On the Edge Part 20

aIs there a spell on the trees?a Declan asked softly.

aBone ward,a Rose murmured back. aVery old, very strong.a They came to a halt at the trees marked by chimes. Most skulls were possum, wolf, lynx, but three were human, and one, heavy-jawed and oddly flat, had two thick fangs curving down like sabers. Declan nodded at the bizarre skull. aTroll.a aThatas correct,a Jeremiah said. aOne came our way from the Weird about fifty years ago. Killed two little girls and ate them.a aHow did you manage to bring him down? Their hideas too thick for a bullet, and theyare immune to most poisons.a Jeremiah plucked a wide triangular leaf from a low branch and held it up. It was slightly larger than his hand. aForest Tear. If you boil the sap of the tree, it makes glue, clear, odorless, and very strong. We served the troll a freshly slaughtered cow on a blanket of these leaves dipped in glue. Trolls are dumb creatures. He got down on all fours to eat his feast, and the leaves stuck to his feet and hands. He tried to shake them off, and when that failed, tried to pull them off with his teeth and got a leaf stuck to his face for his trouble.

Then he panicked and rolled, until he was completely covered. The original plan was for him to suffocate to death, but he somehow got to his feet and ran blindly, until he knocked down a power line pole and got himself electrocuted.a aIam beginning to see that one doesnat disturb your town without consequences,a Declan said.

Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) aOh, weare just simple country folk.a Jeremiah gave him a mild smile. aWe donat take kindly to having our children murdered, but really we keep to ourselves. Weare mostly harmless.a Magic streamed to him, gathering about his body in a deep red cloud. He raised his hand up to the sky. His black eyes narrowed to mere slits, and he barked a single word. aBreak!a The magic shot up and vanished. A moment later a long serpentine body crashed through the canopy and thudded to the ground. A leech bird. About five feet long and pale blue, it resembled a stork, but instead of the normal feathers, its tail split into two long, snake-like whips, tipped with blue tufts. The leech bird flailed in convulsions, slapping its broken bat-like wings on the ground. It had no beak. Instead, its jaws were very long and narrow, full of sharp needle-teeth. Magic spiked from it in dangerous bursts, but they fell short of Jeremiah.

aDreadful creatures. Foul magic, too. Common wisdom says youall turn into one if bitten. I havenat witnessed that happening in my lifetime, but I wouldnat discount it.a Jeremiah raised his rifle and shot the leech bird twice. It jerked and became still. He waited a minute or two, approached the carca.s.s, then pulled out a machete from his belt and hacked the head from the bird in a single chop. He picked it up and tossed it at the ward. The head crashed into the woods and vanished. Wind stirred the chimes. Bones rattled against each other with a dry clatter.

aIt takes blood to open it,a Jeremiah said. He hacked at the leech bird, carving it like a chicken, and nodded at the b.l.o.o.d.y chunks. aEach of you, take one and pay your dues. Quickly now before the blood cools.a Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) One by one they fed the carca.s.s to the ward. When Jack descended from the trees and dragged the last piece to the spell and pushed it in with his furry head, the chimes froze, but beyond them the Wood came to life, as if someone had pressed Play on an invisible remote.

Branches s.h.i.+vered. Small red leaves fluttered to the ground here and there, breaking free from the vine garlands dripping from high branches. Magic bloomed like a flower.

aCome,a Jeremiah ordered.

In they went. The Wood grew darker here, older, harder.

Youad never guess the town roads were only a half hour away. The trees were truly enormous now. It would take several people with their arms outstretched to enclose one of the trunks. Odd creatures skittered in the branches: some small and furry, some scaly, some with eyes that glowed orange and red. Jack spat, and hissed, and promised trouble in his cat language, until Declan picked him up to keep him put.

Twenty minutes later, they finally reached Wood House. It sat on top of a low man-made hill, shaped like a pyramid with its top chopped off. A wooden palisade, centuries old and slathered with clay to protect it from moisture and fires, surrounded the apex of the hill.

