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My suspicions were confir for other for, who reached into her coat’senough she handled it with two hands She laid the rock on the shelf of the radiator by the front door, touching it lightly as she squatted down toit with the power of her breath Nearly all winged things were Air eleth that made me shiver

As soon as she was done, I felt a whoosh of power emanate from the stone, and then the street noise disappeared entirely Then Magog took off,

"A shield, called a nullifier," Gog said, his voice as gravelly as his skin Magog, already done looking around the downstairs rooms, whooshed past us as she headed upstairs "We use them to make safe houses If anyone is nearby, this house looks like a dead zone, even if we’re using our power"

I nodded as if I understood, wondering ould do now

"You settle yourselves," Magog said, her footsteps pounding on the stairs as she dashed down froations "Clean up, do whatever, but try to disturb as little as possible I’ll pop over to the shops for supplies There’s a double bedrooe folds out to a double, I’m pretty sure Feel free to clai andhad reopened the door in his odd way It was only then I noticed the alar away in safe otten in on its watch since the door had never, technically, been opened

"You and Magog take the double upstairs Blondie can have the single Jane and I will take the lounge," Anyan said to Gog, after which Anyan shot ht I sirl who’d won the lottery

"That works," Gog ru’s packs

"U?" I asked, despite the fact I probably didn’t want to know the answer "Are we supposed to be here?"

The grey uests?" I asked "Or did we break in"

Gog s’s, and I saw that he was uests, Miss We definitely broke in"

I squelched my alar what had to be felony, even in Europe

"How did you find it?" Anyan asked, casually

"Facebook," Gog said "You’d be a couple is enjoying a weekend in Amsterdam It was very nice of ’em to let us know exact dates, don’t you think?"

I shook lad that for all intents and purposes, I lived in 1996 Having no friends, I’d never been up on social networking

And now I had no inclination to start

CHAPTER TWO

What is a lounge?" I asked, turning to Anyan "I like the sound of it I’ in purple velvet, personally"

Sorry to crush your drea to his right " ‘Lounge’ is just British for living roo not to sound disappointed as I schlepped my backpack into the decidedly non-purple and non-velvety "lounge" I left the pack near the wall by the door, but took my labrys case with me I sat down on the couch, and set the case on the brass-and-glass coffee table Tearing through the various pieces of official-looking tape keeping it shut, I finally pried it open

The ax didn’t look like h-hewn, double-headed, and not at all fancy But I felt a sense of peace as I touched the handle, caressing the old ith a gentle touch It glowed faintly, just for a second, asspark of power deep injourney, I shut the case again and stood up

"I need a shower," I said "Really badly"

Anyan nodded froe backpack he’d brought

"Me too It’s probably upstairs" Then he looked up to meet my eyes and I flushed at the heat I saw in them