On the Edge Part 19

Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) The third try went well for the first ten minutes, and George began to have hope, until a group of older foxes started smas.h.i.+ng the new building with sticks.

aWhy are they doing that?a Georgie asked.

aThey donat want the city to change,a Declan said. aTheyave realized that if they keep growing, theyall run out of s.p.a.ce.a Five minutes later, some foxes were chained, marched to the lake, and forced into the water.

aWhy?a Georgie whispered, watching them drown.

aThey are probably the ones who wanted the city to grow.

The others must have decided that the population should remain the same. The city can only support so many foxes. This is their way of controlling it.a aBut . . .a George bit his lip, as the foxes brought out little fox babies and one by one threw them into the lake. That was just about enough of that. He marched to the control panel and hit a reset b.u.t.ton.

Declan straightened. aIam going to go inside now. You know how to reset the dome back to default. The spell will probably hold through the night, but I doubt weall get more than twelve, fifteen hours from it, so if you want to run it a bit more, best to do it now.a GEORGIE felt Roseas arms close about him. She hugged him.

aItas almost midnight. You should come inside.a He shook his head. aItas okay,a he said, staring at the dome.

aA little longer.a aDeclan and I decided to sleep on the porch tonight to keep an eye on you. If you run into any trouble, you come and get one of us, okay?a George glanced back. On the porch, Declan and Grandma were arranging some blankets.

aOkay,a he said, reaching to the control panel. If he reset it just one more time, maybe it would be fine. It Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) had to be fine. There had to be a way for it to end well.

ROSE awoke when the first hint of sunrise colored the sky.

Georgie sat on the steps, hugging his knees. She stirred. At the other end of the porch, Declanas eyes snapped open. He looked at her from above the back of a small lynx who curled by his side. Jack mustave taken off his bracelet in the night. Probably to keep an eye on his brother.

Rose untangled herself from the blankets and went to sit by Georgie.

aHow long did you stay up?a aThe whole time.a She glanced at the pool. A beautiful city s.h.i.+mmered within the dome. Declan had explained the concept to her last night, while she trimmed his hair so it didnat look lopsided. She had watched Georgie from the window for about an hour, while Grandma hemmed and hawed and threw up her hands in disgust trying to trim Roseas own butchered hair into some semblance of a decent haircut. In that hour, Georgie had cried twice. Rose had desperately wanted to go and comfort him.

But her sympathy would do more harm than good. Something profound was happening to Georgie, and he had to go through it alone.

Now, as he sat next to her, he seemed older. Somber and almost grim.

aIt went wrong every time.a He wouldnat look at her.

aThe city looks fine now,a she said.

aThatas because I let them die. I set the dial back to fifty years. I had to. There was no other way.a She hugged him and kissed his hair.

aLife is so precious because itas short,a she said. aEven the most resilient people are fragile. Life isnat about dying or not dying. Itas about living well, George. Living so you can be proud and happy.a Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) Georgie hunched his shoulders.

aIam ready,a he said. aI just want to see them all. For the last time.a Behind them, Declan rose quietly and picked up his sword.

They released Grandpa from the shed and headed into the Wood, Jack padding ahead, a lithe, feline shadow, then she and Georgie with a look of intense concentration on his face, then Declan, and finally Grandfather, snarling and mumbling to himself.

They came to a large clearing, where last year Donovanas trailer had burned to the ground, nearly setting the entire Wood on fire.

Georgie sighed and spread his arms.

A minute pa.s.sed. Then another. Sweat beaded on Georgieas forehead.

A rustle troubled the bushes. The branches bent, releasing a small racc.o.o.n into the open. A bird swooped down and landed on the right. A litter of young kittens scampered into the open, followed by an old threelegged black Lab. Several squirrels emerged, scuttling . . . A puppy with an oddly shaped head . . . They came and came, dozens of mangled, broken creatures, repaired by Georgieas will. They came to their master and sat in a semicircle around them.

Rose drew a sharp breath. So many. Oh, dear G.o.d, so very many. Itas a wonder heas alive at all.

Georgie approached Grandfather sitting in the gra.s.s and hugged him.

aItas time to leave,a he said.

The creature who used to be Cletus looked at him with rheumy eyes. aWill I see you again?a Georgie shook his head. aNo.a Grandfather hung his head. aIam tired,a he said.

Georgie rested his hand on Grandfatheras shoulder and looked at the wall of creatures.

Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) aWait!a Grandmaas voice rang.

