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When he'd said he'd been the best lover? Gods help her, she'd believed hi her She didn't think she'd ever forget the look in his eyes this , e?"

His brows drew together, as if she'd uttered so monumental "No We won't, then Ever" They walked on in aard silence until she directed him off Bourbon

"What's this store like?" he asked

"It's owned by a purported voodoo priestess named Loa" Her very name meant voodoo spirit

"Loa is a female shop owner?"

When Danii nodded, he perked up And considering what Loa looked like, Danii ht be a bad idea

But Nix often dropped by there, and even if Loa knew nothing -doubtful - any of her patrons ht have information

"Does she have powers?" he asked

Just as they reached the shop, Danii drawled, "You have no idea"

On the door hung a sign with the universal synized by all Lorekind - except for the Forbearers Beside it was a sticker with the word Vampires overlaid with a cross bar Beneath that were the lines, "No shirt, no soul, no service We use UV protection"

Murdoch frowned "UV protection? Is that a joke?"

She shook her head "It's candlelit inside, but along the ceiling are UV lights that can be turned on with a panic button - a fail-safe vampire security system" The Valkyries had wanted a similar setup for Val Hall, but their shrieks would just have shattered the bulbs

As unabashed as ever, Murdoch shrugged and opened the door for Danii

"Are you sure you want to go in?"

"You said the owner of this place is a woman? Well, I have a oht"

She rolled her eyes, then entered, with hi

The front of the shop was a typical tacky tourist haunt, with preserved gator heads and fake gris-gris bagsEasy, Danii knew there was a back roo from demon-size condoover relief and ghoul blood remover

As expected, candles lit the darkened shop, the bulbs above unused For now A lazy, old-fashioned fan buzzed softly,the candle flalance at the ceiling

"Oh, yeah I was going to swap out the overhead light in your Porsche with one before I left town"

"Left New Orleans? Where are you going?"

Loa sauntered out fro As usual, the sight of Loa made Danii scowl Gifted with flawless cafe-au-lait skin and a brick-house body, she spoke with a lilting island accent that ht she earing an ihted her every abundant curve

Murdoch gave Loa an appreciative glance, but so far he hadn't looked like a slavering cartoon wolf in a zoot suit

Loa was an enigma She'd come here - to a town filled with immortals at the most tumultuous time in the Lore - as if she wanted to be first in line for the unrest and war of the Accession