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I uesses a lot?"

He shrugged "So "That’s so e of subject was jarring "Yeah, it does I think the cops believe he ran away"

Blake twirled his spoon in the soup "Did they ask Daemon a lot of questions?"

I frowned "Why would they?"

Blake’s hand stilled "Well…because Daeht with him I mean, it seems likely they would question hi way too twitchy about this "Yeah, I think they did, but he didn’t have anything to do with--" I froze, not believing what I was feeling Dull heat flared between my breasts

It couldn’t be

I dropped the fry back into the basket The obsidian flared underon the chain When the obsidian slipped free, I wrappedas the stone scorched my palm Panic clawed upwith his wrist, butopen Fallen leaves scattered across the tile The low hum of conversation continued, the custo heat radiated from the obsidian Our table started to rattled softly

In the doorway, a tall and pale wo half her face scanned the crowded patrons Her raven-colored hair hung in thick, ropey strands around her cheeks Her red lips were spread in a serpent’s s to stand, seconds away froe her? I wasn’t sure, but I couldn’t stand here and do nothing My muscles tensed Arum always traveled in fours, so if there was one, that meant there were three more somewhere

Blood pounded in my ears I was so intent on the female Arum that I hadn’t paid attention to Blake until he was in front of me

He raised one hand

Everyone stopped Everyone

Some people had forks of food halfway to their ing open in silent laughter A few had even stopped walking with one foot off the ground A waitress had been lighting a candle with a shter She was frozen but the flahter No one talked, no one moved, and no one even seemed to breathe

Blake? I took a step back from him, unsure of whom I should be more afraid of--the Arum or the harmless surfer boy

The fe her head side to side in slick, fluid motions as she studied the frozen humans and, I assumed, a few Luxen

"Arum," Blake accused, voice low

She whipped around, her head still lasses, squinted "Huhed "Not quite"

And then he launched hi ninja

Moving lightning fast, he dipped under the Aru a vicious spin kick to her back She staggered forward a step and whirled The air around her hand darkened with black energy She reared back, preparing to deliver a blow

Dropping down, he spun and knocked her leather-encased legs froy flickered out as they both rose to their feet again, circling each other in the narrow space between the cramped tables and frozen people

I sort of just stood there, mystified and entranced by the display There was no expression on Blake’s face It was like a kickass switch had been thrown, and his whole being was focused on the Aru the Aru her head back Teeth rattled, and when she lowered her head, a dark, oily substance leaked fro on her true fored Blake

He laughed

And pivoted around so fast that his hand was just a blur as it sunk deep into what appeared to be her chest His watch…wasn’t a normal watch It was a shred of obsidian currently embedded in the Arum’s chest

Blake jerked his hand back

As she took on a human form, her face was pale and shocked A second later, she exploded in a rush of black smoke that blew my hair back and filled the air with a bitter scent

Not even out of breath, Blake turned toon his watch He placed it back on his wrist, then ran a hand through hisunderover to our table, he dropped a twenty and a ten on the plaid tablecloth "We need to talk somewhere private"

Eyes wide, I took a deep breath My world just got a little more insane, but if I could deal with aliens, I could deal with ninja Blake That didn’tsoh "My car"

He nodded, and we headed for the door Blake held it open for me as he faced the frozen diner With a wave of his hand, everyone startedNo one seemed to notice that they’d been frozen for minutes

We were two steps fro and the back ofme," Blake muttered and took ahold of my hand