On the Edge Part 16

Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) aYouare quick,a he said. His voice gained a deeper undertone.

If she didnat know better, shead say he was flirting. A man would have to be insane to flirt while she was jabbing sharp metal into his wounds.

aItas not my first time at the rodeo. Do they have rodeos in the Weird?a she asked, trying to distract herself from the fact that she was sticking a huge needle into his living flesh.

aYes. Theyare a national sport in the Republic of Texas.a aTexas is a separate republic?a She finished the knot and started the next.

aThe Weird and the Broken are mirror images of each other.

Same continents, same oceans. In the Broken, the continent of North America is divided sideways.a aWhat do you mean, sideways?a There was a tiny pause as the needle slid into his back, but his voice was calm and strain-free. aThe countries are horizontal: Canada, United States, Mexico. In the Weird, the division is vertical. Thatas how the continent was settled. In the east is Adrianglia. In the center is the Dukedom of Louisiana, which is part of the United Kingdom of Gaul.a aGaul?a aItas a kingdom of the Old World. Gaulish tribes used to be fragmented into several kingdoms: Celtica, Belgica, Gal lica.a France and Belgium, Rose guessed. aAlmost done,a she murmured. aSo what is to the west of Louisiana?a aRepublic of Texas. Then the Democracy of California.a aWhat about Mexico?a aIt still belongs to Castillia. Spain.a Theyad run out of continent, and she still had a few st.i.tches to go.

aHow did Adrianglia come to be called that?a She knew already, but she wanted to keep him talking.

Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) aBecause it was discovered by Adrian Robert Drake, who claimed it in the name of the Anglian Kingdom.

Unlike Columbus of the Broken, he realized he had found a new continent rather than a roundabout way to India.a aFor a blueblood, you know a lot about the Broken,a she told him, finishing the last st.i.tch.

aI serve the Duke of the Southern Provinces. The Edge touches his lands. I was taught about the Broken, because itas my duty to keep people from escaping into it. I can use a phone, fire a gun, and I know the theory of driving a vehicle, although I would rather not attempt it.a aAll done,a she said. aYou can go into your room and cry now.a aOnly if you come with me.a He caught her hand into his.

The feel of his skin almost made her shiver. aYou have a very light touch. I barely felt it.a aDonat try to lie to a professional liar. I need my hand to bandage you.a He held on to her for another long second and opened his fingers. She pulled her hand from his, bandaged the wound, and came around to put away her needles.

Declan didnat seem any worse for wear. Still as arresting as ever.

aThank you,a he said.

aNo, thank you. For saving Georgie and my grandmother.a All of the pressure and stress came crashing down on her at once. Her resolve broke like a thin gla.s.s tube snapping. She fought to keep from crying. aHow did you know they were in trouble?a aThe boy called me,a he said. aHe probably realized that would open him to the houndsa magic. I think he was afraid for your grandmother, so he sacrificed himself.a Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) aGeorgieas heart is too big for his own good,a she said. Shead nearly lost him. No more. No more strange expeditions. She needed to stay home with the boys and weather this mess. aHow many of the hounds were there?a Declan shrugged his ma.s.sive shoulders. aA few.a aHow many?a she insisted.

aFourteen. Unfortunately, the house is narrow, and I was unable to rely on my flash. I surmised Georgie and Madame lonore might be in the attic. Bringing the house down with magic would have been bad form. Itas generally advisable to keep the people you attempt to rescue alive.a He said it matter-of-factly, as if that were the most ordinary thing in the world. He ran into a house full of monsters to save people to whom he didnat owe anything. aI wish there were some way I could repay you,a she said, wiping her hands.

aThere is.a She looked up. aWhat can I do for you?a aYou could kiss me, Rose.a She froze, the kitchen towel in her hands, sure she had misheard.

aSurely, I deserve one kiss for saving your brother.a aWhy would you want me to kiss you?a aI want to know what you taste like.a A slow smile stretched his lips. aDonat tell me you havenat thought of it.a She had thought of it, but she would die before admitting it.

aCanat say I have.a aOne kiss,a he said. aOr are you scared?a That same delicious terror that she felt whenever she thought about touching Declan made it completely impossible for her to move. aNot at all,a she lied.

aThen kiss me.a Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) Here was her chance. She could kiss him free of guilt without admitting anything. She wouldnat get another opportunity like that. If she lived to be a hundred and stayed the entire time in the Edge, at least she would be able to say that in her young and wild days, shead kissed a crazy blueblood from the Weird. She was daring, right? Wasnat that what daring women did?

