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. Comeon, sweetheart.Wake up.You re okay. Her body jerked once as she woke.I slid my palm up to rest between her breasts, over her heart.Itwas racing.She swallowed, blinked, and looked at me.Terror cast a dark shadow over the brilliance ofher eyes. Flashback? Yeah, she said hoarsely.We really had to stop going to these parties.Val had been dreaming of her attacker frequently, and Iwas back to fighting my panther tooth and nail.We d returned to the Circuit twice since, but had comeaway empty-handed each time. You re all sweaty, Val murmured as she pulled me flush against her. Were you dreaming, too? Mmm. I kissed her forehead. Same one? Mmm-hmm. I had told Valentine everything about my recurring nightmare up until thepart when the gazelle-turned-Craig morphed into her.Knowing Val, she d find a way to feel guilty.I heldher close, running my fingers through her hair, and turned my attention inward.I ll never let you hurt her.Never.I didn t know whether my inner feline could actually catch themeaning of my thoughts, of course, but the mantra couldn t hurt.These days, I often wondered whether Iwould ever feel that peace we had so briefly found again, or whether our wills would be irrevocably atodds. I don t really want to go back tonight, Val said quietly, her hands ghosting up and down my spine. Me, neither. I wished there was some kind of alternative, but there simply wasn t. I just don t know what else we can do, said Val, echoing my thoughts. Foster or Olivia would havetold us if their investigation had come up with something, right? And if she hadn t before, by now Helen seems to have completely forgotten that he even exists. Herreaction or lack thereof continued to grate on me.It seemed to me that the rogue vampire was adanger not just to humans, but to the continued secrecy of the Consortium.Wouldn t it make sense forher to be even more concerned than the police? God, I wish we could just get off square one. Valsighed against my neck before drawing away reluctantly.She leaned over to look at the alarm clock:6:07. Might as well get up.Maybe if I review my notes before class, I can impress the hell out of myHistology prof today. I grabbed her hand before she could leave the bed. It s early yet.We have some time. She smiled for the first time since waking and leaned in to grant my unspoken request.Her lips were softbut firm against mine, her tongue hot in my mouth.God, could Val kiss.I twined my fingers into her hairto pull her closer.Everything else the beginning of our daily routine, school, the rogue vampire couldwait for just a few minutes.This was what we had fought and were still struggling for, after all: the right tolove each other for every second of forever.Page 157 Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlThe Angel Orensanz Foundation was in our neighborhood.Just off East Houston on Norfolk Street, itlooked like a cathedral, had once been a synagogue, and was now one of New York s preeminentcultural centers.The Foundation hosted banquets and balls, all held in the name of the arts.But tonight,its lofty neo-gothic frame housed the carnage of the Red Circuit.Val and I stood on the balcony, sipping drinks and watching the seething crowd.Whenever there was alull in the music, the snarls and growls from the dogfights in the basement filtered into the main hall.Howthey were going to get the blood off the walls, I had no idea.When I shuddered at the mental image, Valstroked my arm gently.But she never stopped watching the people below.On the dais, just in front of the steps that had once led to the Holy of Holies, a St.Andrew s cross hadbeen erected.Apparently, this particular Red Circuit party was a special occasion; I had seen peoplepointing to the cross and whispering about someone called the Missionary since we arrived.We hadalready suffered through this week s attempt to break the record (a failure after forty-two lashes), as wellas the murder of a homeless meth addict found in the Bronx.Her two children, the disembodied voicetold the crowd, had been adopted into loving families.I could only presume that they would grow up tobe just like Kyle.The thought made it hard to swallow. You have all been very patient, the voice said finally. But you don t have to be any longer.TheMissionary has arrived. An expectant murmur rose in the room, a hot breeze before the storm. Threelovely pets have been selected to compete tonight, the voice continued, low and hypnotic.The lights inthe hall dimmed and a spotlight enclosed the dais in a cocoon of light. Please welcome the firstcontestant, Jillian. One of the crew, dressed completely in black as always, led a petite, red-haired woman out of theshadows.She was wearing a blue silk teddy with sequins at the neck that caught the light.He positionedher with her back to the giant X of the cross and secured her wrists, ankles, and waist to the frame.The teddy rode up a few inches on her thighs.She looked nervous, but not afraid. The Missionary is very, very thirsty, whispered the voice.And then, several things happened at once.A man stepped into the spotlight, clad only in black leather pants.His torso was heavily muscled andrippled with scars, his head shaven so cleanly that it shone.When he appeared on the dais, the massescheered and screamed.But despite their reaction, he didn t smile.He didn t wave.He stood still,surveying them impassively, hands at his sides.My gaze was drawn to the knuckles of his left, wheresome kind of tattoo crept sinuously across his skin. Alexa! Val choked out my name in a way that I d never heard before.She was hanging on to therailing with a white knuckled grip, staring wide-eyed at the formidable figure of the Missionary.She hadgone very pale.Her lips were drawn back in a snarl.And that s when I knew.Rage clawed up my spine.The room turned red.Immediately, I closed my eyes and took a slow, deepbreath.Another.And another.I wanted so badly to comfort Valentine in this terrible moment, but first Ihad to control myself
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