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S HAWN S PEAKMAN<br />
man said, ignoring Bran’s rejection and turning to leave. “Mark my<br />
words. Stay away from that old man. He is nothing but trouble.”<br />
“Hey! Wait!” Bran shouted.<br />
“Go back to your street friends,” Richard said over his shoulder<br />
as he left the alley. “They are safer than Merle ever will be.”<br />
Leaving the dead cu sith behind, Bran chased after. “Stop, you<br />
assho . . .”<br />
But out on the sidewalk, Richard had vanished.<br />
Still leery of the night around him, Bran hurried the last few<br />
blocks to the bookstore. He didn’t know what to think. Creatures<br />
that looked like fairies had attacked him. A giant green dog had<br />
spoken to him and then tried to kill him.<br />
Either he had been drugged or it had really happened.<br />
And Richard, a friend of Merle, possessed a sword that became<br />
vapor at will.<br />
While unlocking the door, Bran peered through the night back<br />
the way he had come, angry at the fear still rushing through his<br />
veins and his inability to uncover what had truly happened.<br />
For an instant, he thought he saw a flash of brilliant azure light.<br />
Then darkness fell once more.<br />
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