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The white-painted board siding had so many coats of paint on it that it looked nearly flat, rippled instead of stacked The erea different refractivity and clarity than the older ones It hadn’t shown in the dark, but the gaudy pink paint on the as two-toned Bleagh But, then, I’al and don’t care for pink, especially the bright, brassy shades Silandre had chosen

The front door was unlocked, and e entered, a brass bell over the door rang with a tinkling sound It hadn’t been there the last tis around; the front rooed dolls at all However, the place was so filled with co but the floral-fruity-lavender-cherry-spice combo I holstered the nineit inwoman stuck her head out of the middle room and called a cheery, "Hello I’ll be with--" Her accented words came to a couely Russian as she spoke, and now her eyes ith fear

I held up a hand, fingers spread "It’s okay We’re here with Big H’s permission"

"Hieronymus," Eli corrected

"Yeah Hi slowly, the girl caht hair, and dark eyes She looked like a child, y but tall for her age, the way girls look when they have grown a foot in a year, all knobby knees and elbows below a pink shirt and plaid skirt Much like I had looked during my first year in the children’s ho H’s people had cleaned up our mess in the back We had left an awful lot of blood in the back room "What’s your name?" I asked

"Nostrana," she said Yeah Middle or Eastern European

"Have you seen Silandre?" I asked

"No She has not been here"

"How about the back roo H’s cleanup crew had gotten all the blood out

Nostrana shrugged "Someone purchased the entire set, I think The rooing everything,her lip, as if she had said too much

"Nostrana," I tried to pronounce it like she had, all liquid sounds and sophistication, but it ca flat and Southern "You work for Silandre?"

"Three days a week, and during the three days of the full ht of the new e student in university, so I can make it do"

"There’s no university anywhere near," Eli said, sounding cold and hard andto call her a liar

Nostrana’s head came up and she firmed her lips "I take classes on Internet And I take bus to ca trip," Eli said, still disbelieving, this time almost snide

"Is not your concern What do you want?"

I smiled Nostrana was no pushover "To look around," I said, sliding the shotgun into the spine sheath and showing both hands open and empty Reluctantly, Eli holstered his weapons, but he kept a hand on one When Nostrana didn’t object, I walked through the disordered rooles on my skin I stopped This didn’t make sense "You’re a witch"

Her eyes narrowed and she reached into a pocket "Also not your concern"

"Witches are disappearing in Natchez Have you been approached by anyone? Been followed?" I asked

"No" Her left hand clutched soical defense on us," I said "We’re going"

"Please Quickly And not to come back unless Silandre is here"