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"I still have a day"

Caic and the curse of the transformation"

"Which means the task you set was unfair and renders our bet null and void"

"Nice try, "

"Then you should have been specific Too late now" Ca the e on our bet"

"What if I did?" She challenged

"Grayson," Camilla said

He crossed the roos pricked her neck before she could draw a breath Then he froze Her false bravado shattered as her attention focused on his teeth on her skin

Camilla stepped into her view "He drinks and you disappear That’s what happens"

"But"

The Demon Queen waited

"I still have a day," she said

"You do Grayson, release her"

He closed hisher down She touched her throat

Gray’s arms remained around her "It’s just a nick I couldn’t resist"

"Grayson," Ca Evelyn to stand on her unsteady feet Her world was quickly spinning out of control She latched onto the one inconsistency

"Why does he obey you?" she asked "He’s older than you Why are you the Demon Queen?"

Camilla shot Gray an annoyed frown "I found hi in self-imposed isolation on a tiny island in the middle of the Pacific The modern world had defeated them more effectively than vah ed azine eeous people"

"Except for being unable to be photographed," Evelyn said

"It makes it difficult, but it’s a sain, she asked, "Are you going to makethe transforhtened senses, beauty, and intelligence to name a few I need your talent, my dear You will be well taken care of in my nest"

"Gee, I feel so much better now"

"No Don’t be like that You’re the one who agreed to the deal Tomorroill send Grayson to fetch you Please be ready" Camilla swept out with Gray in tow

Evelyn remained in place Camilla’s visit was ave her a renewed deter Or was that a new surge of desperation?

Back at her co down details about the hybrid camera Yep, that proved it It was desperation

Sunday

Consuar, Evelyn had searched for inforet past the fact that neither the digital, video, nor the film cameras worked Therefore, a hybrid wouldn’t work either She needed a different lens or medium Or a raphy textbooks and flipped through the pages Listing everyone who had any knowledge of photography, she dug deep into her ues

What else? kept repeating in her mind like a mantra

Around noon, the answer popped into her head She dismissed it for a split second as insane But like Vee had said, desperate people do desperate things Back at her computer, she looked up infor to Best Buy for a new and secure cell phone

As the phone rang on the other end, Evelyn tried to come up with an explanation that wouldn’t make her sound like a lunatic

"Hello?" a man’s voice said

"Hi, Antonio, it’s Evelyn Mitchell I know it’s been ages, we used to work together at--"

"Evelyn! How the hell are you?" he asked

"Truthfully, not good Are you still in the business?"

"Yes, why?" His friendly tone had turned cautious

One knot in her sto problee favor"

Silence, then, "What do you need?"

The request ca pause on the other end

She jumped in before he could say no "I won’t tell a soul, and if you do this for me, I’ll take pictures of your kids every year for the rest of their lives I’ll hire them as cover models if they want It’s vital, Antonio"

No response But he hadn’t hung up

"I’ll pay--"

"No raph e?"