Moss and underbrush hugged its roots, trying to climb up the palisade, and pale flowers thrust through it to the sun, as if a wave of greenery had crashed against the wooden walls. Rose remembered coming here only once, when she was very small.

They climbed up the side of the hill, using ancient stone blocks placed there like giant steps. The wooden gate swung open with a creak. A weather-scarred totem pole stood to the right, next to a bonfire pit filled with stones. A tall oak rose straight up, a small wooden lookout platform sitting in its branches like a tree Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) house. To the left, a big log cabin waited for them, its walls so layered with moss and lichen that the building seemed to have grown from the Woodas floor, and behind it a scattering of smaller buildings only intensified the illusion: the structures sat together like toadstools in a ring.

The wooden gate behind them shut, and Rose turned to see Leanne sliding a heavy wooden beam across it.

A few other familiar people walked in the yard: all about her age, most single and magically adept. The Edgers with the least to lose, she realized.

aWelcome to Wood House,a Jeremiah said.

TWENTY-ONE.

LEE Stearns claimed he was half-Cherokee Indian, but his hair, skin, and face said he was whiter than the Pillsbury Doughboy, and rumor had it that both of his parents were about as Cherokee as pizza. It wasnat something people dared to say to his face or behind his back.

His skin was smooth and pale, almost satiny, despite his advanced age. He looked at the world with watery blue eyes, and his hair was corn silk blond. It was as if the sun had bleached him. Lee drew the eye. He was also known to lose his temper if he thought people stared at him too much, and as Rose found a seat across from him at an old wooden table in the Wood House hall, she took care not to look at him too long.

Gaping at the other five elders wasnat a good idea either.

There was a lot of power in the room, and they looked far too somber to tolerate foolishness right about now.

Rose glanced to her grandma. lonore gave her a careful smile. Rose looked at her hands.

She was terribly aware of Declan, sitting very still next to her, about as perturbed as a granite crag. At least Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) the children were excused from the meeting. Leanne had brought Kenny Jo to Wood House, probably so the elders could question him. George and Kenny Jo decided to call a truce for the time being in the name of exploring Wood House. They got off easy.

aWhy donat you introduce us to the young man, Rose?a Jeremiah said.

Rose cleared her throat. aDirectly across from us is Adele Moore.a If Grandma pretended to be a hedge witch, Adele was one.

She was tall for an older woman, with skin the color of coffee grounds. Her hair streamed down to her waist in long gray dreads, each lock woven with bead strings and leather cords tingling with small bone and wood charms. Her clothes were layers of threadbare fabric, green, olive, and brown. She wore a dozen necklaces, some of dried mushroom caps stuck onto a thin thread, some of dried blossoms, some of discarded snakeskin, and one or two of tiny, cheap beads probably bought at Wal-Mart, of all places. Her face was wrinkled, and her hair had lost its color, but Adeleas eyes were quick and young.

aTo the left of Adele is Emily Paw, Elsie Mooreas niece.a Emily looked a lot like her aunt. Haggish and slight, she resembled a dried-out crow. Her mouth drooped downward, and in all of her twenty-two years, Rose had never seen Emily smile once. Of all present, with the exception of herself and Declan, Emily was the youngest and looked the oldest.

aYou already know Jeremiah and Grandma,a Rose continued. aThe man on the right is Lee Stearns. Next to him is Tom Buckwell.a ah.e.l.lo.a Tom Buckwell sounded like an ornery bear and looked like one, too. Big, almost seven feet tall and Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) three hundred pounds heavy, he sat hunching his thick shoulders. He was also the hairiest man she had ever seen. His reddish beard was always tangled, his hair long, and the hair on his muscular forearms resembled fur. Rumors said that if he got drunk enough, he sometimes got his jollies by stripping naked and scaring hikers out in the Broken into thinking he was Bigfoot. Tom was also Fred Simoenas uncle, once removed.

aAnd this is Earl Declan Camarine,a Rose finished finally.

