She regretted her loss of temper. A lot had happened in the last few days: Declanas presence, the hounds, losing her job, the attack on Georgie. Any event by itself was enough to upset her, but together they turned her into an emotional pressure cooker. All of it had to come out somehow. She just wished it hadnat come out quite the way it did, in front of Declan, who no doubt thought she was throwing a tantrum. Itas hard to convince someone to listen to you and leave your house when youare raving too loud to be taken seriously.
aSo what happens now?a Georgie asked.
aNow I need your help for my second challenge to Declan.a She hesitated. aDo you think youare strong enough to walk?a Georgie nodded.
aIam sorry to ask this of you, but I need you to come to the porch.a aI need the bathroom first,a he said.
aDo you need help getting there?a Georgie gave her a long look. She sighed and left him to it.
When she finally got married, if she ever got Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer ( married, she hoped her first child would be a cute little girl.
A cute, sweet, harmless little girl.
LONORE stepped into the kitchen, mentally steeling herself. She had only a few minutes before Rose would return from Georgieas room.
Declan rose at her approach with a polite shallow bow and a narrow smile. aBonjour, Madame.a aBonjour, Monsieur.a She sat into a chair and continued in French. aI would like to speak about my granddaughter.a His face turned cold. The smile remained, but it gained that polite, icy tint the bluebloods adopted when they wanted to strangle the conversation with courtesy.
aI want there to be no misunderstandings,a she continued.
aThis isnat an attempt on my part to broker some sort of tryst between the two of you. On the contrary.a His eyebrows crept up a fraction of an inch. He really was a blindingly handsome boy. aDo you find me unworthy of your granddaughter, Madame?a Inwardly lonore groaned. She was out of practice. aI have no doubt as to your pedigree. I merely wish you to understand the situation clearly. If youare willing to listen, of course.a aIam all ears, Madame,a he a.s.sured her.
lonore took a deep breath. aMy husband abandoned me a number of times during our marriage. I say this not to gain some sympathy for myself. Itas simply a fact.
He loved me pa.s.sionately, but he loved the sea more. Because I suffered without him, I did my best to raise my son with a sense of responsibility for his family. Unfortunately, I failed miserably. Just like his father, John abandoned his wife and children frequently. Growing up, Rose had learned that afathera is a temporary presence in oneas life.a Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer ( She fell silent. Finding the words proved harder than she realized. aPardon. This is difficult for me. Roseas mother was traumatized by the untimely death of her parents, and in her final years she sought to stave off her mortality by any means necessary, usually by finding solace in the arms of any man who would have her. Eventually even that remedy failed and she died. Rose was an adolescent and the boys were mere babies. Thus, my grandchildren were abandoned both by their mother and by their father.a She glanced at Declan, but his face was earnestly polite and about as transparent as a cement block.
aThen Rose flashed white. You must understand, my lord, itas been over a century since an Edger flashed white. She was just a child, barely eighteen, and not at all equipped to either antic.i.p.ate or deal with the consequences. Due to her motheras loose behavior, it was a.s.sumed that Rose was the child of an out-ofwedlock liaison. Overnight she became a valuable commodity. First, her flash made her desirable as a powerful addition to any family; second, her magic hinted at the possibility of blueblood ancestry; and third . . . my granddaughter is lovely, as Iam sure you havenat failed to notice.a aIndeed, Madame.a His tone was perfectly neutral and pleasant. If he Madame ad her one more time, she would have to throw something at him.
aRose had a terrible life,a lonore said bluntly. aFor almost a year, she was literally hunted. The Edger families wanted her for her power, the borderland blueblood families wanted her for breeding, and those who didnat want her, hated her. Envy can be a terrible thing.
