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"Maybe we should have shifted It would have been faster" She glanced at h the hills froed it" I rolled down theand let the cool air hitin the bottle of synthetic he gavebut you look like you’ve been windburned or were too liberal with blush, which I know you wouldn’t be" Penny stopped at a red light "Another weird side effect?" I could tell she was itching for a notebook "Ian shouldn’t have done that"

"News flash, Penny Your boss does what he pleases In this case, he probably thought I needed the tranquilizer But lanced down "Good news though I thinkdown"

"Wow So eventually the side effects do wear off"

"I can only hope" We were getting near Sixth Street What had Alesa done to our apartment? Penny had moved out, yet the de in the pit offor us upstairs as Penny parked in the alley and we sprinted for the stairs The door to our place wasn’t locked and we both stopped and did a gut check before I carefully shoved it open

Ten

Staring at us from a seat on the couch was Penny’s twin Jenny She was frozen in place with a wild look in her eyes

"Oh, tell me she didn’t--" Penny sank down on the couch next to her sister

"Read herto bite her on the neck anybottle of synthetic I kneasn’t doped I tookroo her sister how sorry she was about all this

"The first thing we’ve got to figure out is if I can thaw her" I took a s then set the bottle on the kitchen table, out of the way in case I was successful and Jennyto stop her, of course

"Look atto try to fix it so you can ain But here’s the deal: you can’t scream or run out of here You and Penny need to talk And I’m Penny’s s"

"Whoa Did you read her"She hates ht from her memory"

"It would probably be for the best" I took Jenny’s hand "Thaw first Decisions later Now no screa, Jenny Penny, lock the door and stand in front of it in case she bolts" I stared into the girl’s eyes and thought hard about thawing her To lared at hts, you two blood suckers That demon--oh, Jesus save ht back up here and do terrible nasty hellish things if you did such a dirty trick"

"Well, that’s not good" Penny abandoned her post at the door

"Get back!" Jenny darted across the room when Penny reached for her "My sister’s a vampire! Oh, s but stay waaay over there"

Penny sniffled but did produce a fang-filled grimace "Satisfied? You think I wanted to becoht of my life" She wiped her eyes "I wanted to tell you, Jen But look at how you’re reacting" Penny glanced at et it"

"Get that you’re an even bigger freak now than you’ve always been?" Jenny was shaking so badly she had to lean against the wall "How did this happen?"

"That’s not io back" Penny tried to approach her sister but Jenny squealed and tossed a book from the shelf at her

"Stay away from me I mean it" Jenny frantically searched for escape but quickly figured out we had the only avenue blocked

"I won’t bite you Ever" Penny held up her hands

"Pinky swear?" Jenny started to hold out her little finger then seerade? Quit looking at me like that I repeat: I won’t bite you" Penny slouched over to the couch "Yeah, I’ a brainiac Never having a date in high school that Daddy didn’t pay for"