Silence fell.

aHow do we know you are who you say you are?a Lee asked.

Declan shrugged. aYou donat.a aThen how do you expect to prove yourself?a Rose tensed. Shead expected the question. It was natural that they would want to test him, but testing Declan was like trying to pet a strange pit bull.

Declanas eyebrows crept up an eighth of an inch. aI donat have to prove anything. I came to you because Miss Drayton convinced me it would be beneficial to my cause. Iam here to kill Ca.s.shorn. I have no other purpose or agenda, and once Iam done, Iall return back to where I came from. Itas up to you to accept me or not.a It really was amazing how Declan could s.h.i.+ft into blueblood mode. His tone wasnat exactly imperious, but it made it seem as if his words were cast in stone.

aWhat Lee means is we would like to see some proof of your power,a Grandma said. aPlease, indulge us.a He bowed his head. aAs you wish, Madame.a Magic stirred within Declan, like a lazy monster, awakening slowly, stretching, testing its claws. It built stronger and stronger. A white glow rolled over his irises. It was as if the side of the room where he sat had Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) darkened, but the magic within him glowed, swelling, rising, terrifying and impossibly strong like a hurricane.

The tiny hairs on the back of Roseas neck stood on their ends.

Declanas eyes blazed white. A ghostly wind brushed Rose.

She could actually see ita"a thin veil of pale glow, streaming about Declan, winding against him.

She reached out and put her fingers on his hand. He glanced at her with his star-eyes and pulled the magic inside himself, sheathing it like a weapon. She wasnat sure what was more impressive: the sheer magnitude of his power or the ease with which he controlled it.

Lee opened his mouth and clamped it shut. Grandma looked pained. Up until now, some of them probably thought they could take care of Declan if it came to that. Now they knew that all of them put together could slow him down, but killing him would be another matter entirely.

Adele leaned forward. aWe would hear about Ca.s.shorn,a she said. aIf itas at all possible, Lord Camarine.a Declan leaned forward. aWhat I say here mustnat leave this room. If it does, Iall have to return, and I wonat be alone,a he said.

Heads nodded around the table.

aIt goes back to the Empire of the Sun Serpent,a Declan said.

aIn the Broken, settlers from the Eastern half of the world came to the West and killed the native tribes, who lacked technology and the means to effectively resist.a Lee looked like he was about to say something but thought better of it.

aIn my world, the opposite was true. This continent was home to a powerful empire. Its people called itself tlatoke, and they called their realm the Kingdom of the Sun Serpent. Their magic was born in the jungle, Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) and it was extremely powerful and difficult to counter. About sixteen centuries ago they crossed the ocean and began raiding the Eastern continent, terrorizing the coast of Anglia and what is now the Gaulic Empire, all the way south to Etruria. They killed, raped, stole slaves, and demanded bowls of gold dust in tribute.

This continued for approximately two hundred years, until they abruptly stopped. Usually raids die down gradually, but the tlatoke simply vanished.a Declan paused.

aSomething screwed up the kingdom of the s.h.i.+ny snake,a Tom Buckwell said.

Declan nodded. aThe raids had spurred research. A century later, the peoples of the Eastern continent had developed the means to cross the ocean, but the fear of the tlatoke was so great that almost three hundred years pa.s.sed before the first voyage took place. When the first war fleets arrived at the Western continent, they found no tlatoke. Plenty of ruined cities and temples, but no people. More, a lot of the magic-saturated flora and fauna one would expect was gone. The woods were young. Even now itas difficult to find a thousand-year-old tree. The species of plants and animals that did survive had developed great defenses.

Western animals are bigger and stronger than their Eastern counterparts, and something as sluggish as a vampire vine has evolved into an active predator.a aWhat killed the tlatoke?a Jeremiah asked.

aIt is unclear. The searches of the ruins didnat provide any definitive answers. If something did kill the inhabitants, they were consumed, because no intact skeletons remained. But the researchers did find signs of struggle. Broken furniture. Holes in the walls. Claw marks.a aThe hounds,a Grandma said.

Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) Declan continued. aEventually survivors were found, isolated bands hiding out in the wilderness. They were almost unrecognizable. Legends said the raiders had worn steel armor and brightly colored robes, but their descendants had regressed into primitivism. The use of magic and cultivation of crops were forbidden. The former tlatoke lived in small nomadic groups, wore furs, and hunted with bows and spears. In three hundred years, they managed to fall from a glorious, advanced civilization to people who no longer remembered how to read the writings of their ancestors.

Their oral traditions persisted, however, and their legends spoke about a gift from the Sun Serpent, which then turned on them and destroyed their kingdom.

Even in the Weird, G.o.ds donat actually interfere in the lives of the mortal men. We pray to them, but we have yet to see definitive proof they exist. So n.o.body was quite sure where this gift came from. Perhaps it was manufactured by tlatoke priests. Perhaps it fell from the depths between the stars as meteorites do.

Perhaps it was an artifact of a forgotten nation. Whatever its origin was, the gift destroyed the tlatoke civilization and vanished.a aWhat happened?a Rose asked.

aThe continent was settled. New countries sprang up. Some, like Adrianglia, won their independence from their mother states. The tlatoke became a bizarre historical mystery. Then, about three hundred years ago, the great-grandfather of the current Duke of the Southern Provinces decided to drain a mire pond. As the pond was drained, a strange egg-like object emerged, sheathed in clay. It was too heavy to move, and so His Grace ordered the sh.e.l.l broken. Under the clay lay ceramic, followed by a layer of pure iron, then more Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) ceramic, then lead. Finally when all the layers were cut through, His Grace found a strange device. As soon as the device was touched, it came alive and produced the first hound. The hound killed one of the workers.

The magic it absorbed then streamed back into the device, and a second hound was born.a aYou shouldave destroyed it,a Emily Paw said.

aWe tried,a Declan said. aThe device absorbs magic. Itas impervious to fire. Attempts were made to crush it and encase it in molten metal, but they were unsuccessful.

Itas made of a material not found in the Weird.

As far as we know, its function is simple: it pulls magic from its environment and produces hounds, which then collect magic and return it to the device. We donat know why it does what it does. We know human beings are the houndsa preferred prey. We know it canat be stopped.a aIs that what killed the Weirdas Indians?a Tom Buckwell asked.

aThatas what some believe. The device was cla.s.sified as an aimminent threat to the realm.a A bunker was built, mimicking the original object: several layers of iron, lead, ceramic, and gla.s.s were arranged in such a way as to provide maximum isolation from the environment.

The device was placed into the bunker. Its existence was kept secret from the general public to prevent panic or terrorist acts.a Lee Stearns snorted. aOf course.a aThe bunker is located in Beliy Forest,a Declan said. aItas an ugly, inhospitable place, and n.o.body in their right mind trespa.s.ses there. The structure itself sits on a slab of ceramic, and the forest is burned, salted, and fenced off for a mile around the bunker. Once every two weeks a crew made up of members of a secret Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) branch of the Dukeas personal guard travels to the bunker and destroys any encroaching plants or animals to prevent the device from accessing environmental magic.

Approximately two weeks ago, Ca.s.shorn Sandine, brother of the current Duke, broke into the bunker and stole the device. It was brilliantly done: he had been secretly cutting a narrow trail into the forest for the last year and a half, ending it about twelve miles from the bunker. He then compromised the bunker and airlifted the device twelve miles to the trail by means of an Airforce wyvern he had stolen from a local armory. The device killed the wyvern but not before it got Ca.s.shorn to his escape route. He loaded the device onto a cart and drove it out of Adrianglia into the Edge.a aI think we all could use something to drink,a Adele said.