Rose turned. lonore stood behind them on the path. She swallowed and slowly walked past them.

Grandfather saw her. Tears swelled in his eyes. lonore stood by him, and he hugged her legs. She patted his matted hair.

aOkay,a she said, her voice trembling. aYou can do it now.a Georgieas lips shaped one quiet word. aBye.a A faint sound emanated from the semicircle as if the undead who couldnat breathe exhaled in unison.

The creatures dropped to the ground. Grandpa toppled forward softly. A sweet sickening reek of decaying flesh filled the clearing. Rose gagged. The beasts melted, their ruptured carca.s.ses leaking fluids into the ground. Another moment, and they decomposed down to their bones.

By lonoreas feet, Grandfather had become dust. She emptied one of the herb pouches she carried in her pockets and gently scooped some of the powder into it.

Georgie swayed. Before Rose could reach him, Declan picked him up. aIs that all?a he asked.

Georgie nodded.

The four of them turned and headed back to the house.

aRose?a Georgie raised his head from Declanas shoulder.

aYes?a aIad like to be George from now on,a he said.

aOkay,a she said. aThat will be fine, George.a He nodded and said, aIam hungry.a

TWENTY.

ROSE sat on the porch, a cup of tea in her hand. Inside, George ate like he hadnat eaten in years, and Grandma was overjoyed to pile more food into his and Jackas dishes.

The screen door opened, and quiet steps approached her.

Declan sat next to her on the steps.

Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) For a long minute they said nothing, then she leaned to him and brushed his cheek with her lips. aThank you for saving my brother.a She pulled away before he could touch her.

aYou donat seem happy,a he said.

aI am. Itas just . . .a She ducked her head. aIave lived with this fear for so long. He started raising things when he was six. Heas ten now. For four years, I watched him fade.

I know that it hampered his growth. He probably never will be as tall or strong as he shouldave been.a aChildren are resilient,a Declan said. aGiven the right diet and exercise, heall hold his own.a aIave tried to help him,a she told him. aIave done everything I could think of. Once Grandma and I put him to sleep for ten days, hoping that all of his creatures would die. But they just kept on sucking the life out of him. This will sound so terrible, but Iad convinced myself he couldnat be helped. I think thatas the only way I could deal with it. I never stopped hoping and trying, but deep down I sort of came to terms with knowing that one day he would just burn down, like a candle.a She covered her face. aYou saved him. You saved Georgie. Iam so grateful. I donat want you to think that I take it lightly. Itas just that I donat even know what to say. Iam scared to believe it. I shouldave tried harder . . . I should be thrilled, but Iam just so . . . lost.

Stunned.a aLike a runner whose race had been cut short,a Declan said.

aYes. Itas selfish and terrible of me, and Iam ashamed of it. I donat know why Iam even telling you this.a He pulled her to him, wrapping his ma.s.sive arm around her back. She pushed away.

aLet me hold you,a he said. aI wonat amaula you. You need it.

Just sit with me.a Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) There was a quiet strength in the way he held her, and she drew on it, wrapped up in his warmth and the scent of his skin. Shead never had anyone to lean on, not like this. He made her feel so safe that she was afraid to let go, terrified that she would break into tears if she did.

aI felt that way when Ca.s.shorn rescued William,a he said.

aAnd felt like sc.u.m for it. I was sure nothing good would come of it. I knew it then, but what could I say? No, Will, take the death instead?a aWhy did Ca.s.shorn do it?a she asked.

aMe. I think he was planning the beginnings of this insanity back then. Ca.s.shorn is older than me by three decades. Heas well trained and heas dangerous and skilled, but he always lacked the perseverance and discipline necessary to truly master a weapon. In his best moments, heas brilliant, but it will do him no good in a direct fight. If we cross blades, Iall cut him down. Heas well aware of it. He wanted William to use against me. Williamas deadly with any blade, especially knives.a aBut William is your friend.a There was a tiny pause. aAfter William was released, I met him at one of the formal dinners His Grace gave.

He came as Ca.s.shornas adopted son. He wouldnat speak to me.a Rose glanced at his face. aIam so sorry. Did you ever find out why?a aNo. I donat know if he was angry because I failed to secure his release or if it was something Ca.s.shorn told him about me. The next thing I knew, both of them were gone. You spoke to him. What did he say?a aHe mostly tried to get me to go out with him. The last time he spoke, he told me he wanted me because the Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) boys and I were together. He said he never had a family and always wanted one, and we fit the bill.a aWell, heall have to do without,a Declan said with the warmth of a glacier. aYouare mine, and he canat have you.a Well then. aThat sounds pretty final. Do I even have a say in this?a aOf course you do,a he said softly. aIf you say no, Iall have to accept it.a Sure, he said that now. But the oath he swore was very clear.

