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A subtle tension prickled around Dante as he swept a searching gaze about them "What is it?"

"I’m out of a job, and my rent is due"

There was a moment of sharp silence before Dante tilted back his head to offer a very unsyh With a frown, Abby slapped her hands on her hips

"What’s so funny?"

He reached up to grasp her chin with his slender fingers "You’ve become a Chalice for a powerful spirit, confronted demons, and are about to place yourself in the hands of witches Now you’re worried about whether or not you can pay the rent?"

Her eyes narrowed at his a a shopping cart down the streets and sleeping under a park bench--very real possibilities that are as bad as any deers strayed to brush over her cheek ’You think I would allow you to be tossed into the street?"

Soh, the witches would remove the spell froive her another thought?

They were the proverbial ships, or in this case vaht

Troubledcoain, Abby forced a stiff smile to her lips

"Well, you did lock you forers tightened on her face, his expression oddly so will har It’s a proht hold"

She was forced to s the luers upon her cheek By God, but he kne to steal a woroan renched from his throat as Dante pressed his forehead to her own

"Oh, lover, if you have any pity in your heart, you won’t look at me like that At least not now"

A dark sinful heat raced through Abby as she pressed herself next to Dante’s hard body If they weren’t standing in a thorn briar, or if de the nearby, she would have thrown hiround and have had her ith him

Damn but he made her hot and bothered

Unfortunately, no ae their situation, and with a shuddering sigh, she forced herself to step back

"We should find the coven," she said with a resigned gri for control, before lifting his head and sweeping his gaze over the star-studded sky

"Yes, daill coet this done"

Chapter 9

The past centuries had taught Dante more than a few lessons

Never dine upon drunkards Never turn your back on an angry woman Never bet on a horse nain

And never, never ignore pure instinct

That last lesson had been the hardest and best learned, which hy he had not directly headed for the coven, although he had ed to catch its scent only anot at all right, he decided as they drew closer An icy chill prickled over his skin, and the sht nearby A battle that had involved powerfulthe trees that hid the coven froer ahead He could sense no deer certain that it was the creatures of the night who posed the greatest threat

And that, of course, hat troubled hi that he was being led by the nose by this unseen eneo forward?

He had to find the witches

Even if it killed hi over his shoulder, he watched as Abby struggled to free her shirt fro thorn bush A faint smile twitched at his lips She truly was the most unusual of creatures As rare and precious as the finest jewel

As if sensing his gaze, she abruptly jerked her head up to glare at hilorious annoyance that she see to walk in circles, can we at least do it so?"

"We aren’t walking in circles," he instinctively denied, only to give a faint grimace "At least not precisely"

"I suppose you possess some sort of bat vision?"

He flicked his broard "You do know that bats are blind?"

She gritted her teeth "Vah, not that it trulyfor the coven"

"What?" Her eyes glittered with danger in the fading h this mutant briar patch for some sort of joke, I’ll st--"

"Stake ht try to be a bit less predictable, lover"

"You didn’t give me the chance to say where Yd stake you," she snapped

A flare of huh hi for the coven, then what the hell are we doing out here?"