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"It was nothing" Mirceo brushed iinary lint off his shoulder "A day in the life of bounty hunters such as we"

Cas's lips twitched Throughout the night, the varin permanent and crooked He was kind ofadorable like this

"Were you truly inside a gulg?" another hunter asked

"Co us hasn't been?" Mirceo winked at Cas

The charroup that had surrounded the prince the first night Cas had met him

"Nohich one of you exteriant scorpion?" Leyak asked as he poured another round

Cas waved toward the vampire "The scorpion was all him"

With his eyes lively, Mirceo said, "I also faced a ht for sure it'd take s"

Cas coughed into his fist to disguise his laugh

Before anyone could ask about this beast, Mirceo said to the partner's exploits"

"He took his first posted bounty"--Leyak waved at the wall of the a rich warlock's daughter"

Mirceo said, "This Ion every word as others talked about him?

Hell Yes Soazed at Cas as if he was a hero of old--as if the vampire was a littleawed by him

Feels like I've waited odsdamned life for a look like that

"She'd last been seen in a dark forest," Leyak said "In his panic, the warlord sent out his whole settlement to search for her"

One of the huntersthe trail Rookie mistake"

"Even so, Cas located her," Leyak continued "She'd tripped into an abandoned troll hole and gotten trapped"

"How did you find her?" Mirceo asked

Deadpan, Cas said, "Tripped into the same troll hole"

The hunters laughed, Mirceo a them

Gods, that vah turned Cas inside out

Leyak shook his head "Nothing doing Caspion identified her footprints a thousands of them and tracked her alone"

Easy enough Her right leg had been longer than her left, and her shoes had been assereat wealth in that dimension

"Tell me more," Mirceo said

"There's a reason he's called Caspion the Tracker," Leyak said with pride "He's collected on every bounty, locating his every prey"

Over the riot away"

Leyak sighed "Not technically a bounty, son"

"Who got away?" Mirceo asked

"The Vrekeners who attacked Bettina," Cas said bitterly "Remember, I could never find them--"

"Because you can't bloody fly," Leyak said, and the others nodded "Their realm floated in the skies"

"Maybe even then I could have succeeded" Narrowing his eyes at Mirceo, he said, "But someone beat me to the punch"

The vampire muttered, "Trehan"

Bingo That prick had brought Bettina the heads of her attackers Hewith his scry crystal, then utilized his skill as an assassin to slaughter them

Before his good h out of you lot I need to get my friend ho Mirceo's ar You've drunk your fill"

Gray eyes locked on Cas's neck, Mirceo rasped, "Never"

TWENTY-THREE

"Where are we?" The vaalow

"Another one of my bolt holes" A far cry from the luxury Mirceo was used to, this no-frills cabin had only one bedrooe, stretching out over the sea

"You broughtserious, then"

"Don't read anything into it It isn't like I can trace you ho you to bed"