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Soht I woke from ould be the first offrom a dream But my room wasn’t my room; my apartment wasn’t my apartment I was somewhere completely different and unfamiliar, and I immediately kneas a place where I was definitely not welcoer As if I inhabited some weird apocalyptic world, I lived in a derelict warehouse with rats, flaking paint, and broken s, and when I looked outside, everything was gray, bleak, and lifeless--except for me Then I saw them--vaht or ten of theedy punks In the next second, they’d leapt onto my balcony, and I stuh the warehouse I tried to escape, but they were all around hing; I knew then I’d never outrun theht I was surprised to find a sh; it hadn’t been there before Against a wall I turned, dreeapon, and aimed One fleard me, face contorted into monstrous bloodlust and hatred, jaw hyperextended It was Seth My fingers froze on my weapon I couldn’t do it Then the others joined him as they descended upon me, merciless and horrific, and I screa in my throat was scorched

In the next second, a pair of iron hands shook htmare, and when I ca I recognized In the shadows of ht they were He sat onto me now, and for the second time in my adult life I felt helpless and out of control "I can’t stop shaking," Iup, Eli’s hands still grasping s and pushed my forehead to h, then crooned in French, and it totally changed his voice "Cal, and swear to God, I didn’t care The sound soothedstopped His hands stayed on me I wanted therip only slightly less ironlike than the one on raspedto be easy," he said, "but you’re going to have to try"

Through bleary eyes I studied him "That dream was horrible andso realistic My brother wanted to killdinner"

"You’ve no idea how potent your blood is," he said, still grasping h it may be, it is a heady te harder and harder to concentrate with his hand on uard , anxiously awaiting a decent response

Eli laughed softly "Because while I’s, I also have more control And your Preacher would have no less"

I nodded, he dropped his hand, and I was completely aware of how close his body was to aze "I learned a long tio not to depend on anyone’s shoulder to cry on, so all thisconsoling is very weird for me"

Eli’s eyes left mine and moved to my shoulder Without permission, he lifted on’s lithe body fro it closely My skin warmed immediately "I think you hide behind your art," he said evenly, then set ht like a dude, and ink your skin"--he lifted a forefinger and traced the wing at my eye--"doesn’t mean you don’t need a shoulder" He rose "Everybody needs one of those, Riley Evenus" He gave a slight sh-ass exterior you really want so my bedroom floor, he stopped at the door while I remained speechless "Lucky for you I’m not exactly busy at the moht off of him, he left the room

The pillow I threw landed too late; it hit the wall beside the door, and his easy chuckle sounded fro room Frustrated, I juant bastard "What did thatroom "That Frenchy stuff?"

"Quiet down, painted one"

Soht think it, maybe fully believe it But I’d never--never--adht, but yeah--sort of Shoving my earbuds in, I cranked up "Heads Will Roll" by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and fell hard asleep

When next I woke, the h the balcony door My very first thought was Seth And no lie, , one-of-a-kind blood Third thought? I have a hell of a hangover Crawling fro room and stopped short I found Eli on the sofa, Chaz beside hi in Eli’s lap Chaz saw ed his hiniesca (he has no tail)

"Get any sleep?" Eli said, looking like he’d showered and changed--two things I didn’t think a va Chaz between the ears

Crossing ?"

Eli shrugged "We’re friends now"

"Right" I glanced at the clock "Any bodies turn up this arded me with solemn eyes "Not yet But they won’t all turn up, Riley"

I nodded "Gotta get next door and back in forty minutes My first appointment is at eleven today"