Page 44 of Sins of the Heart

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useful information, you get to live.” She paused.

“Maybe.”

Marin nodded frantically, his attention fixed on the

knife. “Anything. Yeah. Just ask.”

Like she needed his permission. Roxy yanked up

her left sleeve, baring her forearm, and turned it until

EVE SILVER

53

her mark was clearly visible. Etched in her skin was

an ankh with wings and horns, a finely rendered piece

of art, a match to the pendant that hung around her

neck. It wasn’t a tattoo. The design was scored in her

flesh, and it had taken a long time to put it there. She’d

let it heal, then scored it again and again until it was

perfect. The dark mark. It claimed her as a Daughter

of Aset, an ancient line of immortals who walked

among humans, watching, guiding, guarding. Fighting

for mankind when they must. Fighting for their own

survival the rest of the time. The mark’s placement on

her forearm told those who would recognize its importance that she was of the lineage of the Keeper, a

guardian among her kind.

But Frank Marin wouldn’t know anything about

that.

“You’ve seen this mark before, yes? Upside down on

a man’s chest. Not scored like mine. Tattooed, in black

ink.” She knew that much, but nothing more. And she

needed answers because time was running out. The

Underworld buzz was that there were those who wanted

to see the dead reaper reanimated. Talk about opening a

can of worms; that would be more like snakes on a plane.

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