ONCE iced tea had been distributed, the mood in the room lightened and Rose breathed easier.

aWhy would Ca.s.shorn do it?a Adele asked, sipping her tea.

aWhy is good, but I want to know how come the beasts arenat killing him,a Grandma said.

Declan drained half his gla.s.s. aItas difficult to understand Ca.s.shorn. Heas mad, but he has flashes of genius.

Heas amoral, but he takes pains to be polite. Heas failed at everything he ever tried. Ca.s.shorn expressed the desire to be a duke like his father. Centuries ago t.i.tles used to be hereditary. Now t.i.tles are administrative posts that carry a great deal of civil and military responsibility. One canat inherit a t.i.tle. One must earn it and pa.s.s the requisite examinations proving his or her competency in order to claim it. The higher the rank, the more stringent are the requirements. Sons and daughters of n.o.bles often receive very specialized education from birth in antic.i.p.ation of trying to a.s.sume the t.i.tle. They have an advantage, because they Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) watch and learn as their parents govern, in the same sense as the bakeras son knows about baking bread from watching his father make it. But no matter how good their test scores are, n.o.body, not even an heir to the throne of Adrianglia, can a.s.sume a t.i.tle without first providing service to the realm. Some choose civil, some military, but all have to serve. The mandatory period of service is seven years in the military and ten for the civil service.a aMilitary for you, I take it?a Tom Buckwell asked.

Declan nodded. aCa.s.shorn pa.s.sed the examinations at fifteen. Did spectacularly well, in fact. All that remained was the period of service. Ca.s.shorn attempted the Airforce, because it is considered the most cerebral of all military occupations.a aAirforce like planes?a Lee Stearns asked.

aAirforce like flying beasts,a Declan said. aWyverns, man ticores, and so on. Within a year Ca.s.shorn was booted from the Airforce Academy for plotting to kill one of his instructors. That effectively barred him from any military branch except for the Red Legion, who will take anyone. Whether youare a wanted criminal or a certified lunatica"they donat care. They can take an average person and in two years turn him or her into a ma.s.s murderer. Just deploying them often causes panic in the enemy. The Red Legion discharged Ca.s.shorn in six months, deeming him completely unsuited to military service.a aTo screw up like that takes talent.a Tom Buckwell shook his head. aHe must be special.a Declan grimaced. aHe certainly thinks so. With the military crossed off his list, Ca.s.shorn attempted the civil service. He was fired from Elizabethian University for plagiarism, having served a little over twenty months.

Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) Two days later, someone set the campus on fire. Then Ca.s.shorn took a sabbatical for three years. Then he attempted manufacturing research. To make a long story short, in the meantime Ca.s.shornas younger brother, Ortes, finished his seven years, serving in the Andrianglian Navy with distinction, and Ca.s.shorn hadnat even managed to pa.s.s a half mark. Their test scores were tied. Because they were siblings, Ortes had the option of signing a waiver to give his brother five years to complete the service requirement. A peer t.i.tle canat remain vacant for long. All peers have duties, and someone has to fulfill them.a aSo what happened?a Rose asked.

aOrtes was willing to sign the waiver, if his father wished to give Ca.s.shorn another chance. The Duke decided he needed to think some more on the matter and invited his sons to Yule Dinner at the ducal manor. Most of the n.o.bles and their families were present at the celebration. I was eight, and I remember it vividly. Ca.s.shornas demeanor was bizarre. He seemed not to know where he was. Midway through the evening he stood up and started talking. He ranted like a lunatic and attacked Ortesas wife, calling her a wh.o.r.e and blaming her for a number of odd and illogical things. Apparently, years earlier, when Ortes and Jane were affianced, Ca.s.shorn had made some advances toward her and she turned him down, but to hear him tell it, the incident had happened earlier in the evening, not nearly a decade ago. Obviously, no waiver was signed, and Ortes became Duke shortly after his father retired. Ca.s.shorn later claimed that someone had added a narcotic to his drink, but by then it was too late, and he seemed to accept it. Apparently, he found a new way of obtaining the power he always wanted.a Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) Jeremiah frowned. aWhy the Edge? Why our small neck of the woods?a Declan rested his arms on the table and leaned forward. aThe Edge has no strong police or military force.