Rose closed the distance between them and rested her own palms on the table between his hands and his sides. If he brought his arms in, he could trap her. It shouldave made her more cautious, but it didnat. She was running along the edge of one of Declanas blades. One misstep, and she would fatally cut herself. And she liked it.

Itas just a kiss. Stop making a huge deal out of it.

She leaned close to Declan. Their lips were a mere inch apart.

Declanas eyes were terribly green. Like a gra.s.s blade with the sun shining through it.

aIam going to kiss you because you saved my brother,a she murmured. aFor no other reason.a aDuly noted,a he said.

She leaned another quarter inch forward. Their lips almost touched.

aThis is so very wrong,a she murmured. Her whole body strummed with antic.i.p.ation.

He leaned his head to her, his voice low. aItas only a kiss. Itas not as if Iam asking you to do something . . .

indecent.a He certainly looked as if he would like to do something indecent. She licked her lips and kissed him.

He opened his mouth and let her in. Her tongue found his.

She stroked it gently and realized Declan held back, keeping himself under tight control. Suddenly she wanted to make him lose his mind, for no other Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) reason than to prove to him that she could. She attacked his mouth. Her tongue darted in and out, her touch light and quick, teasing, never giving him a taste.

Declan growled low in his throat, a purely animal sound that made her want to press against him.

She felt the precise moment when his patience finally snapped.

His arms caught her and pulled her to him. He kissed her back, thrusting his tongue into her mouth, drinking her in. Her head spun. He tasted like a drug. Heat blossomed in her chest and rolled down. Her body ached to be touched.

Another moment, and she would strip naked for him.

Rose pulled back. His arms held on to her, but she took a step back, and he released her. aWas that decent enough, Lord Camarine?a He looked at her like he was about to pounce. aQuite.a aI thought I had to make the kiss memorable,a she told him.

aItas your reward, after all.a She was burning up. The air around her had turned viscous like glue. She had to gulp it to get any into her lungs.

Declan was having some issues coping with the sudden distance between them. His pants failed to mask a large bulge.

aI better go get some air,a she said, turning away from him.

aWait.a She sensed him looming behind her. He leaned in, brushed her hair out of the way, and gently kissed the back of her neck.

A shiver ran down her spine.

He slid one arm across her shoulders and chest, above her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, pulling her to him. aRose,a he whispered into her ear, probably fully aware of what effect that small word had on her when he said it. His other hand caught her waist, trapping her. aStay.a Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) He kissed her neck again, and it took all of her will not to rub her back against him like a kitten eager for a stroke. Oh, get ahold of yourself. Donat be melting for hima"

thatas exactly what he wants.

aNice kiss,a she heard herself say. aBut no thanks.a She took his hands off her body. aYou still have two challenges,a she reminded him and escaped through the house onto the porch.

SEVENTEEN.

OUTSIDE the sun shone bright, the early afternoon in full bloom. Rose breathed in deep, trying to calm herself. Part of her wanted to run back into the house; the other part laughed in cynical disbelief. Run and do what? Yell, aHere I am, take me, take me?a She shrugged it off. She had to give it to Declan. The man could seduce. Not that he had to try terribly hard, considering the way he looked and what easy pickings she was. aYouall be completely safe, Rose, blah-blahblah.a Yeah, right. Safe. Eventually she would have to go back there and look him in the eye. She had no clue how she would manage that.

He was staying in her house, which meant some hard-and-fast rules were in order. No watching him while he waved his sword around in the morning. No thinking about him, unless it was about how she would win a challenge and kick his a.s.s to the curb. Noa"

A man stood in the middle of the lawn, just beyond the ward line. He shimmered lightly, dark and translucent, as if made of many layers of dark panty hose. A hood hid his face, but she saw his hands. They were the mottled bruised color of the houndsa hide.

aItas taken you a while to notice me, my dear,a he said. His voce was cultured and soft and he rolled his ras slightly. Just like Declan. aI was right. Youare delicious.a What in the h.e.l.l is that?

Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) She stepped down off the porch and approached the man slowly. He seemed to float out of a puddle of the gray goo that served as houndsa blood, and as she came near, she saw the bodies of two hounds rapidly dissolving into it.

The closer she got, the stronger the stench of the magic became. A little more. Close enough so her flash wouldnat miss if she had to use it. aWho are you?a she asked.

aIam Lord Ca.s.shorn Eratres Sandine.a The figure dipped his head in a smooth bow. aA pleasure to make your acquaintance. Although really, politeness is unnecessary under the circ.u.mstances, but old habits die hard, you understand. You must forgive me this small indulgence.a Ca.s.shorn, the man whoad adopted Declanas changeling friend. A streak of alarm bit into her spine with icy fangs. That couldnat be a coincidence. She tried to show nothing and keep her voice calm. aThe hounds that attack us, do they belong to you?a aIn the strictest sense of the word, they belong to no one. But I lead them and intend to continue directing their actions.a He sounded so completely reasonable, as if he were her guest, discussing the latest gossip while drinking tea on her porch. aI am . . . a part of them.

And they are now a part of me. Itas a most curious symbiosis.a He raised his hand and showed it to her. The beginnings of black claws tipped his deformed, too-long fingers. His skin matched the color of the hounds, just a shade paler. aWe are one,a he said. A dark curtain of magic unwrapped and surged from him, streaming along the boundary of her ward and flaring up. Bright veins of purple and yellow twisted within it, like capillaries.

The magic flailed and pounded at the ward, trying to break through. She jerked back, but the stones held.

Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) aWhy are you killing us?a aFor your magic. Your deaths are incidental to the process. It is very simple, really. Your bodies contain magic. My hounds collect it and bring it back to me, permitting me to produce more hounds, et cetera, et cetera. I must confess, the process of draining the magic awakens baser instincts in me. A need to rend and tear into the flesh. To taste. Itas an exquisite, almost painful ecstasy. And no matter how much I indulge, my hunger is never fully satisfied. I can continue on for quite some time without becoming satiated.a He laughed softly, and she nearly retched.

aYou realize that youare killing people? Whole families.

Children.a aOf course,a he chided gently and leaned forward to the ward, as if trying to tell her a secret. aTo be thoroughly honest, I never cared for people. They are a bothersome lot, preoccupied with duty, expectations, and the minutiae of their lives.a He rubbed his fingers as if trying to shake something from them. aI have done that, my dear. Iave climbed the mountain of human ambition, and at the top Iave found yet another mountain, alas with no lotuses of fulfillment in bloom.a aI think you might be insane,a she said.

aSanity is overrated compared to happiness, my dear. Taking possession of you, ripping sweet strips of flesh from your body and swallowing them whole, sucking on their juice, would make me infinitely happier than all the wisdom and ability to reason that the human race has to offer. And that brings me to the purpose of my visit. Youave permitted Declan under your roof.a aAnd?a aDeclan has a problem. You see, he canat kill me if he doesnat find me. So he dangles you and your brothers Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) in front of me like pieces of delectable candy. Youare so . . .a He sighed. aMagical. Tempting. Make no mistake, my dear, Iall kill you. Declan knows it as well as I do.

Heas simply hoping to force me to kill you on his terms. If he were to go looking for me, he would have to face the wolf, and he doesnat wish it. They were friends once, he and the wolf.a Anger built inside her. aAnd why would you be telling me this?a aYour lives are of no use to you.a He pointed at the house behind her. aYou squat in filth and poverty upon this pitiful chunk of land, like rats on some enormous garbage heap between two thriving civilizations. Why fight, when the conclusion is foregone? No help will come for you. Sooner or later, all of you will be mine.a aI donat think so.a Ca.s.shorn looked past her. aTell her, Declan. Tell her Iam right.a aI see youave added insanity to the list of your shortcomings,a Declanas icy voice said.

