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Chapter One

It was hard to ianville standards - could get any worseand then the vae wanted breakfast

"Breakfast?" Claire repeated blankly She took a look at the living room , just to prove to herself that, yes, it was still dark outside Getting darker all the time

The three va that kind of attention from the two she hadn't properly met yet - man and woman, eerily pretty - but when the cold, old Mr Bishop's eyes focused her way, it made her want to curl up in a corner and hide

She held his stare for a full five seconds, then looked down She could al

"Breakfast," he said softly, "is sos for vas"

"Scra not to sound as nervous as she felt Don't say over easy I don't kno to s over easy I don't even knohy I mentioned it Don't say over easy

"Scrambled," he said, and Claire's breath rushed out in relief Mr Bishop was sitting in the co room that her houseuitar Unlike Michael, Mr Bishop made it look like a throne Part of it was that everybody else stayed standing -Claire, with her boyfriend, Shane, hovering protectively by her side; Eve and Michael a little distance away, holding hands Claire risked a glance at Michael He lookedcontained Angry, sure, but under control, at least

Claire was more scared about Shane He had a pretty well-docu, at least when it came to the personal safety of those he cared about She took his hand, and he sent her a quick, dark, unreadable glance

No, she wasn't sure about him at all

Mr Bishop's voice pulled her attention back to hiirl?"

That had been Bishop's first cohter? Aanville - didn't seeh to have family, not even family as scary as Mr Bishop Ice and crystal, that was Amelie

He aiting for an answer, and Claire hastily got one together "I called I got her voice mail," Claire said She tried not to sound defensive Bishop's eyebrows drew together in a scowl

"I suppose that e " She nodded ers impatiently on the ars, scrambled, as I said We shall also have bacon, coffee - "

"Biscuits," drawled the wo on the arm of his chair "I love biscuits And honey" The va that wasn't quite Southern and wasn't quite not, either Mr Bishop gave her a tolerant look, the kind a hulitter in her eyes, and moved so sular-flavored hu it, either, the way soanville tried to do

The wo, dark eyes fixed on Shane Claire didn't like the way she was looking at hireedy