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"Treasure?"

"So like a book, but rolled up" She paused to think "A scroll He said it was old, and worth billions of euros" She flicked her fingers "Nothing in the country is worth that kind of ician who kne toto steal the secret of eternal life That’s when I laughed at him"

"Really" Nick saw her lover turn his head to stare at the prostitute "Then what happened?"

"What do you think? He started hitting me with his fists until I blacked out" Oksana sniffed "When I woke he was gone He took all ainst her lips "I can’t work like this Do you kno et you fixed up Drink your wine" Nick shifted around to face Gabriel "The Brethren never share this kind of information with their hired muscle, and they’re interested only in vaot some new rules and players"

"Can you attend to this female?" When she nodded, Gabriel rose "I’ll o before she spoke again to Oksana "Honey, I think you just scared the pants off my boyfriend"

The prostitute’s eyes filled with tears "I’ of dread and took hold of the other wo to remember in about two minutes"

Once she had co she had told theave her all the cash she had on her and sent her to the safe house they used in Paris She then used her ed the safe house, and instructed hi

"Have your people give her soet her in to see a dentist, too," she said as she walked up to the hotel where she and Gabriel were staying

"It will be as you say, my lady," the tresora promised

"Thanks, and don’t call me ‘my lady’" Nick switched off the phone and spoke to the elderly dooro, ave her a cheeky smile "He went directly upstairs"

As Nick did the sa Oksana had said about Antoine and the arson job Gabriel hadn’t reacted until the prostitute had mentioned the treasure, and then he had looked…stunned? Scared? Both?

Nick didn’t care for surprises, and she really didn’t like her lover feeling frightened After being captured by the Brethren, Gabriel had spent two years at theirtortured and questioned daily In the end they’d bricked him up in the cellar of an abandoned house and left hi that for a Darkyn took years If not for Nick finding hi away

If this were some kind of Brethren setup, Gabriel would have told her i else--soht try to keep from her

Inside their suite, Gabriel stood by the s He was speaking quietly in the old language over the satellite phone they used to communicate with other Darkyn Nick went to the bar and poured herself amedicine while she watched his reflection on the mirrored wall and waited for hi to forgive So far" She deliberately finished the drink and rinsed out the glass before she turned to hian to speak she held up a hand "Is this so that you don’t want me to know because I’m not one of the boys? Tell me that first"

He hesitated before he said, "It is both"

"Okay, that explains why you were talking to the vaainst theframe "Let’s hear it"

"Nicola, this is a very delicate, potentially volatile situation--"

"And when is it not?" she asked "Just spill it"

"This dile to do with the Brethren At least, we do not believe they are involved" He sounded tired, the way he did when anything re captivity "The woroup hired to kill a Kyn lord and steal the treasure he guards for us"

"This treasure would be the solid-gold scroll thing?" When he nodded, she sighed "Wonderful Who’s the Kyn lord?"

"You don’t know him," Gabriel said "His name is Helada Cristophe, the o to Provence tonight and retrieve it"

"Oh,better and better "Is this because we’d like to donate it to a museum?"