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greatest evils known to vampire-kind?" He gave me a lazy grin. "No. I think
that all came about when this bossy woman stepped into my shop about four
months ago."
"And nearly had her head chopped off by your juvenile-delinquent son." Though
I'd said it in jest, I wished I could unsay it. Not because I thought Nathan
would take offense to my poking fun at Ziggy, but because we rarely, if ever,
spoke of him. The pain was still too fresh.
Nathan laughed softly, lost in memory. I reached across the table to take his
hand, but he stood and went to check on the coffee, which was doing fine on
its own.
"Sorry," I offered lamely.
He shook his head. "Don't be. You're trying toacclimate me to talking about
him. It's for my own good. There are times I forget he's gone, and talking
about it, especially here& "
"Makes it more real."I knew exactly how he felt. When I'd first gotten the
call about my parents' accident, I could have run across my college campus
screaming, "My parents are dead, my parents are dead." But once I'd gone home
for the funeral, I'd clammed up.For good.
I didn't want that to be the case with Nathan. "You can't just hold on to
things forever. You tried that before. Look what it got you."
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"I know." He stared at the liquid dripping into the carafe. We waited a long
time in silence until the coffee was done. Then he poured out two mugs and
spiked them both with the liquor."Blood?"
"Please." I watched as he poured a little blood into each mug, and waited for
him to bring them to the table."Muddy pink. Just the way I like it."
He smiled. "Do you know how many times Ziggy accidentally drank human blood?"
I had to remember to smile encouragingly, lest Nathan clam up again. Gross,
though.
"I used to trick him, too. You'd be amazed at how much corn syrup and red
food coloring look like blood when you mix them together." Nathan got that
faraway look on his face again. "Carrie, am I betraying him?"
That wasn't the question I expected. "How do you mean?"
He looked down at his mug. "Shouldn't I want to kill him?For what he did to
Ziggy? A part of me is ashamed for not wanting retribution. But isn't it
better, at least in the long run, that I don't feel that responsibility?"
"You're not betraying him." I took his hands in mine. "It hasn't been that
long. I'm actually impressed that you've gotten beyond blaming yourself. It's
much healthier that way.And besides& "
How much should I tell him? That Ziggy had actually grown to like Cyrus? That
he'd respected him and trusted him in small ways? That it had been me who'd
unwittingly killed him, regardless of whose fangs had been involved?
There was no way Nathan was ready to hear that. "Ziggy wasn't a vengeful kind
of person. And he would understand that you're just doing what has to be
done."
Nathan nodded. "Well, I'm not doing what needs to be done now, am I? I'm
having coffee with you."
He stood and made a shooing motion toward the living room. "So, what are your
theories about this heart business? You'd be the foremost expert in losing
one."
"You have no idea." I stood and kissed him. His mouth tasted like the coffee,
sweet and coppery.
When I pulled back, he smiled. "You're not going to lure me away from
research with sex. I like books too much."
I rolled my eyes, then collected my mug and followed him to the living room.
How did he always see the ulterior motives behind my cunning actions? "Well, I
suppose the Soul Eater could consume the Oracle's soul by eating the heart,
couldn't he?"
"But why would the Oracle send it to him then?" Nathan groaned as he settled
onto the couch. "God, this is uncomfortable."
My back protested as I sank into the armchair. "Well, if she didn't know he
was going to eat her soul "
Nathan gave me a withering look to point out my stupidity. Of course the
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Oracle would know what the Soul Eater intended to do with her heart. She could
see into the future.
"What about this sword Cyrus mentioned?" I moved on quickly to avoid the
inevitable taunting. "Maybe it's a metaphor, and her heart has something to do
with it?"
Nathan took a sip from his mug."Could be. We won't know until you talk to
Cyrus. Do you think he's awake?"
I looked at the clock. "I don't know. He works third shift, so he's probably
not even home."
"If he is, I won't lose too much sleep over disturbing his. Why don't you
call him?"
I went to the kitchen and dialed Cyrus's number. After two rings, the
answering machine picked up.
"Hi Cyrus, it's me. Carrie." I winced at how lame I sounded. "Listen, we got
more news about what the Oracle is up to. I could really use your connection
to Dahlia right now. But be careful with her, okay? I mean, I don't want her
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