Brad tried again. aIad wear two rubbers if I were you. If you go bareback with that wh.o.r.e, your c.o.c.k might fall off in the morning. You donat want what sheas got.a Williamas stare gained a harsh edge, but Rose couldnat tell if he was p.i.s.sed off or scared. aThis thing youare trying to start isnat worth my time,a William said. aAre you done?a aNo.a aGet on with it. Iad love to chat, but Iam getting kind of hungry.a Brad looked slightly confused. aScrew off, a.s.shole.a William shrugged. aAnything else?a Brad glared at the two of them. She tensed, expecting him to leap at them, swinging. He hovered on the edge of violence, muscles playing along his jaw. Come on, she thought. Bring it. She almost wished he would.
aYour new manas a pushover.a Brad sneered.
He was backing down. Rose waved her hand, trying to hide relief. aKeep on walking, Brad.a Brad turned on his heel and stalked off. Mustave decided the odds were against him.
William smiled, looking nice and pleasant, that same flat smile glued onto his lips. aOld boyfriend?a he Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer ( asked.
She nodded. aSomething like that.a aBack to what we were talking about,a he said. aI appreciate that you leveled with me. But I think if you gave me a chance, Iad change your mind.a aI doubt it,a she murmured.
The door of the office swung open, and Teresa emerged into the sunlight. Short, stocky, and dark, Teresa took one look at William and stopped, drinking him in.
aI have to go,a Rose said.
aTill next time then.a William took a step back and strode off.
Teresa raised her eyebrows at her. Rose shook her head and climbed into the van. She had enough trouble as it was. She needed to get through the day, get home, make sure the boys were okay, and think up some challenge for the blueblood. She felt bad about cutting Williamas wooing short, but it was best this way. It wouldnat go anywhere between them. Concentrate on important things, she told herself.
THE day slowly cooled down to evening. Jack slipped outside the door and sat on the porch. The old wood was warm under his legs, heated by the late afternoon sun.
He squinted at it, a bright yellow coin in the sky.
Shiny.
Rose said to stay inside, but inside was boring. He stayed inside the whole day, in school, and he was good and didnat fight with anybody, didnat even scratch Ayden when he tried to steal his eraser. He ate the nasty fried fish sticks without complaints, even though they tasted like dirt mixed with some kind of mystery meat. He didnat get any warnings or yellow tickets, and now he wanted to be outside. Whatas the point of going to school if you canat go outside after? Besides, it was only four, and Rose wouldnat be home until fivethirty or even six.
Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer ( He sat silent, watching the woods with wide-open eyes.
Listening. So many little sounds. A bird, somewhere far to the north, screaming at an intruder to its tree. Angry, feisty squirrels swearing at each other in their squirrel chatter. He watched them play chase up the blue spike pine. The skin between his knuckles itched, wanting to split under his claws, but he sat stilla"the pineas branches were too skinny. He couldnat climb them. Head already tried twice, and theyad broken under him both times, leaving him scratched and smudged with sticky tar.
A big bug landed on the board next to him. It was dark blue and glossy. Jack held absolutely still.
The beetle waddled along the wooden plank on black chi tinous legs. Jack tensed, following it with his gaze.
Pretty, shiny bug.
Footsteps approached from inside the house. Georgie, about to ruin the fun.
The beetleas back split, releasing a light fan of shivering, gently unfurling wings. The bug waddled on across the porch. Jack crept after it, soundless and slick.
aJack, weare supposed to stay inside,a Georgie scolded through the screen door.
The bug stopped at the end of the wooden plank, as if considering the plunge to the green gra.s.s below.
aGo away!a Jack mumbled through his teeth.
The beetleas wings trembled again. The two halves of its back rose, like another pair of hard blue wings above its insect shoulders.
aJack, get back inside! Rose said . . .a The beetleas wings sped into a blur, and it launched itself into the air.
Jack pounced.
He cleared the porch in a single leap, snapping at the beetle with his fingers, and landed in the gra.s.s, Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer ( empty-handed. Missed!
