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I grinned "I could say the saet all weak-kneed and tonguetied Woer at them, and half of them keel over from shock and awe "

Roslyn smiled at my compliment, but she shook her head "Maybe, but I don't use it like Salina did She kne beautiful she was, and she used it to get exactly what she wanted exactly when she wanted it But on the rare occasions that didn't happen, she becaardens at the Dubois estate one ti the roses, and he accidentally cut one branch too many Salina saw him, of course, and she went over to talk to hi that was unkind - on the surface, anyway - but by the tiized to her over and over again, like it was all his fault that she was so disappointed in him And all because he hadn't trimmed the roses back exactly the w

ay she'd wanted Like I said, justcruel "

Cruel It was such a siiven what I'd seen her do to Antonio Ele all the water pulled out of your body and your eyes popped out of your skull for an extra thrill, well, that was a little extreme - even by Ashland standards, where elemental duels were common

"Cruel," I said "Got it "

Roslyn opened herelse, but the bell over the front door chi that I had a new customer

And just like that, Salina Dubois herself strolled into the Pork Pit

Chapter 18

Salina stood in the doorway, surveying ain, I was struck by how lovely she was, but her beauty didn't inspire quite the same awe in me as it had before, especially since Roslyn was here

Where Roslyn's beauty was soft, war, Salina's was hard, cold, and distant The planes of her face were perfectly proportioned, but the angles were sharp, as though her porcelain skin had been chiseled froloss, while her eyes were that shifting color soreen But even they were cold, so cold they relass eyes I'd seen in soo Flat, empty, and completely emotionless

Salina wore a power suit in a bright aquaht out the beauty of her sun-kissed skin Matching stilettos covered her dainty feet, and I could see the gleam of her pink pedicure all the way across the restaurant Her silverstone cuff bracelet - the one with her ht wrist But the expensive clothes and flash of jewelry almost made her seem a little too polished, a little too perfect, like she was made of wax and would melt if you so much as touched her

The only thing soft about Salina was her hair, which cascaded down her back in rippling blond waves, re me of the water she could so easily control I'd never been one for long hair myself Too much trouble to take care of and, inpulled out during a fight to the death

"Stay right where you are Act casual, but whatever you do, don't turn around," I told Roslyn in a soft voice

The vampire stiffened "Salina just walked into the restaurant, didn't she?"

I nodded "And since it see for to, I don't want her to see you and remember you used to visit her father Okay?"