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lair.
    It didn’t last for long. I saw it when he caught my scent and I ducked behind an arbor away from others, out of sight. As he came at me, I called my blade and it was in my hand just as he reached the area I’d picked to make my stand. I dropped the cloak of invisibility just as the tip of the blade pierced his chest.
    “Back off,” I said quietly.
    “You must really have a death wish,” he murmured.
    “No. Actually, I’m kind of fond of life and it pisses me off that you led me in there knowing what she was going to drop on me.” I pushed the blade a little deeper and said again, “Back off.”
    Instead, he took another step toward me. “Do you really think you can take me? Take any of us?”
    “No.” I smiled and twisted my blade, watched as a pained look crossed his face as the silver took effect. “But I figured something out…she ordered you not to let anybody hurt me…didn’t she?”
    His lids flickered.
    No other response, though. No other answer.
    Smiling at him, I gave the blade another twist. His skin was starting to smoke now—whatever kind of cat he was, he was strong, or he would have already pulled back. “That includes you…and her.”
    He backed away. “You’ll end up dead before this is out and I’ll be the one to pay for it,” he muttered, disgust thick in his voice.
    “Don’t worry.” I pulled a cloth from my pocket and cleaned the blood from my blade, tucked it away. “I’ve got a pretty good rep for landing on my feet.” Usually.
    Damon stared at me. He didn’t look impressed.
    “All you had to do was leave the fucking sword,” he growled. “That was what set her off.”
    I was tempted to tell him that I had left the sword, that she had come to me when I needed her. But why? I might need the element of surprise later on. He obviously hadn’t figured it out on his own. “Hey, you saw me lock it up. Not my fault if you can’t pay closer attention.”
    Those rather fantastic eyes of his narrowed.
    I shrugged and turned away. I had a job to do. Not one I wanted, but since I wanted to keep breathing, apparently one that was going to have to be done.
    “I need to talk to the boy’s family,” I said.
    “You just did.”
    Stopping, I turned and stared at him.
    “My Lady is his only family. He was orphaned. Her brother was his father. His mother dumped the kid on him a few months after he was born and disappeared. Nobody really knows anything about her. The kid’s dad died when he was five. My Lady took him in and raised him.”
    Damn. No wonder the boy ran away.
    I was smart enough to keep that bit behind my teeth.
    Damon saw it, though. His eyes narrowed and I heard the growl trickling from him. Shrugging, I turned and walked away. Hell, if I was expected to start censoring my thoughts, they might as well kill me now. I’d never survive this.
    “Friends, then. Somebody.”
    “What, don’t you want to talk to My Lady again?”
    Suppressing a shudder, I continued to walk. “Absolutely. But his friends first. A kid that age, sometimes you get a better feel for them by talking to their friends anyway.”
    “He didn’t have many.” Stormcloud eyes rested on my face. “I already explained this. He was something of a loner.”
    Yes. He’d explained that. But even outsiders tended to have a couple of people they hung with. Not always, but usually. “ Many isn’t the same as none . So did he have anybody he spoke with? Ever?”
    Silence stretched out between us and I braced myself, prepared to wait endlessly if I had to. Patience wasn’t one of my stronger virtues, but I could stand there for hours if need be. It only took about two minutes. Either he was a weird-ass cat or he didn’t see the point in wasting time.
    “There are a couple of kids,” he finally said, inclining his head. “But they aren’t going to talk to you.”
    Yeah. Like that was any surprise. Shooting him a narrow look, I said, “Well, maybe you should tell them it would be wise to.