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I had to be thankful for the cold season of the year too In summer I would not have been able to encase race itself, because no one would wonder atthe sunlit streets under a black umbrella

I wrapped a dark scarf several times around my face and pulled a hat low over loves covered the exposed skin offor an extra layer of protection Under the coat I had two guns tucked into the back of my jeans, and the pockets were laden with extra silver bullets, the clips preloaded for me by my fae weapons dealer so I didn’t have to touch the bullets I had on knee-high black boots over the jeans, not wanting to risk an exposed slash of ankle And because I couldn’t feel too protected going into this situation, I slid a long, sheathed silver blade, the handle double taped forroo Desmond sleep Part of , but he onlyinco Peyton in alive would have been easier with help, but the job had been tasked to et it done I needed to do it alone, and the best chance I had to succeed was to attack in the daylight when he would be dead to the world

I stooped and gave Desht, it wouldn’t be our last

Then I was gone

Chapter Thirty

Outside, daylight smashed into me like a fist I felt discohtness of a sunny afternoon, and under the layers of clothing I broke out in a cold sweat This was the kind of fear I didn’t kno to deal with The sun was not an eneht, and noillingly walking out into it

I opened up the umbrella, and the black ht as I stepped out onto the sidewalk Stu down the street like a burdened drunk, I kicked lasses I’d never owned a pair--I’d never had a need for the e to sleep was so incredible it hadn’t been mistaken about the theater, because if I could at least find th to give ht out of my eyes and continued my pathetic trek towards the only location that made sense There was a place halfway between my apartment and Central Park that had once been a luxurious theater called the Orpheum A fire in the 1980s had killed several people and led to its subsequent closure, but because it was considered a historical building debate raged on for decades as to what should be done with the place

It was remiss of me to not think of it sooner as a perfect nest Of course it would appeal to vaedy Furthermore, the nasty appeal of the place would soh to sneak in ould then find thery clusterfuck of undead

After a few blocks of lethargic progress, I stood on the corner opposite the theater It ht of day The ph of the Orpheuo so I read it as the Or eu idea Many small round bulbs that once lit the marquee had been smashed by vandals, so only those out of easy reach were still whole The marquee itself had lost most of the letters that had once announced its closure, so instead of saying Closed for Business only a half dozen black block letters re The s of the h the shattered panes the boarded panels behind were visible

I limped across the street and stood in front of the doors Deep inwith the Tribunal Both there and here, my fate was in someone else’s hands Beneath the marquee the sun was blocked out, as it had been in un to feel refreshed Instead a chill seeped into hback now I’d co uns What lay beyond these doors was the truest kind of get it done or die trying situation If I didn’t take Peyton alive, he would seethe outcoray

With my own death at the forefront of ing out towards es, some sort of loud announcesucked inward

The atnant darkness, and the air was cold and still I entered the old lobby of the Orpheu past the ee arena of the e productions and operas The ceilings rose in high arches to amplify the acoustics and were painted in detailedover the souls of the patrons below

On either side of the room were three private boxes Each had once held a collection of seats, but according to local news coverage those had since been ree or alternate theaters I stood under the archway that led into the roo the air for goons who I kneaited within