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Fiona felt as if she had been stabbed through the heart with an icicle

Caitlin

Shauna

Oh, God

Who did he have?

How could he possibly have gotten to either one of them?

Maybe he didn’t have one of her sisters Maybe it was a bluff

How could she take that chance?

She looked at the church David er, too So close, and yet

"Do you understand?"

"Where a?"

"I’ll call you when you’re closer"

"I thought I wasn’t supposed to answer my phone"

"I can see you I will see you all the way there It will ring once, stop, and then start to ring again Then, only then, do you answer your phone"

"If you’re following e," she said

The laughter sounded again

"Whateveralone?"

Fiona wasn’t answering her phone again, but today Jagger had no intention of wasting any ti early winter darkness and rain He wanted to be back with her before the darkness caer Where is Fiona?" he asked without even trying to figure out which sister he was talking to

"We left her sleeping at hoer said

"Oh, Lord, I’ll have to close up shop"

"I’m sorry," he said flatly, "but is this Shauna or Caitlin?"

"Shauna Caitlin went out August Gaudin called, so with the touris for Fiona, too, and Caitlin said she’d go talk to hio I’m the Keeper for the olves, after all"

"You’re alone at the shop, and Caitlin is out?" he asked

He wasn’t sure why that worried hiust Gaudin Or did he? Did he trust anyone anymore?

"You stay where you are--and while you’re at it, stay up front, where people can see you I’m not far, just at the station, and I’er said

"All right ButFiona’s probably just sleeping and didn’t hear the phone What do you think is theJust wait for er," Shauna said "For whatever it’s worth, I believe in you I know you’re doing your best"

"Thanks," he said, and hung up

He hit the street and started walking, but by the ti walk Visitors to New Orleans had a tendency to stay in the French Quarter, where they could walk to anything If they were headed to the Garden District or Uptown, they were usually bright enough to drive, grab a streetcar or take a taxi, options that were forbidden to her

Her phone rang half a dozen times

She didn’t touch it

He had said, Whateveralone?

He could have a partner And his partner could have one of her sisters while he atching her

Or he could be lying

She didn’t knohich

She looked up at the sky Clouds were roiling above her, and it was growing darker by the minute A breeze had picked up, and as she walked, the trees were being stripped of leaves In the wind, they seemed to reach down for her as if they had boney, skeletal ar leaves was like the laughter of the

The killer wanted darkness The false darkness of a storht

Her fingers twitched on her phone

He ht not be

CaitlinShauna

She couldn’t take a chance

As she got closer and closer to the French Quarter, she felt the shadows darkening around her and began to is

Shadoings

Following her

She had to come up with a plan

And she had to save her sister

Those two thoughts kept her

Shauna was standing right inside the doorway of the shop, waiting for hin for the door--Must close early--our deepest apologies Please come back

He nodded to her as she locked up and they started down the street

"Thanks for colanced at hiher cell phone!"

"Caitlin isn’t answering, either?"

"No," Shauna said Her face hite orry

He pulled out his cell phone and called August Gaudin A secretary answered