On the Edge Part 14

This would have to be phrased very carefully. Anything she said to George would find its way to Jack. She didnat want to destroy their fragile faith in the only cool guy they knew, and she definitely didnat want this situation to turn into aBig bad Rose drove the super-cool Declan away.a But she didnat want to delude them either.

aWeave had people from the Weird approach us before to get me to go away with them,a she said, choosing her words as if she were walking a tightrope and the wrong one could pitch her to the side. aYou probably donat remember because you were little.a aLike Declan?a She doubted there was another Declan. The world wouldnat be able to stand more than one. aNot quite like him. A couple were retainers of the n.o.bles and one was a lesser blueblood.a Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) aWhat happened?a aWell, the first retainer tried to bribe Dad and Grandpa with presents. And when he figured out he was wasting his time, he set our house on fire. He thought that if we had nothing left, Iad leave with him. Thatas why the wards are so far out from the house now and my bedroom has different walls. The second retainer had a lot of people with him, and they tried to blockade the house. Dad shot him in the head, and then they went away.a aWhat about the blueblood?a Rose sighed. aOh, he was a special kind of worm. He was very sweet and nice. And very handsome. He tried to acourta me. Head bow down, and recite poetry, and tell me I was beautiful. I almost believed him. And then the caravan from the Weird came into town and one of the traders, Yanicea"you remember her, right?a aShe wears a veil,a Georgie said.

aYes. Yanice recognized him. He was a slaver and a wanted criminal. If I had gone with him, he wouldave auc tioned me off like a cow. I wouldnat have a choicea"I would be forced to go with whatever man bought me.a She wouldnat have. Shead have fought to the end, and they wouldave had to kill her, but there was no need to frighten George.

aDeclan isnat like that.a aWe donat really know what Declan is like. All that we have to go on is what Declan tells us and how he acts.

I know he seems like a cool guy.a She fell silent, realizing she wanted very much to believe that he was a acool guy.a He seemed . . . it would be a shame if he turned out to be a sc.u.mbag. There was warmth underneath all that arrogance, and more, there was integrity.

She sensed it very clearly. Declan had a moral Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) code. She suspected that there were lines he wouldnat cross, but she didnat exactly know where those lines lay.

aWe donat know what heall be like once I agree to go with him,a she said. aWhat if he takes me with him and leaves you here? He told Jack that he would take all of us with him, but really nothing would force him to keep his word. What if he does take us with him and then makes you into servants or drops you off at some orphanage?a Or kills them and leaves their bodies on the side of the road.

His promise not to harm expired once he won the challenges. Surely, he wouldnat. Not Declan. But again, she had no guarantees.

aBesides, if I go with Declan, Iall have to be his wife. And Declan doesnat love me.a aWhy not?a George asked.

aBecause Iam not a lady. I donat have good manners, Iam not educated, and Iam not demure and sweet. I say what I mean, and Iam not always nice. He probably thinks he can force me to be pleasant, but no matter what clothes I wear and how you mess with my hair, Iall still be me.a Crude, vulgar, and disagreeable.

Rose sighed. aSee, Declan is used to people obeying his orders. Back in the Weird, when he orders something, people fall over themselves to make it happen.

Iam not like that. Thatas why we argue so much.

We would drive each other insane, and if we fought, Declan would win. My magic is like a lightning strike.

Itas precise and contained, because I have good control.

Declanas magic is like a hurricane. Terribly, terribly powerful. He blew the roof off Amyas house.a aReally?a aYes. His flash just exploded and killed a whole bunch of those hound beasts. Tore the roof right off.a Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) She stopped herself. Last thing she needed was a new way to feed Georgieas hero wors.h.i.+p. aBottom line: we canat trust Declan. Heas very strong, and we donat want to be at his mercy.a If she were born into a good Weird family, it might have been different, Rose thought, guiding the truck up to Grandmaas house. She might have had tutors and clothes.

Of natural colors. She would have been witty and carefree, and then Declan might have thought she was the coolest thing since sliced bread. He might have tried to win her. Now that would be an interesting exercise: the arrogant, icy, monstrously powerful Declan bowing and asking her to dance or making polite small talk with Grandma in French before asking for permission to take Rose for a stroll in the park. Oh, that would be hilarious.

She killed the smile that stretched her lips and let the fantasy die. Living in a dream never did her any good.

She would never be a lady. She was born an Edger mongrel.

Good fora"how had he put it?a"a carte blanche, but little else.

Yesterday when he stepped close to her and she looked into his eyes, she realized he wanted her. Not just her, the white-flas.h.i.+ng-freak, but her as a woman. It wasnat a calculated move like that stare he had given her before. It was a completely spontaneous and honest declaration of attraction, and it was completely devastating. She had thought about it all evening, and then half of the night, and now again, she was thinking about it and couldnat let it go. The idea of being in Declanas bed filled her with a kind of happy terror. It wasnat an altogether unpleasant feeling, and she was furious with herself for it.

He was so out of place in her house that Rose never expected him, and when she ran into him while Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) straightening up or cooking, her heart did a little skip. That skip was dangerous. Watching him, talking to him, was dangerous. She had been fooled before, and she couldnat afford to be fooled again. She needed to get her head on straight.

When she allowed herself to dream, being the object of a bluebloodas l.u.s.t didnat enter her fantasies. No, she dreamt of a regular guy, a nice guy with a steady job, someone whoad love her as much as she loved him and take care of her just like she would take care of him.

Someone like William. Except her heart didnat make those little jumps when she saw William.

She pictured herself living in the Broken, with a regular guy, just like a regular family, going to a regular job . . . Dear G.o.d. She would slit her own throat out of boredom.

aI donat know what I want,a she mumbled.