Her motheras exploits already made her a Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer ( pariah, and her flash only exacerbated the problem. What few friends she had abandoned her. Her boyfrienda"who is a terrible creaturea"betrayed her. We had weathered a siege and arson and being shunned. The slaver was by far the worst. He had arrived under the pretense of courting Rose, promised her the security and acceptance she so desperately wanted, and nearly won, if not her heart, then at least her mind. Fortunately his ident.i.ty was discovered, but the damage was done. She has learned the lesson again and again: people, men in particular, cannot be trusted. I watched this damage happen, and I was powerless to stop it. Finally after a year of this chaos, things have calmed. My son was there for her during that year. Even he understood that his family couldnat survive this storm without him. That is the longest he had ever spent with his family. However, as soon as pressure lessened, he escaped. He ran away from his own children in the middle of the night, once again abandoning the boys to Roseas care.a She took a deep breath. aIt was the final betrayal, my lord. It wounded Rose very badly, and sheas determined to spare her brothers this hurt at all costs. She put her life on hold, so her brothers would never know what itas like to be abandoned. A young girl is a creature of dreams, my lord. A woman with one foot in the world of fantasy, searching for the face of true love in every handsome boy she sees. Rose has no fantasies. One would expect a woman who has gone through her trials to be bitter and angry, but she isnat.
Sheas kind, sweet, selfless, and generous, and I thank my lucky stars for this every day.a lonore rose, buoyed by her anger. He got up as well.
aIam sure that youare successful in your pursuits of female attention,a she said. aIam sure that there is a trail Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer ( of broken hearts in your wake, and you probably look at it fondly, remembering your past conquests. For some young women, being swept off her feet by a man such as you might be thrilling. It might even be a good lesson in the nature of the male species. However, Rose has no illusions to soothe her and no parents to rea.s.sure her. If you break her heart, it will shatter my granddaughter. It will destroy her utterly, turning her into a bitter wreck. So I implore you, my lord, to leave her in peace. You donat need her as your trophy.
And if you wonat, I swear to you that Iall curse you with my dying breath. We both know the power such a curse carries.a Declan bowed. aIall take it under advis.e.m.e.nt.a She growled under her breath and stomped into the depths of the house, not sure if she had accomplished more harm than good.
ROSE stuck her head into the kitchen. Declan sat at the table, his eyes lost in thought. A smile curved his lips.
aCome outside,a she said. aWe need to be in the yard for the next challenge.a He followed her to the porch, where she sat in a chair and he leaned against the rail. She stared at the trees shrouded in morning fog.
Declan cleared his throat. They had managed to keep from saying a single word to each other during breakfast, but now he looked as if he had something to say.
aI lost my temper yesterday,a he said. aMy sincerest apologies. It wonat happen in the future.a aIam also sorry. I shouldnat have been quite so . . . dramatic.a They looked at each other.
aMy behavior aside,a he continued, aI meant everything I said.a She stuck her chin in the air. aSo did I.a Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer ( aVery well.a aIndeed.a He sat back down, and she picked a spot as far from him as the porch steps would allow.
aAlso,a he said after a small pause, ayour funeral cake was delicious.a aFunnel. Funnel cake. Iall get you the recipe. Itas similar to pancakes.a aThank you.a They sat in silence. She broke it first. aDonat you think itas dangerous to do this challenge, with Ca.s.shorn waiting for the right opportunity?a aWeave destroyed a large number of his hounds,a Declan said. aSince Iam his primary target, heall need to build up his forces before he attacks again. Weare safe for two days, maybe three.a Probably longer than that, Rose thought with a small sense of satisfaction. Yesterday, after the fight with Declan, shead spent nearly all of the minutes remaining on her cell phone. Her words didnat carry much weight in the Edge, but Grandmaas did, and now they knew the name of their menace and what he wanted.
It would be difficult for Ca.s.shorn to find prey in East Laporte come nightfall.
aSo heas vulnerable now,a she said. aWhy donat we go after him?a Icy green eyes fixed her. aI would go after him. But I have no idea where he is, and your brother was unable to find the scent trail during our last excursion.a aOf course. Blame the child for your failure.a aI blame no one. How would you feel about a side bet on this challenge?a aNo more deals, Lord Camarine. You canat be trusted.a He seemed unfazed by her snippy remark. aIf I win this challenge, Iall remain in your house and your family Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer ( will a.s.sist me in my efforts to dispatch Ca.s.shorn. If I lose, Iall sign writs of citizenship for the three of you.
