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Ka-pale His fear shuddered through her, like the ghostly light flooding the roo with them, what does that make me?
"Jared!" she shouted over the storain, with both hands this ti him pull away, and yelled for him out loud and in her head until he turned his rain-slicked face to hers "Listen toon I don’t knohat any of this means But I know this much It doesn’t matter You’re not one of them You never were You’re not theirs You’re mine"
Jared bowed his head to hers, looked into her face, and calmed, as if he found some certainty there Kami could not find herself "Yeah," he said to her, as she’d said to him twice before "I know"
It was electrically uncomfortable to hold on, even only to his jacket, but she did They stood together in the empty bell tohile the storarden below
Chapter Sixteen
Underwater Light
The Surer Guest was out in the countryside, north of Aurimere as the woods est and the toas south Kami had never noticed before how much of Sorry-in-the-Vale was constructed with theThe guesthouse wasevening light, at the top of the long, curving gravel driveway
The Surer Guest had hosted a wedding earlier that day The parking lot at the bottom of the driveas cra on inside: carts of laundry, food, and cleaning products were being wheeled through the hall from the kitchen area to the offices and storeroo that five teenagers could troop in undetected
"Technically, it’s older than the manor It’s built around a twelfth-century hall," Kah the door "You’ll see that e get in"
"If we get in," said Ash
Kaone hooodbye, and she still wasn’t sure how to fra out into rainstor at hiht at any et in?" Angela asked, rolling her eyes "After all, people love to see teenagers loitering around Especially when they’re dressed like ninjas"
As Ka wardrobe choice, she are Angela’s eye roll was aimed at her "Don’t worry," she told them all
"Why?" Jared asked "Because everyone loves a ninja?"
"Because I have a plan," said Kahtly around at her teaela was even wearing a hat, possibly so she could roll it down like a ski mask over her face Jared and Ash looked h Jared’s T-shirt was short-sleeved and worn, straining at the shoulders Holly earing a black cocktail dress
Kao in there and vamp that receptionist"
"What?" Ash said blankly
"You know," Kami said "Dazzle her with your charaze at the receptionist, a bored-looking woazine tucked not-terribly-surreptitiously under her mouse pad She looked back at theh the open door, with a stare of utter apathy
"What," Ash said, "all of us?"
"Do you want to stand around trying to guess if she likes pretty boys or rough trade?" Jared asked, gesturing lazily from Ash to himself
"Excuse me, what did you just call yourself?" Ash demanded "No, wait a second, I don’t care What did you just call elaout of bed today was even ," Holly said with conviction, "I can do"
"Thank you, Holly," Ka obedience, you people, is that so much to ask? I come up with the plans! I buy all the staples! I need you to do this one little thing for me"
"Oh, well," said Jared, "if it’s for the staples, should I take off ela’s elbow So her and even answered Holly’s laugh with a save Ash a challenging glance and set off, while Kaeese The whole party stuh the door and up to the counter where the receptionist sat
Kami sidled out the door a few minutes later, unnoticed since every eye was drawn to the h
Holly was laughing "Jared told her he used to be an exotic dancer in San Francisco"
"My body is a gift froravely "Except for ift from the devil"
"I’m surprised she didn’t call the police," Ash ela looked traumatized, but not so trau was different Her eyes went straight to the pile in Kaot there?"
"Aprons I took fro it was distracted by the sight of four peopleepic fools of themselves," Kami told her
"And you couldn’t just tell us to et stiff and self-conscious," said Kami "I wanted you to act natural And you were all brilliant!"
"I’ela "You’re gorgeous You can do better Actually, alela shrugged
"We were brilliant, natural fools?" Jared asked He was grinning, but then, of course, he was the only one apart fro on They didn’t have secrets from each other
Well She didn’t have any secrets frorinned back at hiht curl around her heart "Especially you, tiny dancer The Surer Guest ordered a pile of baked goods for today from my mother, so I learned they hired on a lot of staff for the weekend wedding Staff they would not expect to recognize on sight And the uniform," Kami said with modest pride, "is black clothes with this apron over it"