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Janvier realized he knew exactly who Raphael meant “Silvan” Five hundred years old, the vampire had a level of power that often eluded those twice his age Despite that, he preferred a life of solitude over any position more lucrative and influential “Those of my family who live in the area say he can walk in dreams”

“You’ll have to ask Silvan if you wish the truth”

“Perhaps I will the next time we share chicory coffee on the dock off his home”

Raphael’s lips curved “It is true then, Cajun You know everyone?”

“That’s my job” To be the one no one feared and everyone welcomed The task had once been Illium’s, but Bluebell was now a power, a fact no aood at what you do” The words of an archangel to one of his men “As to your hunter, I think you know the odds are not in your favor Those born with deeper senses often turn down the chance at immortality for reasons we cannot understand”

Unfortunately, Janvier understood Ashwini’s reasons all too well She’d becoer over the past twelve months, her reactions e of “normal” She feared what she’d become should she embrace immortality Janvier knew she would be extraordinary then as she was extraordinary now, but she didn’t see it that way

“The pathologist called us earlier,” he said, changing the subject to keep hisaround in circles “He’s coiven the state of the re a long-ter donor would carry no scars Should Janvier ever taste Ash’s blood, he’d lick over the wound to make sure it healed cleanly—unless he wanted her to bear his ht at the idea of it, his abdo To have her not only offer hin of his possession, it was a dreaht never come true

Not every vampire, however, was careful with his donor It led to the formation of scar tissue beneath the skin at the most utilized sites Not only was that bad for the donor but, over time, it made it more difficult for the va sites had been so deeply scarred that the pathologist had noted it was possible she’d become useless as a donor That could be the reason she’d been killed and thrown out with the garbage, but it still didn’t explain the desiccation

“Ash and I,” he told Raphael, “are heading to the Quarter clubs after dinner to see if we can pin down the victiuarantee she’d patronized the clubs, it was a good starting point, given how -terive ht hours”

“Stay in regular contact with Dmitri” An order “If Lijuan did leave a taint in our city, I don’t want either of you falling victim to it”

Ash looked up then, the ht to Janvier Her laughter faded, but the connection between themit continued to pulse unabated

“No,” Janvier said “I won’t take any unnecessary risks”

18

It took Elena a half hour into the dinner to realize that some of the wine at the table was blood red—as in real blood red, and that the shish kebabs Naasir was snacking on beside her were made up of cubes of seasoned but raw meat