The writs would make you legal citizens of the Weird. You could seek employment there. The children could attend school.a She clamped her mouth shut, biting a caustic reply. Her mind spun through the possibilities. aThat will just put us in a place where you have the most power.a aOn the contrary. First, I have sworn to leave you alone if I fail. Second, the laws of the Weird will protect you, given that youall be a citizen, and you can have me arrested on stalking charges if I show up on your doorstep. Think about it, Rose. Youave lost your job, and you arenat likely to find another. And no matter how much you force the boys to pretend that they have no magic, they do. They canat live in the Broken; they would slowly suffocate without magic. Look behind you.a He raised his arms, encompa.s.sing the house.
aThis is what youave settled for. Do you actually want to make something of yourself?a He pushed all the right b.u.t.tons. aWhat guarantee do I have that this writ isnat a worthless piece of paper?a aIall affix the Camarine seal to it. As an earl, I have the authority to do so.a aYouare not a real earl. The Earl of Camarine is a courtesy t.i.tle.a He stared at her. aAnd where did you come by that little tidbit?a aI read it in a book,a she said, trying to freeze him with her voice. aEven us ignorant types do read occasionally.a aApparently not very well,a he said. aA courtesy t.i.tle is awarded for meritorious service and a couple of other things. A peer t.i.tled by courtesy has the same executive peer powers as a full peer. Check your book.a Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer ( aDonat move.a She stomped into the house and almost ran over her grandmother.
aIs everything all right?a Grandma asked.
aEverything is perfect.a Rose climbed to the attic, grabbed the enormous Encyclopedia, and wrestled it down. If he was lying, she would rub his nose in it.
She dragged the dusty tome onto the porch and dropped it on the boards.
For the first time this morning, Declan displayed some emotion besides stony determination. aGood G.o.d, where did you find that antique?a aNone of your business.a She had traded a Rand McNally Atlas, two jars of saffron, and a three-liter bottle of Pepsi for it. Rose flipped the pages to the index and found aWrit of Citizenship, Adrianglia, 1745.a aIt looks over two centuries old,a Declan said.
Rose turned to page 1745 and read out loud. a a Writ of Citizenshipa"a doc.u.ment legally conferring all rights and obligations of Adrianglian citizenship. A Writ of Citizenship may be issued by the following authorities: the Office of Census, secured by the Seal of the Minister of Population; the Office of Domestic Affairs, secured by the Seal of the Minister of the Realm; or a Peer of the Realm, secured by that Peeras House Crest.
Only peers of rank Earl or above have the right to issue a Writ of Citizenship. The following is the list of peers possessing such authority as known to the publisher on the date of publication of this volume.a a She scanned the list and ran into aEarl Camarine.a aSatisfied?a Declan asked dryly.
If she pa.s.sed on this chance, she would be forever kicking herself. Was there a downside to this?
aDo we have a deal?a he asked.
Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer ( aWe have a deal.a It nearly killed her to say it. Rose forced herself to smile. aYouall never win this one.a Georgie chose that moment to step out onto the porch. He saw Declan, walked over, and simply hugged him without saying a word. Declanas eyes went wide. Slowly he put his arms around the boy.
It was an odd moment, a thin, fragile, blond child in the arms of a much larger, stronger blond man. A vision of the future that could have been Georgieas if his magic didnat betray him.
Rose sighed and headed to the shed. aGeorgie, tell the blueblood about Grandpa Cletus.a Declan let go, and Georgie sat on the porch next to him.
aHeas very tall,a Georgie said. aHe was good with swords. He had several.a aLike mine?a Declan asked.
aNo. His were long and thin. Mmre still has them.a aRapiers,a Declan guessed.
Georgie nodded. aHe used to laugh a lot and tell us stories.
He was a pirate.a aA privateer,a Rose corrected, nudging the last ward stone out of the way. aGeorgie, are you up to holding Grandpa?a Georgie nodded.
Rose grasped the heavy dead bolt with both hands and jerked it aside. The door flew open, and Grandpa Cletus charged out, dragging the chain behind him.
Declan leapt to his feet and over to Georgie, a knife in his hand.
Grandpa reached the end of the chain. The collar jerked him back, and Grandpa flew off his feet. Instantly he rolled over and snarled like an animal, clawing at the empty air with his long fingers. His tangled beard trembled as he strained on the chain and bit the air with yellowed fangs.
Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer ( Rose sighed.
Grandpaas pointed ears twitched. He spun and lunged at her.
She stood her ground. A foot away from her, he ran headfirst into an invisible wall and crumpled to the ground.
aNo,a Georgie said.
aBut I want my pint money,a Grandpa moaned.
aNo,a Georgie repeated sadly. aYou better sit down.a Grandpa sat cross-legged, rocking back and forth.
Declan jumped off the porch and approached them, peering at Grandpa. aWere his ears always pointed?a aIt happened after,a Rose said. aThe beard and hair also. He was clean shaven when he died. And the claws.
Those also grew after death.a aWhatas your name?a Declan asked.
aPlease answer Declan,a Georgie said.
aCaedmon Cletus Drayton,a Grandpa said sadly. aCaedmon from the British caed, meaning abattle.a Cletus from the Greek kleitos, meaning aill.u.s.trious.a a aHe retains his memories?a Declan asked, his voice neutral.
aBits and pieces.a Rose reached out and patted the matted mane of Grandfatheras hair. aMostly he wants to go down to the pub. Sometimes itas the tavern and he has to meet his friend Connor before their corvette, Esmeralda, sails from the harbor. He remembers who we are and he remembers . . . the woman you saved with Georgie. Heall cry if he sees her or if I mention her name.a She felt close to tears herself and swallowed a clump that blocked her throat. aGeorgie doesnat like to let things die.a Declanas green eyes studied her. aThere are others?a aNo humans. Birds. Kittens. Little creatures he felt sorry for.a Declanas face darkened. aHow many?a Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer ( aWe donat know. He hides them.a Georgie looked away to the gra.s.s.
aMy brother has a very good heart,a Rose said. aBut he canat let go of the things he brings to life. We tried explanations, rewards, and punishment. He knows that heas dying, because keeping all those creatures alive is sucking the life out of him. But he doesnat know how to let go. You wanted a challenge. Here it is. Save my brother from himself.a DECLAN sat next to Georgie while Rose herded Grandpa back into his shed. She heard Declanas quiet voice.
aYou didnat want your grandfather to die?a aNo.a aAll things die, George. Thatas the natural order of the world.a Good luck with that, Rose thought. Theyad had this talk a dozen times. It led nowhere.
aWho decided?a Georgie said softly.
aNature. Itas a way for humankind to survive.a Georgie shook his head. aIt doesnat have to be like that. I donat want it to be like that.a He got up and went inside.
Declan sat, frowning, his arms resting on his knees. When she pa.s.sed him on her way inside the house, he said, aIall need some supplies. Would it tax you too much to obtain them for me?a She stopped. He actually had some sort of a plan. aWhat do you need?a aBlue candles. A metal bowl or a large pot. Certain herbs. A basin, the larger the better. Some other things.a That seemed pretty specific. aHow sure are you that the hounds wonat attack?a aVery sure.a aIn that case, put on the clothes Amy gave you. Iall take you to Wal-Mart.a Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer ( Ten minutes later, they were both in the truck. Her cab wasnat that small, but Declan made it seem cramped and tiny. She started the engine. aHave you ever been in a car before?a aNo.a Rose nodded at the guns. aCan you use a gun?a He picked up a rifle, locked, and loaded.
aGood. Keep the rifle out of sight and please buckle your seat belt.a They drove in silence for a couple of minutes. aWhy the sudden benevolence?a Declan asked.
She avoided looking at him. aHow long do you think George has?a aItas hard to say. I donat know what his capabilities are and how much drain heas under or for how long. But judging by his physical weakness, I would say he has less than six months. Heas featherlight. He canat do more than two push-ups and he tires very quickly. I thought he was anemic.a aThereas your answer,a Rose said. aI hate to say it, but if you truly think you can convince my brother to stop his slow suicide, Iall help you, even if it costs me a challenge.a She drove on. aWhen did you have a chance to see him do push-ups?a aTwo days ago while you were cooking dinner. I gave each of them a knife and put them through some basics. Jack is a born killer. George had to sit down after a couple of minutes.a aIt wonat help you,a Rose said.
