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He was out the door in the nextto close it Jade turned back to a stricken Lisette “What do you suppose that’s all about?”

“I don’t know,” the witch said “But so you”

Jade’s stomach coiled “Please don’t say that”

Lisette stood She rounded her desk andup, she added, “We don’t have a lot of coincidences or intrigues as a rule in this village If you’re being tracked, it probably has so off about”

Jade instantly thought of Michael Her stalker had seen the position What if he’d gone after Michael and that hy she hadn’t sensed the predator’s presence until much later, after her dream?

Her heart hammered in her chest She raced outside and rushed toward the hall, which doubled as a spiritual gathering place on Sundays She left Lisette behind, knowing her friend would have aers closed their shops and filled the sidewalks,place

Jade stored past the slomeration and then burst into the open common area Mismatched chairs were always set to receive the populace of a hundred or so and Jade hurried down thetable with two upholstered chairs The slayers sat there, arms folded over their chests as they waited for the others to take their seats

Moving forward, Jade planted her hands on the sturdy wooden table and leaned toward the, “What’s happened?”

“Now, Jade,” Walker Marks said in a strained tone, his scarred face stoic “You’ll have to wait to hear the nee announce it”

Frayed nerves urged her on “This has so to do with the demons, doesn’t it?”

“Jade,” Tanner Monroe, the younger of the two slayers, said in a clipped voice “Don’t create e, he added, “Please?”

Agitated, she straightened and whirled around Her gaze landed on Michael and she sighed with relief Hurrying over to hirabbed him by the hands and said, “Thank God you’re okay I was thinking you ht”

“Not that I’rave as hers likely was “We don’t have iic has happened What do you know?”

“Nothing Neither Walker nor Tanner will tell ”

She was probably the only one in the village who could insist they share their inforhter of the h when he’d established the village of survivors After her father’s death, however, the slayers—at that tiovern the community