If he won the challenges, Declan gained the right to her. She would be his possession. Not a wife, not a friend, a lover, or an equal. A possession.

Declan always planned things out. He didnat know her at the time he swore the oath and probably thought she was unhinged. He had phrased his oath to gain as much as he could with minimal risk, relying on his presence and her fear to carry it through. If only she had called his bluff. He wouldnat have hurt the boys, not in a million years. He wouldave walked away. But then she wouldnat have gotten to know him. Rose tried to imagine him leaving on that day without another word.

Her throat constricted. Her heart beat faster. She leaned a little closer to him, seeking rea.s.surance that he was still here in spite of herself and realized a simple fact.

She was in love with Declan Camarine.

But loving him and being with him werenat the same thing.

He was still a blueblood, and she . . . She had no dowry and no pedigree. She didnat fit into his world any more than he fit into hers. He wanted her. She was a challenge, and just like Grandma said, Declan couldnat resist. And once he got her, what then? One day they would wake up next to each other, and he would be Earl Camarine, lord of a dozen places with names Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) she couldnat remember, and she would still be only Rose.

She swallowed. In her head she pictured him walking out the door, never to come back. The anxiety squeezed her heart in a lead fist.

aThere is no hope for us,a she said softly.

aThere is always hope,a Declan said. aAs dangerous as Ca.s.shorn is, heas also irrational, and that weakens him.a She shook her head and forced herself to pull free of him. He didnat understand. He concentrated on the biggest threat, and it would do her good to do the same. For now, she had to keep her worries to herself.

Ca.s.shorn had to come first.

aAs far as William goes, I donat know what the devil heas doing, but I doubt heas helping Ca.s.shorn,a Declan said.

aWhat makes you think that?a aWilliam is a decorated veteran with over a decade in the Legion. Ca.s.shorn couldnat hack it in the Legion longer than six months. h.e.l.l, he couldnat hack it in the research branch of the Airforce.a Declan shook his head. aAll he had to do was study wyverns, and he failed at that. I have no respect for him, and I wouldnat suffer his orders. I donat see why Will would.a aSo why is he here, then?a She frowned.

aI donat know.a Declan grimaced. aI know what Iam going to do once I find him.a aAnd that would be?a aIall beat him b.l.o.o.d.y.a She blinked.

aI walked away from eleven years in the Legion to pull his ara"him out of the fire. One would expect a thank-you or at least a cordial demeanor. Failing that, one would expect some small courtesy for old timesa Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) sake, such as a note perhaps, something along the lines of aMy adoptive father is about to make off with a world-destroying device, so he can kill us all. Just thought youad like to know.a a aMaybe he didnat know.a Declan gave her a hard look. aHe knew.a aA little of you is p.i.s.sed off because he didnat go all to pieces thanking you for saving him,a she said.

Declan swore. aI couldnat care less.a aIt bothers you. It would bother me, too.a A man appeared at the end of the road. Slight, a bit di sheveled, he wore black pants, a red polo s.h.i.+rt, and a dark leather vest over it. The s.h.i.+rt and pants sagged on his thin frame. He was balding, and the remains of his short hair and a neatly trimmed, short beard were liberally salted with gray. His face radiated calm kindness, and he smiled at them as he came down the road, leading a horse to the house, but his hooded eyes were solid black.

Declan focused on the man with predatory alertness. aWho is that?a Rose sighed. There went her chance to talk. aThatas Jeremiah Lovedahl.a aWhy is he coming here?a aSupposedly heas coming to take Grandmother and the boys to Wood House. Itas a heavily warded shelter deep inside the Wood.a aYou seem skeptical,a he said.

aHe has an agenda,a Rose said. aThe Edge is very much an aevery man for himselfa kind of place. But once in a while we run across a threat thatas too much for any one family to handle on its own. At times like this, people like my grandma and Jeremiah step forward. Theyare our elders. There are six of them, and when Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) they agree on something, East Laporte usually pays attention.a aThey wonat compel you to obey, but they issue advisory opinions?a Declan asked.

