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I rolled my eyes "Yeah, like Fred did ot a beer I don’t want you yakking all over the place again"

"I never yak--" A bushy eyebroent north "Okay, one tioing to be, either" And he took irl, going over with a swagger and a grin, because despite all evidence to the contrary, Marco believed hi And okay, so, hairy, swarthy, muscley way But I didn’t think she was likely to be impressed

She wasn’t, but not quite in the way I’d feared

She shoved his outstretched hand away and pushed past, as if she barely even saw him And maybe she didn’t Because her eyes were on the witches and I decided Iearlier They weren’t afraid

They were pissed

"Youyou dare" she gasped

"It’s all right, Rhea," the Valkyrie said, looking uncoht! You weren’t there--you didn’t see! She saved us, she saved us all, and with nothing--and you dare--"

I didn’t knoas going on, but the witches were going frowny, and the air was getting tense and things had been bad enough as they were Marco ht the sairl’s shoulder "Hey, why don’t we--"

"Unhand h to make him blink And draw his hand back And look at me

"Cassie--"

"You knoould like sohtly, not really expecting it to work

But it did

The girl curtsied--yeah, that’s what I said--deep and elegant and perfect The kind Eugenie had always tried to teach me, but I’d never quite ing doors alonesurprisingly well

And then I turned back around to find the three witches still staring at

Take a guess which

I sighed

"Look, if it helps, I’m sorry, okay?" I told them "I would have invited you to the party, if I’d known there was going to be a party, and I would have greeted you if I’d known you existed--"

"Knee existed--" the Valkyrie spluttered

Crap

"And I’ll hts where you’re concerned," I added quickly "Not that there’s anything scheduled right now that I know of, but if and when I find out--"

"If?" The Valkyrie turned to look at her coet an invitation Are we okay?"

"No!" she said severely "Nothing about this is okay!"

I sighed again and leaned onwhat the hell it was they wanted And what it would take to get theo away And why my hand, which had reached for my beer, had come back empty

Damn Marco

"Would it help if I let you win?" I asked sourly Because Jules wasn’t the only one who had proble

The Valkyrie puffed up, but Jash the heated rooently, "if you could tell us what your court is doing"

I looked back and forth between the three of the else all night And then I said the words that I knew--I knew-- I’d regret

"What court?"

Chapter Twenty-four

That went over about as well as I’d thought it would The Valkyrie blew up, the others started trying to talk her down, and then the fourth s really got hot I was tired and wanted my beer, so I started for the kitchen, only to be intercepted by Marco co room

I hadn’t heard him leave, but then, that wasn’t unusual Vampires make little cat feet sound loud "Hey, where did you put my--" I started, only to stop at the look on his face

It was enough, but if I’d had any doubts, Caleb was right behind hi before he got all the words out

Jules wasn’t in the bedrooainst a wall, leaving a large cleared spot in front of the balcony doors He was lying in it, on top of a sheet that must have been used to carry him in here

I didn’t have to ask why they’d wanted the sheet