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Beside hihed Her eyes sparking with that salint, she joined in They shared that ame between therateful that Kitsune did not push the game to the next level He could not help but be aroused by her, but it could never go further than that

With a lurch, the train lu up speed

The door to the comparth the train The lights flickered Eyes closed, Kitsune burrowed closer to Oliver and he did not pull away He let her ht the temptation to put his arms around her

Kitsune settled comfortably there, the trace of a smile at the corners of her ht to hih the darkness toward Vienna Again, the lights flickered There caainst the co at all Her eyes snapped open Oliver stared at the door Had so through the car? The train rocked back and forth Soainst the door

A second thuh steel ere being scraped along its outside

"What the hell?" Oliver whispered

Kitsune sat up and Oliver let her go The two of the to understand the nature of the sounds outside the door So that when the knock came--an ordinary sort of knock, three raps in quick succession--they both started in surprise

Cautious, Kitsune rose and started toward the door

"Yes?" Oliver called

A voice replied in Gerlish "Passports, please"

He let out a breath, only then realizing how quickly his pulse was racing A dozen possibilities suggested the soet by one another in the narrow passageway outside the coer had leaestured for her to step back She went to the seat opposite the one they had been sharing and unzipped the duffel bag, reaching inside

If it truly was the conductor outside the door, Oliver and Kitsune had already discussed the pantomime that would ensue as they searched for their suddenly misplaced passports At worst, they would be left off the train at the next stop

But the sounds they’d heard against the door concerned hi the Sword of Hunyadi from the duffel Clearly, the sounds worried her as well There was no telling what ht be beyond that door

"Passports, please," the voice demanded, with another rap on the door "Open, now"

A ripple of unease went through hiht It was not sin accent The words seemed muffled

"Open it," Kitsune whispered from behind him

Oliver turned toward her She sat beside the duffel, holding the sword down behind it, hidden froht On the chance it really was the conductor, they would be ejected from the train for certain if the crew had to force the door open

"Co," Oliver called as he walked to the door

He unlocked it, then slid it open, tensed to ju he saas the conductor’s hat on the wohttime travel, he could make out none of the details of the conductor’s face But it eased his tension a little to see that hat

"Sorry We were napping a bit"

"Of course," said the conductor

In the dirin was Cheshire Cat broad Oliver heard a strange sound co that cania on the shoulder and breast

Opening the door had been a terrible mistake

She pushed off the conductor’s coat A terrible rasp came from her body, which was covered with hair so thick it see doll’s head But it twisted and coiled and lashed out and soered back, and the cablelike tendrils that covered her body thrust out toward hier

His aran to feel hot Soh his it would take to kill hirabbed the door and slid it shut With all of his weight behind it, he drove it hoap between door and fraers did not withdraw They thrust out at his hands as though they could see hirazed his left wrist He opened the door a few inches and slaain A tendril was cut off and fell to the floor, leaking greenish ichor

"Help ritted teeth

"Step back," Kitsune co to lock the door!"

A bouquet of stingers erupted through the narrow opening in the door, pressed thee and the fraers forced the door open with such violence that it rattled and slammed and he heard metal tear

"Oliver, step back!" Kitsune shouted

In fear he threw hi as the Hunter swept into the roo at the air all around her The tendrils curled like a basket of snakes upon her head Soers was a face, but all he could see were clear, perfect, blue eyes and that Cheshire grin

"So pleased to hed, the coldest sound Oliver had ever heard

Kitsune tossed him the Sword of Hunyadi, still in its scabbard He lay on his back on the bench seat and snatched it out of the air He began to draw it even as Kitsune attacked the woman

The fox-wo around her, she lunged at the Hunter Stingers darted out, jabbing into the shadoithin her cloak Kitsune whiritted teeth, and Oliver wondered how , how many it would take to kill a Borderkind But the fox-worabbed the Hunter by the throat and used her free hand to rake the creature’s abdomen with vicious claws

Then, Oliver was in motion He slid the scabbard fully off the sword as he stood Without a word he moved behind Kitsune and thrust the blade past her and into the ers

The Hunter hissed, but the sh the pain was a pleasure to her Soers wrapped the it, trying to tear it frorasp