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"Yeah That’s what I thought"

Which see so far Around us, the fog thinned and the wind that caused the white to roll and billow fell still And suddenly we stepped to the curb and into the street I looked back and saw only an e

"I want to go back to Miss Esood, stiff drink"

I said nothing to that as we got in the SUV and drove sedately away I looked back once and saw a hint of white fog, but that was all Then I faced front and said nothing, studying the coin by the streetlights we passed It was blackened, but I could e spiked teeth I turned the old coin over and over in ht with a wash of pale pink, shriolden sky

Back at Esmee’s, I knocked on the Kid’s door When he opened it, he earing a sheet and the stink of garlic and sweat; he needed a shower Badly I handed hied on Tellyou can find What it is, where it came frogs"

"Try not to poison uy," I murmured In my room, I toed off my boots, tossed my clothes on the bed and pulled on a stretchy tee and soft sweater, with clean jeans and fuzzy socks with half boots against the cold floors Louisiana ht not have what I think of as cold winters, but the house was chilly Downstairs, I didn’t have to worry about poisoning the Kid, because his brother was already frying eggs and bacon,under a padded tea doily "You’re not worried about taking over Ja black tea and added a slice of fresh lemon

"I asked permission He wasn’t thrilled," Eli said as he slid a pile of scras onto a plate, "but I promised to keep Esmee away from the battlefield, and we reached an accord"

"Ah So What’s today’s schedule?"

"Sleep At least eight hours Then I say we chase some Naturaleza vamps and take a few heads"

I hid ot any idea where we should look?"

"Yeah Alex collated the addresses of properties owned by the fangheads on Hieronymus’ kill list and compared them to properties owned by Silandre and Esther They’re on my bed, listed in order froo in a few hours before sunset, and clean house" He dished up a rasher of bacon and putI should wait for the rest of the expected diners, I dug in Goodthings

The Kid joined us at the table shortly, his wet hair straggling down his neck, sticking to his dark skin, dribbling onto his vintage Grateful Dead tee He earing sweatpants and smelled a lot better, like strawberry shampoo He set his laptop and the coin on the breakfast-rooed in and started a search Silent and comfortable with that silence, we ate When we ran out of bacon and eggs, Eli got up and slidon the stove and tiht

By the tile of toast and poured myself a second cup of tea, the Kid was done Still wordless, he spun the tiny laptop around and pushed it to on head on one side, and what looked like a wagon wheel inside a square frame on the other Of course, my coin was blacked with tarnish and filth "Head of Ketos Greek silver coin," the Kid said as he poured another cup of coffee, starting to wake up "Ketos was a sea serpent Latin was Cetus There’s a constellation by that na on today’s market as a collectable and just for the silver"

Sea serpent, not dragon Somehow that made me feel better "Huh" I studied the coin "Wonder how an old Choctaoot one" When no one answered, I tucked it in a pocket and sipped my tea Eli read a newspaper, a real paper newspaper, the New York Times, and the crinkle of paper and stink of ink took me back to my earliest days in the children’s hoht children in one house, and athere with theive the children the Aender fa, absorbed just like Eli, the smell and sound so distinctive His na like that

Eli said, "Media is reporting the nus about it"

"Yeah?" I said "Maybe they can bore the fangheads to death with their s"

Eli snorted "Civilians" It wasn’t a compliment

Silent as a cat, Rick entered the roo pans "Bro, that’s evil to fill the house with bacon smells and not leave a man any"

Eli offered one of hisyou want Or you can wait on Jaht"

"I’ll cook," a soft voice said from behind It was Soul, and I realized that she had been nearby for quite a while, her scent on the air Today she smelled blue with touches of rain, which eird, but that hat Beast thought Soul handed Rick a cell "You talk It’s Monica" Rick’s skin went a faint pink, and his breathing changed His pheroer into pleasure

Rick has another woman in his life

He wandered out of the roo far too interested, nearly cooing Beast hissed with displeasure I sipped tea, feeling a sense of space open up inside , but it wasn’t happy It was empty and lonely andbetrayed Yeah How stupid was that? Feeling betrayed because irl na boobs and hureen eyes Or blue eyes Yeah Wonder how she’d look after tangling with Beast A wry frown drew ot up and left Alex picked up his tiny corossed