Any resistance he encounters will be fragmented, since n.o.body but Edgers care what happens between the worlds. As to what his purpose is, I donat know. I think he may have started with some idea of conquering the Edge, building up an army of hounds, and avenging himself on all the people who wronged him in Adrianglia. However, whatever he has done to earn immunity from the hounds is changing him. Iam not sure how much of his humanity remains.a aI think his conquering plans bit the dust,a Rose said. aHe simply wants to absorb magic and eat us now. He kept his face hidden, but his hands looked like paws. He has claws instead of nails. If he conquers the Edge, it will be so he can feed.a aHe canat be reasoned with,a Tom Buckwell said.

Lee turned to him. aHow do you know?a Tomas bushy beard moved around a bit. His face looked sour.

aFred Simoen sent Brad Dillon up to him with gifts.a aHe what?a Grandma drew from the table in shock.

aI told him not to do it,a Tom growled. aI said from the get-go that it was a lousy idea and it wouldnat end well, but there was no reasoning with him. Fred thinks he can buy the world.a Rose thought of Ca.s.shorn raving on about the delicious man he had received as a gift. Nausea squirmed through her. aCa.s.shorn ate Brad, didnat he?a aHe sure did,a Tom said. aAt least thatas what Fred said, before he and the whole clan peeled out of the Edge like their a.r.s.es were on fire.a Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) Rose rubbed her face. Brad was slime, but to die like this . . .

n.o.body deserved that. She thought of the boys being eaten and had to clench her hands under the table.

Declanas large hand settled on her fist. He rubbed her hand with his dry warm fingers. aSo you do know where Ca.s.shorn is?a Silence fell around the table.

aHeas in Moss Ravine,a Adele said. aThe Wood started dying there about six days ago.a Lee threw his hands in the air. aAnd he needs to know that why?a aItas his mess,a Emily creaked. aLet him clean it up.a aThatas a real good point.a Lee swung to Declan. aWhy arenat more of you fellows here taking care of this problem? Why is it youare here by your lonesome? Itas your mess.a aTechnically, the Duke has no jurisdiction in the Edge,a Declan said. aSo itas your mess at the moment.a aBut they did send you,a Jeremiah said.

aOh, come on.a Tom Buckwell slapped the table with his big hands. aHeas covert ops, if I ever saw one. They ainat gonna send a battalion to help us out, because that would mean theyad have to admit that Dukeas psycho brother made off with their supersecret apocalypse machine, which they werenat supposed to have in the first place. They sent one guy, a killer, and if he fails, theyare gonna deny they ever knew anything about the whole deal.a aNot quite,a Declan said. His hand still stroked Roseas under the table. aI have a time limit. If in a fortnight I donat inform His Grace that Ca.s.shorn is dead and the device is destroyed, the Duke will take further measures.a aThe Red Legion,a Grandma said softly.

Declan nodded.

Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) aWhat does that mean?a Lee Stearns asked.

Grandmaas mouth flattened into a severe line. aWhen the Red Legion comes through, nothing remains.a aYou may hide in the Broken,a Declan said, abut theyall purge East Laporte. It will be like you were never here.a Lee glared. aThey have no right!a aThink,a Tom Buckwell said. aFifty fellows just like him.

Theyall come and wipe the place out, so we have nothing to come back to. Thatas what the U.S. did in Korea.

They donat want us sitting in East Laporte spreading rumors of their doom machine. And heaa"Tom stabbed his finger in Declanas directiona"aheas the one whoas gonna carry the responsibility for us getting wiped off the map on his soul. It will be his call.

n.o.body wants to make a call like that.a aWhy are you here?a Adele asked softly. aWhy did you choose to be the one?a aI have my reasons,a Declan said.

