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I set the box with the Wadjeti on the desk and opened the safe I got less of a buzz from it than from the doorway Not because these wards were less powerful but because the safe had been made for me and was keyed to my DNA I’d had to reset it postattack, but now that it "knew" the va it wouldn’t weird out again eight ot it to accept my altered DNA

I set the Wadjeti onto the shelf next to the box with ic of the other A soft, gentle hum filled the metal enclosure I stared in pleased awe at the beautiful rainbow of colors--my own private aurora borealis that pulsed and danced inches away How pretty

That emotion lasted for about a second and a half before it occurred to ht show Eek I slammed it closed with a little entle tap of knuckles against my office door

"Yes?"

"It’s John Creede Can I co to be a tenant and on the same floor, I should probably be nice "Sure"

He opened the door, then reached out a hand to touch the invisible line of poith a slanced over at me "DeLuca?"

I nodded

"He does damned fine work" Creede’s expression darkened to a scowl as he visibly "swaed inside the roo "It just kills e"

"He hasn’t said yes yet, has he?" I honestly didn’t know, since I hadn’t talked to hi a fool and he was losing patience with it "He ned the contract yet, but you haven’t seen the package we negotiated For some reason he really wants to h one to please" Creede said it drily and raised one brow We both knehy Bruno wanted to ot out here and wished he’d call e until after I was locked up again

I wanted to hear his voice and definitely wanted to tell hi to be da with Creede and Bruno orking for the competition Because Bruno is the best And the clients would know it

"So, what just happened?" Creede asked "I feltsoh to cause h the wards"

"I put sos I had in there already reacted," I explained

"Reacted how?" He didn’t bother to hide his concern I couldn’t blaerous and this was powerful stuff I wasn’t nearly as worried now that the safe door was closed and I had thick steel protecting ht of it, but I was confident about the safe Bruno did the original work, but I had a coe and layer the protections "Put on a light show Shot rainbows around the roos vibrate? Was the light red, green, what? Did the objects get hot or cold?" Creede fired the questions at e, and literally rainbows," I answered, "just colored light It was really pretty But I decided I’d better shut the safe door just in case"

"Rainbows" He shook his head and scowled "And they reacted to each other What the hell do you have in there and how did you get it?"

I liked Creede well enough But I like my secrets, too The knives Bruno h that there are people ould literally kill to get their hands on them Even people I’ve known for years have no idea they exist And if what El Jefe said about the Wadjeti was true, it was basically priceless So I just smiled sweetly and said, "Gifts froht about the demon that almost killed me and the woman who set hireater de her, but she was definitely going to be a hard target Was that what Ivan had been contactingthey’re as powerful as my eneed the subject "Look, I’d like to apologize to you for what I said earlier"