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“You want ressive all of a sudden I nod

“I wouldn’t trust anyone if I were you,” she tells me bluntly “Not the vamps, not Marcel or Gabriel Once they’ve discovered what’s different about you, they’ll either use you up ‘til there’s nothing left if it’s anything of worth, or they’ll throw you away and forget about you if it’s so nice to you because of thethey’ve never come across before You sa Marcel ith me last week?” she continues

“Yeah, he was kind of rude” I admit

“You probably thought that was because I’ain, I nod

“Well,” she sht there, but that’s what the warlocks and witches are like with anybody not from one of their families Kind of incestuous if you askh, I do ic, and I practice it with er Yeah, I kiss his ass, but that’s only because he’s got the supplies,” she pats her bag, now full of stolen herbs

“What about the vampires?” I ask “Do you think I can trust them?”

“I don’t deal with the vamps, so I can’t really advise you on that But I’d say they only want you for the very same reason Marcel does, and it ain’t your pretty face, hun They’re all after power, and if you can give it to them then they’ll treat you like the Queen of Sheba”

I rest my chin in the palms of my hands My forehead crinkles orry Well, hasn’t Rita just gone and thrown one giant sized spanner in the works I suppose it’s a good thing, because I need to know if I’ conned We’re both silent for a few moments, and my brain buzzes with questions and ideas Rita’sothers like her piques h aic users out there to overthrow the hierarchy of these twelve fa about

Tentatively, I ask, “So…exactly how ic users that is?”

Rita looks atwhether or not to answer Then she looks down and coughs “Three,” she says finally

“Only three?” I ask in surprise By the way she’d been talking I was expecting a er number Then I consider how rude Iyou and your mum, or after?” I say

“Including,” says Rita, with so like embarrassment on her face

“Oh”

Suddenly she gets defensive “Look, it’s not all about nu to build an aric to better ourselves and our quality of life, to further our understanding of the universe Not for power or accolades Or status,” she snorts, and I can tell she’s referring to the twelve families when she tells me this

After a moment, I smile “You surprise me Rita”