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I prayed out loud “Please, God, help me undo whatever I did to her”

Phoenix stopped trying to drag the bat out of Barry’s hands She went very still, ar her face that her eyes would be empty, face slack I’d seen it on other vampire victims God, I hated that I had done that to her

The crosses started to glow brighter, but it was blue light, and it didn’t hurt to look at it the hite heat could I’d been in fights with vaht This was different, gentler It felt peaceful, the way praying can when you get that soft touch, as if you can feel God listening

Phoenix started to fall Barry dropped the bat, and it clattered on the floor as he caught her She blinked in his ar around the room as if she’d just woken up Her dark makeup was smeared over her face almost like bruises, but she wouldn’t re she did remember was

The glow of the two crosses started to fade, and I got that sense of peace that I soets answered Sa past an almost beatific smile I knew then that he felt it, too

“What’s happening?” Phoenix asked “Did they spike ht her a drink Good She hadn’t lost too much time

“No, Phoenix,” Barry said, “they didn’t spike your drink” He was staring at me as if he didn’t knohat to make of me That made two of us

“Coet out of here,” Newun

I grabbed my fries off the table as I went toward the door I wanted to h food in me until I went home and had real vampires around me to help me control this shit, or at least had Nicky with me or someone as already on my approved menu for metaphysical munchies

62

MY PHONE RANG just as Newht Somehow, I kneas Nicky before I answered it I don’t think it was metaphysics or at least not the vampire kind—more the couple kind

“Anita, what just happened?”

“I’m okay”

“If by okay youstopped, then yeah, but what caused the ardeur to rise like that?”

“I don’t know” I ate another French fry while I waited for him to respond