Turning Night Read Online Free PDF Page B

comes out breathing magical fire and I am very glad I don’t.”
    Hellebore just drank her coffee.
    “Please excuse me, ladies. I will conclude my business as soon as I can.” Max followed Anthony’s second, an eager young elf named Keeting. He was chronically nervous around her, but he did his duties with alacrity.
    “This way, Abomination.” He said it without the sneer that many folk used. Why not? It was her title after all.
    Mistress Galfor, the spider goblin, was waiting for her. A quick fit of the corset and long flowing skirts and Max was dismissed until it was time to get dressed.
    “Galfor, is there a chance you can fit something to Raven and Hellebore?”
    The goblin grinned, showing frightening teeth. “Of course.” She snapped her fingers and her assistant pulled out swathes of fabric that were truly lovely and well suited to the guests.
    “Manual lacing and unenchanted fabric for Raven?”
    “Of course. Anthony warned me what you would need.” Galfor smiled again.
    Max patted Galfor on the shoulder. “He’s good like that. Thank you again for your assistance.”
    “Any time. The Guild Master pays his bills promptly. This is my second favourite account.”
    Max knew who her favourite account was. Everyone did. The Nexus paid her bills in raw magic and there was nothing more valuable to a goblin than raw magic.
    With her fitting completed and her clothes back on, Max was free to attend to the minor matters of owning Club Nyt .
    Renovations had been completed and the new DJ was packing in the crowds. When Max stopped Donnatha from killing Gregori by intercepting the curse she was flinging, it made her the recipient of all of Donnatha’s holdings. She had to wrangle them from a distance for the most part, but she made surprise visits twice a year to all of them, usually with Gregori looming behind her.
    Liquor licenses, payroll, cleaning staff and security measures were all carefully screened and authorized. She sat and tapped her finger on her desk as she went through the new reports. Max made notes and scowled. She was going to have to visit Club Knight in the next few weeks. There was a distinct leak in the liquor numbers.
    Donnatha had not had much of an imagination. She had had six clubs, all with a twist on the word night.
    Max’s phone chirped, and she got to her feet. It was time to collect her friends and begin the evening’s rituals.
    Raven and Hellebore were playing billiards in the game room. Max didn’t mention to them how many times that table had been used for other pursuits. It was a bit of a given.
    “Ladies. Anthony has prepared tea for us out on the terrace.”
    Hellebore made a face. “I am not much for tea.”
    Max whispered, “Don’t tell him that. He does so look forward to my friends coming by. Most other supernaturals don’t like teeny sandwiches.”
    Hellebore sighed, “If I must.”
    Max led the way to the wide, sunny stone patio that prefaced the stone steps into the garden. The stone Donnatha knelt at the base of the path, a chilling reminder that picking a fight with the Abomination was not wise.
    Anthony brought out tiered trays of sandwiches and tiny hamburgers.
    Hellebore dove into them with delight. Apparently, she liked tea with the right bait.
    Raven asked, “So, what is our quest?”
    Max nibbled at a sandwich and sipped at the Lap Seng Souchon tea that Anthony poured. The smoky taste was delightful and the cucumber sandwich was refreshing.
    “On my fifth anniversary as a turned being, I have to go and try to get in touch with pieces of my soul assumed to be lost in the transition. This is the point where I would leave my parent vampire and go off on my own. If I were a vampire, that is.”
    Raven blinked, “You still have to do it?”
    “The Guild doesn’t have a separate rule for Abominations. They weren’t expecting one to actually turn up. Any that have occurred in the past have been destroyed by their maker.”
    Hellebore mumbled around a tiny