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I thought about that, tuckingdown as I ca to risk it for her daughter I prorowled at that stupidity Bruiser chuckled Soul’s expression didn’t change, but I felt the tingle ofhappened to her or in the air around her Her dress wafted and swirled before settling again "I can’t e that strong I tried The charic that will survive it"

I looked over the guys, estiether, hoping I wasn’t co that you want me to carry you on a zip line to the ics will protect us froe, and then drop us both through And I’h tooexperiment

"The pitch of the roof is steep," Bruiser said "When you land, you risk tu off the house Once you are stabilized, you have to catch Soul Then shift into your cat, or, even better, a big snake, slither down a chiure out how to turn off the ward so we can coical deterrents are waiting inside"

"Biological deterrents?" Eli asked "Like the spidey va?"

"Soul says there are at least four undead guardians inside," Rick said, his voice less growly now that the night was nearly gone "One in every roo, she can’t pinpoint the location of any of thee, you ht die If you slide off the roof when you land, you will die If you can’t get inside through the chiht die And if you can’t fight off the things inside, you ht die"

"We don’t want you dead," Bruiser said

"And yet you’ve strung the line," I mused

"Because we had hoped that Soul and I could do the job Or Soul and Rick"

I placed the odd sot worse when I saw the sour look on Rick’s and Bruiser’s faces and the confusion on Eli’s Soul didn’t react, but her very nonreaction was funny "How bad did you get burned when you tried it?" I asked them

"I was unharmed," Soul said, "and was able to heal the wounds of the others"

"But I bet it hurt Didn’t it? Still trying to protect the little woer at the two ize," Bruiser said

"We were afraid you’d shift when you hit the ward’s energies," Rick said "We’re still afraid you’ll shift And if you do, you’ll probably die"

It was interesting to see the two u with any male this close to the full an to divest ht for that very purpose I hadn’t been able to sleep back at the house, but had spent the ti on coffee,up with a plan, talking through the equip it all up I’d have felt better if Eli had brought a shoulder-held rocket launcher, but he didn’t have one handy That was his reply when I mentioned it I was relatively certain that meant he had one somewhere My partner was scary In a totally cool, er kinda way

"Eli, you want to tell them e have planned?" I asked

"I’ll plant explosive devices at every corner of the building, right up against the ward Jane and Soul willcharm on Soul If Jane shifts, Soul will open the harness and let Jane’s cat fall through the opening Then drop her clothes Then drop her weapons The cat will snag everything with her claws, prop them in the cleft of the roof and chimney, jump up on the chieways or sealed, which they could be If they are open, Jane will gauge the size, shift back to huies, and catch you as you drop"

He looked at Soul "If she doesn’t shift, she’ll catch her equip"

"And then?" Bruiser asked