He raised his eyebrows.
aMaking friends with the children wonat help you,a she clarified. aWe wonat leave with you.a aI made friends with the children because I wanted to do so.
Not everything I do is calculated. Although I understand why you would think that.a Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer ( aOh?a aI spoke to Madam lonore at some length this morning, while you were with George.a Oh, really? He really did get around, but if he thought her grandma would join the Declan-worshipping parade, he had another think coming. aWhat did she tell you?a aMany things. Your grandmother is very conflicted. Sheas unsure if she should encourage or discourage me, so she has done a bit of both.a She glanced at him. Their stares connected, and she didnat like what she saw in his eyes: they were resolute and determined. Disturbed, she turned away to watch the road.
aItas difficult for you to trust anyone,a he said. aI contributed to this by my deception. For this, Iam sorry.
But it was necessary.a aYou keep saying that, but you donat tell me why.a He said nothing.
aThatas very illuminating,a she said. aYou knew the creatures were a threat to the whole Edge. I know weare nothing to you, but couldnat you have at least tried to warn us out of common decency?a aI did,a he said. aYou have no law enforcement and no central authority, so as soon as I crossed into the Edge, I went to your church. Your priest seemed like a reasonable man. I told him that the Edge needed to be evacuated. He nodded, pulled out a gun, and unloaded twenty-two shots into me. When he realized the bullets werenat hurting me, he threw his sidearm at me and called me an agent of Lucifer.a Rose winced. aThatas because George Farrel, the local preacher, is borderline insane. He preaches h.e.l.lfire and d.a.m.nation every Sunday and checks the church for the rogue angels that fought against G.o.d with Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer ( Satan. Heas convinced theyare out to get him. He probably thought you were an evil angel.a aI see,a Declan said dryly.
an.o.body goes to his church except for some old ladies,a she said. Not that it helped the situation any.
aNext I went to the largest house I could find. My logic was that anyone who owned a house of that size would have some roots within the community.a Roseas heart sank. There was only one large house next to the church. aWhich house? The Ronn house, with the blue roof?a aYes.a She almost cringed. aThe dogs.a He nodded. aYes. The owners set a pack of dogs on me. I suppose they were also expecting agents of Satan?a aNo, they have a meth lab in the house. Theyare producing illegal narcotics. Theyare high all the time, and theyare paranoid the cops from the Broken will somehow get into the Edge and raid the place. Did you try anyone else?a aAs I crossed the road to the next house, a woman tried to run me over with her truck.a aYou were in the middle of the road!a Declanas face was still impa.s.sive. aAt the next two houses, I was ignored. They saw me and hid inside. I decided not to waste any more time and began tracking the hounds. It took me a day and a half to untangle the different tracks. One of them led me to an isolated house.
A woman emergeda"the same one who had tried to run me overa"and declared that she would not marry me and I better leave or the two kids at the windows would shoot me.a Rose struggled for words. He had really tried. Head tried more than many other people would have in his place. aYou mustave thought the lot of us was insane.a Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer ( aThe thought did cross my mind. I went along with you because I needed a foothold in the Edge at any cost.
I knew that the hounds were drawn to your family because their magic lingered in the area, and contrary to your a.s.sertions of yesterday, I donat want anyone to be hurt.
You gave me a very good idea of what you expected a blueblood to be. If I went along with your expectations, I thought I could reasonably predict your reactions. And I wanted to know why you wouldnat marry me. I found you intriguing.a Aha. Intriguing. She would buy that for a dollar. Next thing she knew, head try to sell her some intriguing oceanside property in Nebraska.
aDeclan, I spoke to Georgie, and he told me what Ca.s.shorn said. I thought about it, and I realized that Ca.s.shorn was right: I am bait. Except itas not you who is doing the baiting, itas him. Heas using the threat to me as a means of keeping you put. You canat go out looking for him, because youare worried heall attack me or the boys. Thatas why you followed me into the Broken, thatas why you insisted on staying at my house, thatas why you timed your expedition with Jack for the morning when I was going to spend most of the time in the Broken food shopping. Youare trying to do it even now.