aWhy must you be so unreasonable? Iall have you.a Ca.s.shorn sighed. aI ate a man last night. Unfortunately, my hounds usually devour their targets, but this man was sent to me as a special gift. I ate him quickly, with much greed, and the rapture of feeling his magic flow into me is the only thing I now have. It is my sustenance, my goal, and my addiction, and Iall do anything to taste it again. There will be no escape. Why prolong the agony? I offer you a chance to become something useful. Nourish me. Become part of me and mine.a aI see.a Rose put her hands on her hips. aHere is how itas going to go: Iall kill your hounds, then Iall find you and kill you, and then my brothers will use your head for a soccer ball. That way youall be converted into Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) something useful. Good-bye now.a She stepped over the ward line to get a clear shot. His greedy magic streamed to her. Her anger exploded in a wave of brilliant white, burning the puddle and the houndas body to nothing. Ca.s.shorn vanished.

Rose turned slowly and saw Declan standing on the porch.

aYOU lied to me!a Rose struggled to keep her fury under control. aYou pretended to want to marry me, bullied me into these idiotic challenges, and all the while you were trying to kill Ca.s.shorn.a aI didnat lie. I just let you draw the wrong conclusions,a he said grimly.

Her anger made everything crystal clear. aWhatas the name of your friend, Declan? The one who turns into a wolf, the one Ca.s.shorn adopted?a aWilliam,a Declan said.

Oh, my dear G.o.d.

aThe man youave met may not be the same William,a Declan said.

aOf course itas the same William! I just came back from cutting my ex-boss from a tree, where a changeling wolf had put him! He wrapped him in plastic, hung him upside down, and left me a trail of car chunks so I could find him. William knows who Emerson is. He specifically asked me about him the last time we spoke.

What is the matter with the two of you? Do you think this is some sort of a game? That thing was right, wasnat he? Weare nothing more than bait to you.a Declanas eyes frosted over with white. aRose, his mind was oozing out of his ears before he even started this mess. Heas unraveling; surely you can see that! He was never a real soldier, or a real scientist, or a real n.o.ble, and now he isnat even a real human being. Heas blundered into power, and it consumed him, and Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) now he must be put down like a rabid dog. At his end, n.o.body will mourn, and he recognizes that. You canat believe anything he says.a She brushed his arguments aside. He had lied to her. She actually thought there might be something between them. Yes, she knew better, and yes, the whole challenges deal was a huge strike against him, but everything else about him felt so right. She was so mad, she couldnat even see straight. Mad at him for lying, mad at herself for buying the lie, and mad at the world because once again she was just the means to someone elseas end. The anger sat in her chest and hurt.

aWhere did you take Jack this morning?a aI took him to the Wood.a aTo what purpose? Donat lie to me, Declan, because Iall go and get my brother and he will tell me the truth.a aI instructed him to follow the houndsa trail.a aAre you out of your mind? Heas a child!a Declanas jaw took on a stubborn set. aHeas also a changeling.

Heas smart, cunning, and fast. He was never in any significant danger. I was always within half a mile from him.a aSo because heas a changeling, that makes him expendable?a she snapped. aOr is it because heas a mongrel?a aYouare not listening. Jack was in no danger.a aIam sorry. I seem to have been mistaken. The hounds are just some fluffy, harmless bunnies. Thatas why an hour ago you bled all over my kitchen.a aThatas a completely different situation. I was alone in cramped quarters without my ability to flash. Jack was in the tree canopy under strict orders to run to me the moment he sensed the hounds.a aAnd much good it would do him. They would be on him in the trees before you could get your sword out.a Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) Declan growled. aYou baby the children, Rose. Especially Jack.a She glared at him.

aHeas a predator. Heas eight years old, and George is ten.

Neither is educated in basic self-defense or blade work. George doesnat know how to properly hold a knife.

Jack told me he has never ridden a horse. How do you expect them to survive? They canat cling to your skirt forever.a Her voice caught in her throat, and for a second she couldnat speak. aYou barge into our life, you practically force yourself on me, and now you question how I raise my brothers. Who the h.e.l.l do you think you are?