Georgie jumped out onto the porch. aCome back here!a Jack chased after the beetle. It flew left, then veered right, a fat bright buzzing thing on a whirl of cream wings. He leaped, so high for a second he was flying, and caught the beetle between his palms. aGotcha!a Sharp legs pierced his skin. He laughed and peeked between his fingers.
aJack!a Georgieas voice rang like broken gla.s.s.
A stench lashed his nose, bitter and harsh, followed by a creepy feeling that something cold and slimy had dripped on the back of his neck. He whirled.
A beast stood on the gra.s.s. Five feet tall, it balanced on four skinny legs, its body turned at an angle, its head facing Jack. Its chest was deep, and past it, its body slimmed down, each of its ribs clearly visible, before terminating in powerful hindquarters. It looked like a racing dog. At first glance, the beastas hide seemed almost black, but when the sun touched its spine, the thick skin stretched over the beastas back turned a dark smoky purple tinted with black and green, like a bad bruise. It had no fur, only a row of short, sharp spikes running down the backs of its legs and along its spine.
The beastas head was long, very long, but without any ears.
Two pairs of long slanted eyes stared at Jack with dull, weakly glowing gray, like fog backlit by headlights.
In his adventures in the Wood, Jack had looked into the eyes of a dire wolf, a fox, a bear, and countless other things for which he had no name, but none of them had eyes like that. They were cruel eyes. Cruel and merciless like the eyes of a gator.
The wards would keep it away. The wards . . . Out of the corner of his eye Jack saw the lines of ward stones a"several yards away.
Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer ( Jack froze.
He was vaguely aware of Georgie on the porch. His brother took one small step back. The beast raised its front leg, with a huge paw made of long clawed fingers, and stepped forward.
aDonat move!a Jack breathed.
Georgie became still as a statue.
The beetle slid from Jackas open fingers and crawled up the back of his hand to take flight. Jack didnat move, didnat even blink. His every instinct screamed at him that to move was to die, and so he stood petrified, caught in his terror.
The beast opened its mouth. Its lips drew back, revealing black jaws filled with terrible bloodred fangs. The gaze of the four eyes pinned Jack in place.
Jack swallowed. The bracelet on his wrist grew hot, but he knew that if he took the bracelet off and changed shape, the beast would get him for sure. He had to get behind the wards. That was his only chance. If he ran, the beast would chase him. He knew by the way it was built, lean and long-legged, that it was fast. It would catch him and rend the meat off his bones.
He shifted slightly, sliding a mere inch back along the gra.s.s.
aRight,a Georgieas trembling voice called.
Jack turned a little, terrified to take his gaze off the four eyes, and saw the second beast padding slowly along the ward line. The second beast caught him looking and stopped to show him a forest of narrow red fangs. It would catch him if he moved. There was no escape.
He was cut off.
Jackas heart hammered in his chest, as if trying to break free.
The loud beat of his pulse filled his ears, pounding in his head. The world turned crystal clear. Jack inhaled deeply, trying to keep from getting dizzy.
aDonat move,a commanded a quiet voice.
Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer ( Jack turned his head. A few yards away the blueblood stood at the edge of the lawn. The giddy relief that had filled Jack vanished. The blueblood was an enemy, too.
The man stepped forward. His fur cloak lay behind him in the gra.s.s. Smoothly he pulled a long, slender sword from the sheath at his waist. His eyes looked past Jack, at the two beasts.
aBack toward me very slowly,a the blueblood said.
Jack remained put. The blueblood wanted Rose. He couldnat be trusted.
The beasts advanced.
aI wonat hurt you,a the man promised. aYou must come closer. Now.a A scent drifted down from him, a light, spicy aroma of cloves.
The blueblood was human. The beasts were not.
Slowly, as if underwater, Jack took a step back.
The beasts stepped forward in unison.
aThatas it,a the blueblood said. Jack clenched on to that voice and took another slow step.
The beasts moved closer.
A third step.
He saw the muscles bunch on their legs and knew they were about to charge.
aRun!a the blueblood barked and sprinted to him.
Jack dashed. He flew across the gra.s.s like there were wings on his feet. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw the dark shapes veering to flank him. They would catch him, they would . . .
A hand grasped his shoulder and pulled him forward, past the man into the gra.s.s. Jack rolled, coming to a crouch.