Youave dangled those writs in front of me to make sure that we can escape into the Weird if you fail the challenge and canat defend us.a One glance at his face told her she was right. She parked.
aWhy are we stopping?a he asked.
aWeare at the boundary. You might not survive it if we cross it in a vehiclea"itas too fast.a She unbuckled her seat belt. aLook, I understand why Ca.s.shorn would view me as bait. He thinks Iam trash and a wh.o.r.e and that Iall just sit on my hands, content to let you guard me until he decides heas done playing. What I donat Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer ( get is, what exactly makes you think that I will stand for it?a Declan unbuckled his seat belt and leaned over, too close, blocking out the world.
aWhat are youa"a His lips touched hers, warm and inviting. She was still furious at him, but somehow her anger didnat stop her from opening her mouth and letting him in. No, it drove her to him, and she kissed him back, caught between the urge to slap him and the thrill of tasting him.
His arms closed about her and he pulled her to him. She wasnat sure if she was trapped or shielded or both, but it made her feel happy and she kissed him.
The sound of a car horn blared at them. They broke apart. A red truck roared past them, its windows down.
Rob Simoen screamed some obscenity at them and sped past the boundary into the Broken.
Declan growled. aIall have to kill him one day.a Rose pushed on his chest with her hand. aIf you let go of me now, Iam going to chalk your mauling of me up to temporary insanity.a He kissed her again, lightly brushing her lips.
aDeclan!a His gra.s.s green eyes laughed at her. aI wanted you to be sure that I wasnat temporarily insane.a aYou can stop pretending now, remember?a she said. aI know you didnat come here for me. You came here because of Ca.s.shorn, so no need to keep up the seducing charade. I find it bothersome.a aThis is probably the point where I should be suave,a he said.
aI used to be able to do it, but somehow my skills leave me when Iam with you.a aOh, please.a She rolled her eyes.
aI should be more polite about this, but I donat think youall understand me unless I speak directly,a he said.
Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer ( Shead heard those words before. It took her a second, but she remembered wherea"she had said them to him outside of the Burger King.
aYouare a p.r.i.c.kly, stubborn, spirited woman.a aDonat forget crude, rude, and vulgar.a aOnly when it suits you. Youare sly when occasion calls for it, direct to the point of forgetting tact even exists, sarcastic, fierce, I did mention stubborn, didnat I?a aYes,a she said dryly.
aYouare also smart, kind, gentle, beautiful, and always cling to your personal integrity, even when itas in your best interests to abandon it.a A little warm feeling spread through her chest, and even her natural suspicion that he was lying couldnat quite extinguish it. Where was he going with this?
aYouare also quite funny,a he said.
aOh, I amuse you?a He gave her one of his devastating, slightly wicked smiles.
aYou have no idea.a Arrogant a.s.s. aAnd all of that means what?a aJust that I mean to have you.a She frowned at him.
aI mean to have you, Rose, you and all of your thorns. Iam a disagreeable and stubborn b.a.s.t.a.r.d, but Iam not a fool. You didnat really expect me to pa.s.s you up, did you?a Heat flooded her face, and she knew she flushed. Declan laughed.
aWell, you canat have me,a she parried. aYou lied to me. I donat trust you, Iam not leaving with you, and Iam not sleeping with you either. Now let go of me and get out of the truck, so we can get through the boundary and get this trip over with.a They faced the boundary together. It would be difficult for him. Most people from the Weird had difficulty Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer ( adjusting to the Edge, let alone the Broken. But he had done it once before and showed up in the Burger King to open a glorious can of whoop-a.s.s for Brad. Still, she had to be very careful.
aWhat happened when you tried to cross the last time?a she asked. aItas important.a aPain,a he said. aI went into convulsions. I think I might have stopped breathing, but my recollection is murky.a This would take some work. Rose gripped his fingers tighter.
aWeall do this easy and slow. Just follow me, and if you feel like you might be blacking out, tell me.a She anch.o.r.ed her magic through her palm to his and took a tiny step forward. He followed her. A small portion of magic drained from him, and she replaced some of it with her own. It felt like hooking a vein in your arm with tweezers and pulling it out slowly.
Another step. Again she cushioned the magic drain.
Declan was perspiring.