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"No," Zoe said, leaping between them. "I...I don't think she's ready, Tee. Better wait until she--"
Tee swung an arm at Zoe, who ducked and darted to the side. Then she advanced another step toward Jaime, the smell of her so strong I gagged again.
"I will tell you, sister, but I don't think you're strong enough to do it."
Jaime stiffened, eyes blazing, mouth opening.
Tee cut her short with a cackle. "Don't like that, do you? Maybe there is some of your grandmother in you. Tell me, sister, if you wanted the key to long life, where would you look?"
"I..." Jaime paused, obviously thinking, not wanting to appear the fool in front of this woman. "In the ancient texts--"
Tee's laugh roared out on a blast of breath so foul even Jaime blanched.
"Closer, sister. Look closer." She waved an arm around. "In this very room we see long life--two kinds of it--do we not?"
"Vampires and werewolves," Jaime said.
"What do they have in common?"
Jaime looked from Zoe to me. "Um, they both..." Her eyes widened as she made a connection. "They hunt. Hunt their prey."
"And what do they hunt?"
I could see where this was going, and I took hold of Jaime's arm. "I think--"
"Vampires hunt people," Jaime said. "But werewolves only hunt...well, I guess some of them hunt--" Her face paled. "People."
"That, sister, is the key. Imbibe the flesh of the living, and ye shall live." She stretched her neck out, voice lowering to a whisper. "It's quite simple. You take a knife, and slice off a strip of--"
I coughed. In hindsight, a silly and useless thing to do. No sudden noise would drown out Tee's meaning. But I had to do something.
Tee only cackled and reached out her hand, her bony fingers caressing my arm. I fought to keep from pulling away, and lifted my head. My gaze met hers and I saw something there, something human and almost tender. Her bloodless lips twisted into a smile.
"Momma wolf's tummy is a bit sensitive, isn't it? We'll speak no more on that, then." She looked at Jaime and lowered her voice. "Come to me later, and I'll tell you the rest."
With that, she retreated, scuttling backward to the safety of her corner.
"About the...what we came here for?" Jaime managed. "This killer. The one who came through the portal. You said you know something about that?"
"Something?" Tee sounded offended. "Everything. My friends tell me everything."
"Then we'd like to know--"
"Smoke," she spat. "Smoke and mirrors. Sound and fury. Signifies nothing. Do not waste your time."
We looked at one another.
"Perhaps," I said. "But still we'd like to catch--"
"The killer?" Tee made a rude noise. "Foolishness. Another spirit crosses over? It happens every second. Happening now, all around you. Will you catch all their killers too? Cancer and rage and loneliness? Catch those and lock them up?" She turned her head and spat into the darkness. "Foolishness, and you have no time for it." Her eyes peered at mine. "Your babies have no time for it."
"If it's connected, though--"
"Smoke and mirrors. Sound and fury," she grumbled. "You want to stop him? Why bother me? Ask her." Tee waved one arm at Jaime. "Or do you tell me Molly O'Casey's granddaughter doesn't know how to call a zombie?"
"Call?" Jaime said. "Summon a zombie, you mean? Sure, if I raised a zombie, I'd know how to call it to me, but these aren't my--"
"Oh, so it's beyond you, then, sister, is it? Not so simple as chatting with ghosts." She flapped her arms, mumbling to herself. "No, no, you're right. Wouldn't help. They aren't the problem. Smoke and mirrors. Sound and fury."
