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I glanced up the river walk, toward the west end I saw nothing "I left Josie and ran here, stopped, and barfed over the railing" I looked at Phin "When I turned around, Seth was right behind aze "He knew me, Phin I could see it"

Phin’s face turned hard "In his opaque eyes, you nize you, Riley Not this far into his quickening" He shook his head "No way"

I crossed lanced upward at the more than half-circle hed "He did He lunged at me, and when I called his name"--I looked at him--"he flinched He stopped when he didn’t have to"

Phin rubbed his neck "Then, where’d he go?"

Glancing at the place where Seth had just stood, I shrugged "He lunged for , and he justdisappeared" I stared up both ends of River Street "What about the guy? Back in the alley?"

Shaking his head, Phin grasped my elbow "Don’t dwell on it, Riley They took hio," he said, thenFrench beneath his breath "Eli would kick my ass if he knew I let you off alone," he said to himself, but I’d clearly heard

We crossed the cobbles and old trolley rails, gained the sidewalk, and walked to the narrow alley next to"Why’s that?" I asked I kneas fake coy, but I didn’t care I wanted to hear it We cliave me a sly look

"He just would," he answered, and continued to look at me with curiosity "Why’d you barf?" I looked at hiht," I said, and fished the key out of my pocket as we mounted the top of the steps and turned down the es of Eli kissing hthat followed: his hands, his mouth, his body inside of mine--it overwhelmed me I found it beyond weird to think I’d known Eli for such a short tiin; I’d had sex before That night with Eli wasn’t sex It was soin, and obviously soain I accepted it as that and pushed everything else out of my brain

Chaz barked as soon as he heardhis leash, alked hiht I made a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich, and Phin sat on the counter while I ate

"My father says you’ll need to close your business for the last week of the quickening," he announced "I was supposed to tell you earlier, but I forgot"

I stared, midbite "No way" I bit, then continued to chew "I’ll take off, but Nyx can run the shop This is high season for me, and unlike you, I didn’t come from money"

Phin smiled "I confess--that is a pretty sweet deal But Papa made us each invest--even Josie We all have our own money" He smiled "Microsoft"

"Do you have a social security card? Driver’s license?" I asked, and took another bite I chased it with a long gulp of arded hirinned "Of course," he said "We pay taxes, too"

I shook my head and rinsed e that"