturbed you” Completely dazed, he headed back to the street as her words sank into his heart with talons
Kyrian dead
Did that mean that Kyrian had been a Dark-Hunter? That he’d been killed in action while trying to protect hu in this ti to unravel thisto explode
I aodly a about girls andwhatever it was that nor here”
He jued cry as he realized he’d been so lost in thought that he’d accidentally bumped into someone on the street corner “Sorry” He looked up into a familiar pair of blue eyes and a face he knew real well, even though the hair was brown and a frizzy mess of curls instead of the dyed black he was used to on her “Tabitha?”
With an exasperated sound, she rolled her eyes “Please tell h to be honest, they don’t usually get us confused” She held her hand out to him “I’m her sister Selena You are?”
“Nick” He shook her hand as hope sprung up new again inside hi the undead?”
“Oh God … you really do know her”
Laughing in relief at so familiar, he noted Selena’s unorthodox appearance She had on an eed brown leather jacket Not to mention the purple and pink Tarot Card Reader price list poster tucked under her arm “You’re psychic?”
She arched a brow at him “Obviously, you’re not Observant either, for that nored her sarcasrateful to have so so back an equally nasty retort “Do you believe in past lives and alternate universes and stuff?”
“Of course I do It paysit harder and harder to hold his smart aleck in “No, I’m serious”
Selena pinned him with a stern frown “So am I I’m not one of the fakes on the street I honestly believe in what I do I know for a fact that it’s all real”
“Then could you help me?”
“Help you what?”
“Findher lips in sympathy, Selena patted Nick on his shoulder “Sure, kid Where do you live?”
Nick shook his head “Not like that You said you believe in alternate realities, right?”
“Yeah”
He braced hi moron lunatic he was Just don’t call the cops on htmare “I’m not from here, okay? I went to sleep in my world or dimension or whatever it’s called, and I woke up here in this one And no offense, this one is…” He bit back the eird, because it wasn’t weird It was norinable “I don’t belong here and I want to go home Please help me return to my world”
She took a step back Not that he blamed her If so for safety in the opposite direction after the third word out of theirat hiap between theht bolt “Look I know I sound crazy, okay? But in my world, your sister Tabitha has a boyfriend naraduated from St Mary’s, and your aunt Ana owns a Voodoo shop named Erzulie’s on the corner of Royal and St Ann Your sister, Tiyana, who’s named after her, works there, too” He clapped his hands as he reht “And Tabitha has a twin named Amanda, and um … what’s her name … your other sister’s a midho did an internship with a woodmother And your aunt Kalila, who isn’t really your aunt, but your mom’s best friend from childhood, does the Haunted History vampire and Voodoo tours in the Quarter I’ve handed out flyers for her and Sid And you have another blood-related aunt ns Pandora’s Box on Bourbon Street Tabitha works there sometimes, and in your aunt Zenobia’s jewelry store on Royal”
Selena burst out laughing then sobered “Wait ayou just said to me”
“It’s the truth … at least it is where I come from”
She reached out and cupped his cheek before she pulled hiainst her and held hi hi Instead, he held his breath, praying she believed hi, unco his cheek in a ht We need to find out about your ho you to it”
Really? That was it? He’d expected a little ument “You believe me?”