You try it, Declan. You try raising two boys when youare G.o.dd.a.m.n eighteen years old, your motheras dead, your father has taken off, youare working a below-minimum-wage job that makes you fall over from exhaustion every night, while half of your town is out hunting you so they can sell you to the highest bidder!a aI didnat say you were doing a poor job, but you canat teach them everything.a aBefore I throw you out, answer one question,a she squeezed out through clenched teeth. aWhy us? Why me? Why the whole marrying ruse?a aThe hounds are attracted to magic. I followed their trail to a house,a he said. aAnd then a beautiful girl came out, leveled a crossbow at me, and declared she wouldnat sleep with me. I played along.a aYou played along.a Bitterness dripped from her words. aDo you have any idea how scared I was? How much I worried that you might drag me off, leaving the kids behind, or that you might kill them? Do you know how much anxiety your playing along has cost me? Get out.a Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) He sat on the porch and smiled, showing her his teeth like a flash of a sword blade in the scabbard. aI donat think so.a aWhat?a aWe had an agreement. I havenat breached it, so the fault lies with you. Therefore, you must issue a refund, and you canat. You spent the money.a She opened her mouth and clamped it shut. aYouall get your money,a she managed finally.

aUntil then, Iall remain here. Like it or not, Iall protect you, and Iall use any excuse to do it. More, youare bound by our oath. We both swore to go through the three challenges, and I expect you to issue a second one.a aIam through playing,a she said.

aIam not. The world doesnat revolve around your whims.a aLeave!a she demanded.

ah.e.l.l no. I would be a fool to walk away. Youare one of a kind, Rose. I want you, and Iall fight to have you.a aWell, I donat want you.a aBe that as it may, you have to continue with the challenges.

If you donat, there will be a magic flashback, and neither of us knows what form it will take. You and I could both die, and where would that leave your brothers?a Once again she was backed into a corner. aI hate you,a she said.

He offered her a pleasant smile. aIall take that over indifference. Although I do find you much more attractive when you donat scream and throw a tantrum like a child.a aIf I donat scream, Iall fry you.a He jumped off the porch and loomed before her. aDo it. You want to take it to the next step, then letas go.

Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) But you wonat like it. Iam not one of your local boys. I know how to defend myself.a Magic shimmered around her. His power flared around him.

She clenched her teeth.

The screen door banged, and Jackas voice recited, aGrandma said to tell you to please fight quieter. Youall wake Georgie.a Rose closed her eyes and forced herself to exhale slowly. She heard Declan releasing his breath and felt the pressure of his magic ease.

aYouall have your challenge as soon as Georgie wakes up,a she said calmly when she could speak.

aI look forward to it, my Lady Camarine,a he said.

She marched past him into the house and very carefully closed the door.

EIGHTEEN.

GEORGIE woke up the next morning around ten. Rose had checked on him three times by then, and when she finally saw his blue eyes looking back at her, her knees went weak and she had to lean against the door frame.

aWell, there you are,a she said. aHow are you feeling?a aOkay,a he said.

She came closer, sat on his bed, and touched her lips to his forehead. He felt dry and warm. No trace of a fever. aDeclan told me you called him.a aHe was closer,a Georgie murmured. aI couldnat find you.

You were too far.a Guilt clutched at her. aIam sorry.a aWhat happened?a he asked.

She told him.

aI tried to tell you about the wolf and Ca.s.shorn,a he said.

aBut you had to hurry to work, and then I forgot.a aIam sorry,a she said again. aThe next time you have something important to tell me, Iall listen, no matter Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) what. I tell you whata"Iall go and get us some tea and funnel cake, and you can tell me all about it.a aThere is funnel cake?a Georgieas eyes lit up.

aI made some especially for you. Youare the hero. Heroes always get funnel cake.a She came back, and he told her the whole story between bites of funnel cake and sips of raspberry tea. The more he talked, the clearer the picture became in her head.

aI see,a she said finally. She saw quite well now. Declan following her into the Broken. His stubborn insistence on staying in her house. She was still angry at him.

Very, very angry. But certain aspects of his behavior finally made sense.