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The vampire stared at me, his mouth slack as Ghastek assessed his options. I took a couple of forms from my desk, put them into the vamp’s mouth, and pulled them up by their edges.
“What are you doing?” Ghastek asked.
“My hole puncher broke.”
“You have no respect for the undead.”
I sighed, examining the ragged tears in the forms. “It’s a personal failing. Have you thought of anything, or can I be on my way?”
“I will owe you a favor,” Ghastek said. “Now or in the future, at your request, I will perform a task of your choosing, provided it doesn’t require me to cause direct harm to myself or my crew.”
I considered. It was a hefty offer. In the hands of an experienced Master of the Dead, a vampire was a weapon like no other, and Ghastek wasn’t just experienced, he was talented. A favor from him could come in handy. And even if he got his greedy mittens on a reeve, he would put it through its paces, trying to determine the extent of its powers. The moment it suffered a serious injury, it would turn into sludge.
What was the downside?
“Maxine?”
“Yes, dear?”
“Ghastek promised me a favor for my assistance. Do we have any paperwork that would put this arrangement into written form?”
“Yes.”
“You’re going to have me sign a contract?”
“Yep.”
The vampire emitted a series of strangled creaks, and I realized it was trying to reproduce Ghastek’s laugh.
DEREK WANDERED INTO THE OFFICE AND LEANEDagainst the wall, his arms crossed.
“Your associate is still alive,” Ghastek said, reading through the forms. “Remarkable.”
“He’s hardy.”
The fact that Ghastek’s signature looked exactly the way it did when he signed the document in person was a greater testament to his control than any wall crawling or claw waving. I had to admire the degree of his competency. He still made my skin crawl.
“I’m all ears,” he said once Maxine took the paperwork back to her desk.