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Jane said, "The vamps have a request By today’s laws, now that Roht to true death By ree not to talk about what you learned here tonight They’re willing to pay for your silence Vari on her power "If they save Evelyn, we’ll agree to keep quiet If they don’twell, we’ll have to see"

Liz sht "And if they think they can o away I’ve had ht"

"And I’ve had ht," Cia added

As one, the line of vahter flowing down the hillside, through the fog "Good to hear"

Liz realized that the tension she had felt in Jane was gone, replaced by so that was nearly jovial "You’ve been worried," Liz said, "that you were going to have to figure out a way to protect us if the vaht talk" Liz looked at the blond vaht "We’d have fried you to a crisp, lady"

Both of the vaain "Va way Vamps seem to have alet’s call it a fascination itches Sometimes that makes ’em stupid" Dacy frowned at that, but Jane indicated that the twins should lead the way "Let’s get this show on the road"

--

The vampires stood in an arc outside the unpowered outer circle, their faces white, still, pale as marble statues The mayor was unchained and stood with the a Nei, and tears ran down his face "Do it," Dacy said, applying pressure to his shoulder "Do it or I will"

The va them, her eyes vamped out, blood on her face Beside her, Evelyn lay in a boneless tangle of li, fast--far too fast

Mayhew opened the shopping bag and lifted out a shoe box The va, her hands behind her back, leaning forward in that odd birdlike, snakelikeHer face took on an expression of sharp avarice "For ?"

"For you, eous shoes Cia sucked in a breath of desire "Those are ruby-toned Giuseppe Zanotti five-inch stilettos, encrusted with Swarovski crystals and beads They sell for nineteen hundred dollars Oh My God"

Mayheent on "I’ll trade for them"

Romona tilted her head "Trade?"

"Shoes for the huone anyway Yes" She held out her hands "Shoes Mine" Then she pointed at the black boot on the ground "Mine too"

"Yes," Mayhew said, bloody tears on both cheeks "Yours too"

"Acceptable to me" And Roht and a winsome mischievousness

Jane pulled two silver stakes froround just outside the hedge of thorns They buried their hands in the chilled soil and Cia said, "Fro happened so fast, like photos that overlaid one another, shuffled in a strong hand The hedge fell

Ros Cia and Liz rolled out of the way Ro hi bodies, her hands co The stakes sla it was deafening A death keening Cia and Liz covered their ears in shock Blood fountained up over Jane’s hands

The keening shut off Jane pulled the dead vauish human and pitiable Two other vamps reattached his shackles as Jane hefted the dead vampire to her shoulder and carried the body into the dark Mayhew raised his face to the night sky and screa echoed Once Twice

Dacy knelt over the limp body of Evelyn McMann, a small knife in her hand With an econo at all, she sliced her orist and placed it at Evelyn’s mouth The blood trickled in, and Dacy held Evelyn’s jaw until the human woman sed Liz and Cia stood in the cold wind, ar the second- their eneripped Dacy’s wrist The vampire looked at them and said, "She will live Your word, if you please"

"We’ll never speak of this to anyone without your permission," Cia said

"We’ll never speak of this to anyone unless it means the life of another," Liz amended

"Acceptable," Lincoln Shaddock said Dacy picked Evelyn up like she was a baby and started for the cars

Moments later Jane came back, from a different direction There was blood on her white shirt "We’re done," she said "The policing of Lincoln Shaddock for his clan is acceptable to Leo Pellissier, the Master of the City of New Orleans andthe Appalachian Mountains where we stand Pay the Everharts" She pointed to Cia and Liz

Lincoln Shaddock removed an envelope froathered up their belongings and raced to their car to find Evelyn asleep in the backseat They were halfway down the ht their breath "That icked weird," Cia said

"Yeah Let’s get Evelyn back to Layla and start studying up on how to get purified before the blood ics sink too deep"