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Illium took the vial
“Tell Trace he can report directly toon the nificant percentage of the Tower’s forces re under their own steae of their physical training It would take skillful work to get theth in a short tiie, especially after the recent tensions there, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t available to the rest of the Seven “He’s already sent through his first set of orders, has people ant flourish with one hand “Yes, O Dark Overlord”
Lips twitching, Dmitri hoped with every cell in his body that Illiu pressures of immortality and power, that he wouldn’t lose the joie de vivre that had been a part of hi Del fall hard to the earth after tangling his wings, his flight path prior to the fall that of a drunken bu full-tilt, Dmitri had been too far away to catch him
When he’d reached the site of the accident, he’d expected to find a sobbing, hurt child Hurt he had been, one wing crumpled, but Illium was already on his feet, his bruised and scraped arlow “I flew so far! Did you see?”
D with a boy who’d reminded him of the irrepressible spirit of his own son Illium’s life had not always been painless, and it had left scars, but none of it had been as dangerous as the power now gathering inside hione, Bluebell,” he said, an ie of the tiny boy he’d carried home to his frantic mother that day at the forefront of his mind “The Dark Overlord needs to talk to a certain spy backward to the door, Illium said, “Jason’s back in the country?”
“He returned froel who thought herself a goddess “Managed to get past the border and all the way to her innermost citadel” Dmitri had no idea how, but that hy Jason was Raphael’s spymaster and Ds announced Jason’s presence at the balcony door
It was time to discuss the heart of enemy territory
•••
Ashwini and Janvier reached the veterinary clinic in a co through the traffic, the blue of the sky still edged with puffs of orange-pink that bathed everything in a forgiving light Nothing, however, could soften the i the body that awaited them at the run-down but clean clinic in Chinatown
Sara had been right This small, helpless animal victim needed a hunter’s attention rather than the vet’s Not only was the cocker spaniel shriveled and bloodless, its throat had been ravaged as if by a wild beast “Setting aside the loss of blood,” she said to the vet, “is it possible these wounds could’ve been er animal?”
The tall, lasses farther up her nose and dragged her eyes off Janvier “The dirty water in the drain where he was found did a good job ofwith the wound, and I’m pretty sure rats have been at this sweet boy, too” She touched her hand to the dog’s e he was down there Could be days, could be weeks Even if it was a vicious dog”
“Yes, no animal sucked out every drop of blood in his body” A chill in her bones, Ashwini checked the cocker spaniel’s teeth, the dog’s skin having tightly retracted to expose the gum line; the enamel was stained and cracked Even if he had bitten his attacker, the evidence was already too contaminated to be of any forensic use “Who found hi was heartbroken over it” A sudden stiffening of the vet’s body, her eyes flashing behind the clear lenses of her glasses “He’s har to do with this”
“I’ at wasn’t a mortal crih she’d dig up information on the subject of natural mummification, too, on the off chance that it was a possibility “Can you autopsy the body?”
“It’s called a necropsy when it’s an aniaze went from Ashwini to Janvier and back “As you can see”—a wave around the shabby exa off the walls and the linoleue my clients a lot, so I need the money from those who can afford it”
“Guild will cover it Look for anything strange—beyond the obvious”
“It’ll have to be toht” The vet took off her glasses to pinch the bridge of her nose between forefinger and thumb “With the battle and all, she needs her rew thick; she knew all about needing her htly in an effort to clear the obstruction, she said, “Call me when you’re done” She didn’t really expect the vet to find anything significant, but better to check and make certain than miss a crucial fact “You understand this is confidential?”
“I’”
Exiting the clinic a few lanced at Janvier “Has an animal ever become infected with vampirism?”
“It’s not a disease, cher”
“You knohat Iher a helmet, “no ani in immortal teruess if anyone would know, it’d be hiainst the denim of his jeans as he straddled the bike, Janvier picked up his own helaze, “it re the battle”