This wasnat going to get them anywhere. aThere is a changeling,a Rose said, ignoring Declanas sharp glance.

His hand abruptly left hers. aCa.s.shorn has some sort of hold over him. His nameas William.a aIs he the one who hung Emerson on Dead Horse Oak?a Emily Paw asked.

Rose nodded. aDeclan and William were friends, and he wants to save him.a aAn army buddy, I bet.a Tom Buckwell nodded. aFigures. Itas good for us. Makes it nice and personal, so youall fight harder. You got a plan?a aI can take Ca.s.shorn in a one-on-one physical fight,a Declan said. aBut he knows this. I need to separate him from the hounds. Since the device produces the hounds continuously, one at a time, the only way to get Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) Ca.s.shorn alone is to rapidly destroy a large number of his beasts. Unfortunately, he seems to be directing their actions. He may not be fully human, but he would recognize a trap. I would know more if I could survey his position and see what sort of odds we were facing.a Jeremiah rose. aI think weave heard enough. We need to confer. Letas let the young ones get some air.a AS the wooden door shut behind her and Declan, Rose blinked against the sunlight and sank on the porch.

aWell, that went as well as it could.a aYou told them about William,a he said.

aYes, I did. Words like adutya donat mean much to them. They understand friends.h.i.+p and family. They wouldnat touch you because youare powerful and theyare afraid of retribution from the Weird. They canat hurt the hounds, because they absorb magic. But they could hurt William. With things the way they are, if they saw a strange changeling, they might act first and ask questions later. Theyare all cursers, Declan. You saw what Jeremiah did to that bird, and you know what my grandmother tried to do to you.a She faced the weighty look in his eyes. aI know itas a private thing between you and him. But it was best they knew. They might not hurt him now.a aWhy the sudden love for William?a aAre you jealous?a She narrowed her eyes.

aYou didnat answer my question.a aI worry about William, because heas important to you,a she said. aBecause I feel that until the two of you settle things between yourselves, it will eat at you. And if Williamas truly helping Ca.s.shorn . . . Youall have to kill him, wonat you?a aYes,a Declan said.

Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) He would have to kill his best friend. Rose looked away, at the trees, at the gra.s.s, at her hands. Her stomach churned. It had all gone so wrong somehow, and so fast, and fixing it seemed impossible. Two weeks ago, life was a normal drudgery, and seemingly overnight, her stable world became the place where demonic creatures hunted small boys so they could eat them and the man she loved had to pick between his survival and the life of his best friend.

She was caught in an ugly dream and couldnat wake up, and the fear that clung to her every second was worst of all. She was scared for the boys and Grandma and terribly frightened for Declan, so badly it hurt inside, as if her bones ached. If she let herself dream just a little, she glimpsed a hint of fragile happiness that might even be hers, if not forever, then for a little while, and it was about to be ripped away from her.

She was so sick of being scared. aYou said you were a Marshal. Is this what you do?a she asked. aThis is what your job is like?a Declan nodded.

aAnd itas always like this?a aThis is probably the worst,a he said. aBut yes, there are always choices I donat want to make. Itas my duty as Marshal. A lot is riding on my back right now. If I fail to kill Ca.s.shorn, people will die, the Duke of the Southern Provinces will be dishonored and possibly have to step down, your town will be wiped out, and Iall lose you. And I donat even know if I have you.a Rose chewed on that. Did aI donat even know if I have youa mean aI donat even know if you like mea or did it mean aI donat even know if Iall win the challenges and get to own youa?

aYou wonat lose me just because youave failed,a she said.

aIf I fail, Iall be dead,a Declan said.

Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) Suddenly she was angry. All that worry and fear mixed in her, and him talking so calmly about dying squeezed it together into pure fury. She was furious at Ca.s.shorn for putting them all through it. aOh no, you wonat.a His eyebrows crept up.