She nodded. aSomething like that. After we had that fight, I called them for Grandma and they had themselves a huddle. Theyave realized that weare too weak to fight Ca.s.shorn directly, so theyare trying to outsmart him. First step is to deprive him of food, so to starve him and the hounds, they aadviseda getting the h.e.l.l out of town. Last night everyone with a drop of sense packed up, and this morning, they all drove out as if to work in the Broken, but none of them are coming back. Some holdouts remain, as usual, but what are you going to do?a She shrugged. aThe Edgers are outcasts. For some of us, our house and land are all we have. I swear, you could have a wall of fire sweeping through East Laporte, and some of the harder heads would hole up on their property. Theyad rather die than leave.a Jeremiah tied his horse to a tree.

aSo what does he really want here?a Declan asked.

aJeremiah hopes to convince you and me to come with him to Wood House, where the rest of the elders are.

They want to know more about Ca.s.shorn, so they want you to help them with that. Iam to come as their protection against you and Ca.s.shorn both. You make them nervous.a His green eyes studied her. aDo you want me to come?a Rose pursed her mouth. aItas up to you. I donat want to ask you to do something you donat want to do, but yes, I would like you to visit Wood House. The elders are old and full of magic. They canat attack Ca.s.shorn or the hounds directly, because the hounds absorb any magic less intense than a flash, but I wouldnat Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) discount them. And we donat have a lot of allies.a aWe? Do you include yourself in my fight?a aHeas destroying my home, eating my neighbors, and wants to kill my family. I told you before; I donat intend to sit on my hands. And you need me, Declan. You need my flash.a He gave her a pointed stare.

Rose rolled her eyes. aOh, the blueblood look of scorn.

Whatever shall I do? I do declare, I feel faint.a Declan growled under his breath.

She patted his hand. aItas not too late to reconsider this whole aIall have you, Rosea business.a aNice try,a he told her.

Jeremiah came up to the porch. ah.e.l.lo, Ms. Drayton.a His accent was the old Southern, slow, refined, swallowing his ras as if head just stepped off some plantation in Virginia.

ah.e.l.lo, Mr. Lovedahl,a she said. aWould you care for some iced tea?a aI would, thank you.a When she returned from the kitchen with two gla.s.ses, Jeremiah smiled at her. aLord Camarine and I were just discussing the defenses of Wood House. He mentioned head like to see them for himself.a aDid he now?a Rose smiled pleasantly and handed out the tea.

aWill you be joining us?a Jeremiah asked.

aIad be delighted,a she said.

ROSE walked next to Declan, picking her way through the forest floor thick with centuries of autumns.

They formed a narrow procession: first, Jeremiah, leading the horse loaded with their bags, then Grandma, then Georgie, and then she and Declan, bringing up the rear.

Jack had gone cat as soon as they set out, and Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) he slunk along on their flanks. Once in a while shead catch a glimpse of him, creeping over a log or scrambling up a tree, but he blended in so well, she wasnat even sure if she truly had seen him or if she just imagined it.

They were only twenty minutes into the Wood, but the change was startling. The forest here was older.

Colossal trees towered above them: enormous pines, straight as masts, venerable Edge oaks, pale poplars . . . The forest was gra.s.s green, and emerald, and yellow. Patches of velvet moss climbed up the bark and sheathed the forest floor, so bright that when the sunlight spilling through the breaks in the canopy struck it, the moss nearly glowed. In the shadows, Granny Rose lichens bloomed on trunks and boulders like vivid scarlet peonies, and in the deeper gloom between the twisted, ma.s.sive roots, delicate ladyas slipper flowers stretched on thin stalks, and yellow-, brown-, and red-capped mushrooms the size of footstools squatted in clumps and rings. The air smelled of life, greenery, and magic. It filled Roseas lungs and carried away worry. She smiled quietly to herself and kept walking, following Jeremiah and Grandma along the trail she could barely see.

aIam too old for this,a Grandma murmured.

aI do recollect that you made this same trip all by your lonesome earlier in the week,a Jeremiah said.

aWell, thatas true,a Grandma murmured.

aI was always of the opinion that some women improve with age,a Jeremiah continued. aLike fine wine.a Rose rolled her eyes. Jeremiah Lovedahl was putting the moves on her grandmother. What was the world coming to?

They reached a grove of pines. The trees stood very dense here, the stubby broken branches near the roots Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) supporting pale cl.u.s.ters of bone wind chimes. Each chime consisted of a skull, suspended from a metal ring among an a.s.sortment of small bones. Past the chimes, the forest stood unnaturally still. Not a single pine needle moved.