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She heard a rustling again…like wings
Her heart was pounding crazily, but quietly, quietly, she eased the door open…
The room was richly paneled and wallpapered, with a triplescreens in two corners Racks of period clothing lined the walls in tiers going all the way up to the ceiling
Caitlin saw her own self reflected three times in the triple mirror…and a body sprawled on the floor to the side of her
She turned quickly toward it--and gasped in shock
Crouched over the body was the vampire Banjo Marks He had been invisible in the mirrors
He looked equally startled to see her, and she realized that the illusion of the glamour had vanished when she confronted herself in the aunt and jittery va knife And the body before hiant purple coat: Arht the shapeshifter was dead, he was so still and pale Then she caught the faintest sign of breath, his chest rising weakly
"What are you doing?" she deht hi with the onset of blood lust; his fangs were already extended and glea white in the dim room
Caitlin realized she had to act quickly as he raised the knife
"Banjo, no!" she cried out
"This creature killed the olf He nearly killed you" The vampire’s eyes were red with excite else
"That was the walk-in, not Ar that the walk-in had left the body; Armand’s cru
"I think…the walk-in is gone," she said carefully
"I’ain
"But it’s Armand!"
She realized that on one level--on the main level--Banjo didn’t care at all In fact, the death of the shapeshifter would create a shake-up in the Council, and Banjo had had political aspirations for soone unsatisfied, as no one trusted the unpredictable vampire Armand St Pierre’s death would be a boon for Banjo, and that made the situation even more volatile
She quickly calculated her options Shapeshifters’ bodies were not iths; they were bound by the limitations of the body type and fra did not endow theth or powers, only the illusion of a different shape If Banjo stabbed Armand or cut his throat, then Ar the action
Caitlin’s heart was beating wildly, but she kept her voice supremely calm, even nonchalant
"Banjo, wouldn’t it be better to let the Council decide?" Quickly appealing to his political aspirations, she added, "I know it’s tiresome But you know the Council All their rules and protocols You kno they are about anyone fro someone fros bared
"Agreed," Caitlin said, her voice hard "But I have more jurisdiction than you do here Let"So there will be no…unpleasantness for you in the happy event that you are called to serve"
Even through whatever drugged state Banjo was in, he understood herShe took a chance and advanced slowly, carefully, toward him
She raised her hand just as carefully--turned it over, palive her the knife
Outside in the hall, Ryder hovered, listening, in an agony of indecision His instinct was to charge the room, disarm the vampire But he could just see around the door and knew Caitlin was handling Banjo perfectly, that she et the knife from him
He had to trust her So he waited, breath suspended…
Inside the costu darkly, "The Council …"
"It’s intolerable," Caitlin agreed He was just on the verge She put her fingers lightly on his wrist "But your tirip on the knife handle, and Caitlin deftly slipped the weapon from his hand
Ryder seized the mos elongating
Ryder took in Armand’s motionless body on the floor and followed Caitlin’s lead, turning to Banjo with feigned surprise and admiration "Excellent work--you’ve incapacitated him"
He saw Caitlin’s eyes widen, saw that she understood
"Banjo was brilliant," she enthused, her eyes begging Ryder to play along "I just got here He already had Armand co up the praise But his blood lust was still driving him "The shifter is here now Surely between a shifter and the Keeper of the shifters, this enemy can and should be dispatched for the sake of the Community"