The left beast leapt into the air. The blueblood slashed with his sword, and two halves of a dark body fell into the gra.s.s, twitching. The blade shone again like a sliver of moonlight, and the second beastas head Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer ( bounced off the lawn.
The blueblood raised his hand and sank a short burst of white into the left beast, first one half, then the other. Acrid smoke rose, scratching the back of Jackas throat.
The beastas legs stopped quivering.
The blueblood put another shot of white into the head of the second beast, turned, and bent down. Jack felt himself scooped off the ground, and he clutched onto the manas neck. Enemy or friend, he didnat care. The blueblood was warm and human, and he had a big sword.
aYou did well,a the blueblood said.
Jack held on tighter. His body shook and shivered, as if he were freezing.
Georgie ran off the porch and halted at the ward line, looking white enough to be dead.
The blueblood carried Jack to the line of wards and nodded at Georgie. aMove the rocks.a Georgie hesitated only for a minute.
FRIDAY, Rose murmured to herself, striding up the road to the house. Tomorrow was Friday, payday.
Shead get her three hundred bucks and put some gas into the d.a.m.n truck. Kitty ears or not, she wouldnat go without gas again.
All afternoon she had been plagued by anxiety. It started the moment she watched the kids board the bus and kept building and building, until it blossomed into a full-blown dread. The kids were well equipped to handle two hours at home by themselves. They knew how to shoot both the rifle and a crossbow, and they were safe behind the wards. But the worry spurred her on, and a mile from the house, she shouldered her tote and broke into a jog. She turned onto their narrow dirt path and ran past the bushes and into the yard.
Three dark stains dotted the gra.s.s, smoking, spreading foul magic into the air. The smell hit her like a Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer ( punch to the gut: the thick rotten stench of greasy roast burned over a fire and left to rot. Rose gagged and sprinted up the steps to the house. She tore the door open, cleared the living room, and burst into the kitchen.
The boys sat at the table, watching the blueblood n.o.ble at the stove. He held a frying pan in one hand and a kitchen towel in the other.
Rose barely noticed as her tote slipped off her shoulder and fell to the floor, the gun making a dull clang.
The four of them stared at each other.
The blueblood flipped a pancake with a short toss of the pan.
FIVE.
aYOU let him in?a The boys cringed.
aInside? Into our house?a Georgie ducked as if she had thrown something at him.
aIall deal with you later.a Rose fixed the blueblood with her gaze. aYoua"leave now.a He slid the pancake onto a three-inch-tall stack, dipped a spoon into the sugar bowl, sprinkled sugar onto the pancake, and looked at her brothers.
aThe first rule of etiquette a boy learns when heas about to enter society is that civility is due to all women.
No provocation, no matter how unjust and rudely delivered, can validate a man who fails to treat a woman with anything less than utmost courtesy.a The boys hung on his every word. He glanced in her direction.
aI have met some incredibly unpleasant women, and I have never failed in this duty. But I must admit: your sister may prove my undoing.a Rose pulled the magic to her. aGet out.a He shook his head with a critical look on his face.
Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer ( She clenched her fist. aYou have ten seconds to exit my house, or Iall fry you.a aIf you try frying me, Iall be seriously put out,a he said.
aBesides, pancakes taste much better fried, given that they are sweet and fluffy and Iam full of gristle. Would you like one?a He held the platter out to her.
The magic vibrated in her, ready to be released.
Jack slid off his chair and stood in front of the blueblood, blocking her.
aMove!a aHe saved me from the beasts,a Jack said quietly.
aWhat beasts?a aThe beasts outside. They attacked me.a aHow do you know he didnat conjure the beasts in the first place?a aTo what purpose?a the blueblood asked.
aTo get into the house!a aAnd why, pray tell, would I want to do that?a Rose halted. She wasnat sure why he would want to do that. If there was something he hoped to gain by entering the house, she couldnat think of it. aI donat know,a she said. aBut I donat trust you.a He nodded to the boys. aStart on the pancakes. Your sister and I need to have a talk.a He moved toward her.
She raised her head. If he thought he could order her around in her own house, he was in for a h.e.l.l of a surprise. aFine. Weall talk outside.a Where Jack couldnat shield him.
The blueblood nodded, sidestepped her with smooth grace, and held the front door open for her.