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"Oh, to hel with this, class dismissed," the professor said in defeat

I blinked, seeing the other students pack up without pause and leave the classroom Once the doorway cleared, Kim stood with a smirk on her face

"Why didn’t you come back to the house with the others?" I asked

She shrugged "Two papers due today I stil go to class, you know"

"So how did it go?" I asked, fol owing her down the halMy feet sca her wide strides

She shook her head, clearly troubled

"Don’t do that, Ki Shax, or Donovan and Isaac head on isn't working We need to think of another way to get the De We can’t distract the else more than that book"

I frowned, wary of Kim’s uncharacteristic concern "I stil say we don't need it Your family had the book al this time You have to knohat it said

Didn’t you open it?"

"No," she said firmly "I was never al owed to open it"

"What about your uncle? Your father? Between theh information for Jared to ith?"

Kiuess you didn’t catch the part about hoeren’t al owed to open the book"

"You said it yourself!" The words were louder than I’d meant for them to be I looked around, and then lowered "

Kim nodded, but her somber expressionthey would want more than the book"

I shook o for it"

"We need them to come to us We need bait"

"Think about it He’s not going to risk my life to saveit"

"Hey guys!" Beth yelped in her southern drawl "Ew That’s a horrible face," she said, arette seely from nowhere, and popped it between her lips "We were just discussing hoould use Nina as bait to lure demons," she said flatly

Beth’s face ?"

The corners of my mouth turned up, and I wrapped one arm around Beth’s tiny waist "Come on I don’t want to lose our table at the Ratty"

The three of us carried our trays the corner spot, and I couldn’t help but smile when I saw that Ryan’s chair had been fil ed His friends surrounded hihed,the dead silence upon our approach that much more noticeable

"Look who’s back in town, Babe!" Chad said, standing to greet Beth

Beth's tray slapped against the table when she dropped it to throw her ar her a squeeze

"Yay!" Her pageant-s every one of her teeth

To the others, lunch with Ryan was a celebration, but as the questions about his last days at war, how he got hurt, and why he’d waited so long to tel therew nervous So did Ryan

He stood "Wel ! I have to go horeat in it," Lisa smiled "I love men in uniforo, Nina"

"Where are we going?" I asked, looking up at her

"Yeah Where’re you going?" Ryan said

Kied on my arm until I stood "To class, Detective," Kilanced at estured for lanced up once, but didn’t stop to explain why Her long legs and quick strides hadby the tiht sprinkles stil fal ing froe puddle near Ki my jeans with dirty water

"What’s your hurry?" I asked, annoyed

"I' you to Quincy We could talk to my father to see what he knows, and if he knohat I think he does--nothing--we present my idea to Jared"

"But, I have class!" I protested

"Jared doesn’t show it around you, Nigh, but he’s desperate He knows soot nothing

We have no idea how to protect you e don’t knoe’re protecting you from"

"Demons," Ryan said "Isn’t that al we need to know?"

"No," Kim said "And you’re not invited"

"Wel , that’s too bad Because I’er side, and slammed it behind him

Kim looked to me

"Jared wil fol ow us," I warned

"So?" Kim said "He’ll want to knohat "

I looked around; the Escalade was notably absent "I haven’t heard fro in the dark make you feel better? You should know by nohy they keep things from you"

"It’s bad, isn’t it?" I said, afraid of the answer

"Just get in the car," Ki in behind the wheel

The drive to Quincy was silent, but e slowed to a stop in front of a large gate, Ryan and I shared a col ective gasp

"This is your house?" Ryan asked Staring in awe at the loo in a code

The gate opened slowly, and then Kiravel drive crunched beneath the Sentra's tires

"No way," Ryan said, hisoff the engine

Ryan and I leaned against our s, a in front of us It wasn’t a home, it was a fortress

"If you’re so rich, why do you drive this piece of shi--," Ryan began

"The Sentra serves her purpose," Kiravel drive It snaked al the way to the large, detached garage Her house was bigger than mine, and far more equipped with security Cameras were eneral traffic fro the drive spanned the entire estate

Two large dogs ran with great leaps, barking wildly until they reached us

"Hey boys!" Kiorous scratches When the reunion was over, she turned to us "This is Zeus, and the little one is Hera"

"Neither of thes led us to the front entrance, wagging their tails with such fervor, their entire back half wiggled with thea vast foyer A s an incredible vase that held beautiful, long-stemmed flowers

"Charlie!" Kis to bark "Charlie!" she said again Her voice echoed across the marble tile