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Jack’s eyes went black

Hubbard pitched forward to intervene, and Matthew froze him in place with a look

In the space of five heartbeats, Jack’s eyes returned to norave hi smile

"Your instinct to protect Diana is entirely appropriate," Matthew told hi you have to shield her from me is not"

"I’ain"

"I accept your apology Sadly, it will happen again Learning to control your illness isn’t going to be easy--or quick" Matthew’s tone turned brisk "Kiss Diana good night, Jack, and get settled at Gallowglass’s house It’s a forht at horinned "Wonder if it has bats in its belfry, like yours"

"I no longer have a bat problem," Hubbard said sourly

"Father H still lives in a church in the city," Jack explained, suddenly animated "It’s not the same one you visited That old heap burned down Most of this one did, too, come to think of it"

I laughed Jack had always loved telling stories and had a talent for it, too

"Now just the tower remains Father H did it up so nicely you hardly notice it’s just a pile of rubbish" Jack grinned at Hubbard and gavefroe to happiness in a remarkably short period of tio wrestle with Gallowglass"

"Midnight," Matthew called after him "Be ready And be nice to Miriam, Jack If you don’t, she’ll make you wish you’d never been reborn"

"Don’t worry, I’ with difficult females!" Jack replied Lobero barked with excitee him outside

"Keep the picture, Mistress Roydon If both Matthew and Benjamin covet it, then I wish to be as far away froenerous, Andrew" Matthew’s hand shot out and closed around Hubbard’s throat "Stay in New Haven until I give you leave to go"

Their eyes clashed, slate and gray-green Andreas the first to look away

"Colass’s church, and Lobero needs a walk"

"Midnight, Andrew" Mattheords were perfectly cordial, but there was a warning in the faded When it had faded coht of Matthew, his head buried in his hands, brought , slowly fizzled He looked up, his face ravaged with guilt and sorrow

"JackBenjamin" Matthew shuddered "God help me, what have I done?"

20

Matthew sat in the broken-down easy chair opposite the bed where Diana was sleeping, plowing through another inconclusive set of test results so that he and Chris could reevaluate their research strategy at to Given the late hour, he was taken by surprise when his phone’s screen lit up

Moving carefully so as not to wake his wife, Matthew padded silently out of the room and down the stairs to the kitchen, where he could speak without being overheard

"You need to coruff and low "Now"

Matthew’s flesh prickled, and his eyes rose to the ceiling as though he could see through the plaster and floorboards into the bedrooh it was clear that the danger was elsewhere

"Leave Auntie at hoh he could witness Matthew’s actions

"Miriam’s on her way" The phone went dead

Matthew stared down at the display for aa note of false cheer to the early- hours before they faded to black

The front door creaked open

Mattheas at the top of the stairs by the tih it He studied her closely

There was not a drop of blood on her, thank God Even so, Miriam’s eyes ide and her face bore a haunted expression Very little frightened his longtiue, but she was clearly terrified Mattheore

"What’s wrong?" Diana descended fro to capture all the available light in the house "Is it Jack?"

Matthew nodded Gallowglass wouldn’t have called otherwise

"I’ll only be a et dressed

"No, Diana," Miriam said quietly

Diana froze, her hand on the banister She twisted her body around and met Miriam’s eyes