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The ivy that coveredround As if decades’ worth of forest debris had collected on top of each other, until now, the ground was forever lost Walking across the leaves—soft this tie—Honor kept her gun in hand as Dht, his stride as confident and quiet as a hunting cat’s

She touched his arm when they reached the bottom of steps that led onto a narrow porch, pointed “Look”

No ivy or moss covered the central part of the stone steps As if they had been used recently and often When she bent down and cautiously flicked on her flashlight, shielding the beast the organic matter that covered what le nod to Dht and they headed slowly and silently up the steps and to the back door of the led his head

It was strange—in a wonderful kind of way—how perfectly she understood hi, she duckwalked to the nearestShe could see nothing beyond, but she kept going, checkingafter

The only thing that lay beyond was a stygian darkness Since the house was enorhtened up enough to shake her head at D past hierous predator alht It was at the thirdthat she saw it

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Heading back to Dmitri, she whispered the results in his ear, his scent fa, as if frolow of it had been diffuse in a way no electric lamp could mimic “Deep inside the house”

Doyles on the roof

Wings unfurled and Illium flew in silence toward the front, ready to block any attempt at escape

“Could be a diversion,” she said, heart pounding froht “Kallistosbehind the door”

D to indicate that, andout, he twisted the doorknob with care When it opened under his hand, he said, “A trap then” His lips held a faint ss”

She froze “I haven’t been tested” All short-listed Candidates were tested for so the acceptance process Theories as to what ranged the gamut, but the tests themselves were compulsory

“Blood,” Dmitri murmured, “is not difficult to obtain, especially when it comes to active hunters”

“Ever heard of privacy?” she muttered under her breath as he pushed the door wide and slid inside