Five minutes later, she drove up to Grandmaas, parked, and eyed the house. Grandma had to be dying to give her a piece of her mind regarding Declan. This morning Rose got away without a conversation by making excuses about Georgie needing to eat. Maybe if she got lucky, she could get away with her hide intact again.

aCome on, Georgie.a He climbed out of the truck, and together they made their way up the steps and into the kitchen, which smelled like vanilla and cinnamon.

aSmells like cookies,a Georgie said.

Grandma lonore smiled and handed him a plate of cookies. aThere you go. Why donat you go to the porch, Georgie, and let me and Rose talk a bit.a Rose bit her lip. She knew what was coming and tried to beat a hasty retreat, just like this morning. aI brought back your four dollars,a she announced, putting the money on the table. aI really canat stay. I have groceries in the truck and they might spoil . . .a Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) aSit!a Grandma pointed to a chair.

Rose sat.

aWhere is Jack?a aWith Declan.a aAnd you trust Declan enough to leave a child with him?a Rose grimaced. aThey snuck out this morning. By the time I woke up, they had gone beyond the scrying spell. Jack wors.h.i.+ps the ground Declan walks on, and he probably wanted to show off in the Wood. Iam not happy about it, and Iall chew him out when they get home, but I donat think Declan would hurt him or let him be harmed. He saved Jack once, and I donat believe he has it in him to injure a child.a aAnd what makes you think so?a Rose shrugged. aItas a feeling I get from him.a aA feeling?a Grandma fixed her with an intense blue gaze.

aIall hear about the blueblood. All of it.a All of it took almost a half hour. The more Rose talked, the more the corners of Grandmaas mouth sagged.

aDo you like him?a she asked when Rose fell silent.

aWhy would you even ask me that? Ia"a aRose! Do you like him?a aA little,a Rose said. aJust a little.a Grandma sighed.

aMost of the time, I want to strangle him,a Rose added to ease her fears.

For some odd reason, her attempt to rea.s.sure Grandma actually made things worse. lonoreas face paled.

aQue Dieu nous aide.a G.o.d help us . . . aWhat did I say? I donat like him enough to go away with him. Heas arrogant and overbearing anda"a Grandma raised her hand, and Rose fell silent. lonore opened her mouth, closed it, and shook her head.

aAnything I say will only make things worse,a she murmured.

Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) aWhat do you mean?a Grandma sighed. aYou have a flaw, Rose. Youare daring. Just like my Cletus, just like your father. Itas a Drayton trait, and it has brought us nothing but misery. You see a challenge, and you must go after it.a Rose blinked. She didnat chase challenges, at least not intentionally. At least she never thought she did.

aAnd this Declan, heas a terrible challenge,a Grandma lonore continued. aProud and powerful. And he looks . . . You know yourself how he looks. I know youall turn yourself inside out, trying to win. Declan is the same way: he saw you out the window on the phone and went out the back door like he was about to storm a castle. He has decided youare his.a aIall undecide it for him.a Rose snorted. aHe thinks heas already won. Well, I have a surprise or two coming.a aThatas what Iam afraid of,a Grandma murmured. aYou must understand, heas a dangerous man. Very dangerous. I cursed him.a aYou what?a aI cursed him,a Grandma repeated. aThat evening when William called, he came through the door asking for you, and I didnat know who he was, so I cursed him.a Oh G.o.d. aWhat did you cast?a aRubber legs.a The Edgers had many talents. The ability to curse wasnat the rarest talent, but it was one of the strongest.

The older you were, the stronger was your cursing. The elder Edgers had the cursing monopoly, and they didnat warm up to new-comers until they were past middle age, which for some Edger families. .h.i.t around seventy or so.

For most curses, there was no cure. They had to be broken by the target or left to run their course. If the Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) target did manage to break your curse, the magic lashed out back at you. While you tried to deal with the consequences, a very put-out cursee might arrive with his trusty shotgun, intending to use you for target practice. And if the curse did succeed, often the family of the afflicted would pet.i.tion one of the older cursers for help to bring you down to size. Then you really had problems. An Edger had to be well along in years and have a good deal of respect before she could get away with cursing someone, or the retribution would be swift and brutal.

Rose had learned cursing when she was only six, by accident, just like everyone else. The family was out at a barbe que, and a girl named Tina Watty had stolen her doll and thrown it on the grill. Rose wished Tinaas hair would fall out. As soon as she said it, her magic gushed, and then they had to go home. The next time she saw Tina, her long blond hair was gone, and short stubble covered her head.

Everyone was allowed one curse, their first one, because thatas how you learned you had the power. But after that, you learned to control yourself or there would be h.e.l.l to pay. Luckily for her, Grandma was a curser as well, one of the best in East Laporte, and Rose got more education in the art of cursing than she would ever need. The only proper way to learn curses responsibly was to suffer through most of them.

Grandmother knew a lot of curses, and Rose had wanted to learn badly. Shead tried rubber legs on for size when she was twelve.

Rubber legs was an excruciatingly painful curse. The victim felt her legs torn apart like string cheese. If she tried to take a step, she would inevitably plummet to the ground. The curse left no harmful effect and Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) vanished after a half hour or so, but meanwhile a person could lose her mind.

And Grandma had cast it on Declan. It was a wonder he didnat slaughter the lot of them.

aWhy would you curse him?a Grandma shrugged. aHe surprised me.a aWhat happened?a aYour blueblood grunted a bit and shrugged it off. Just muscled on right through it. And thatas when I hit him with the bottle of olive oil and missed. He dodged, took the bottle out of my hands, and told me in perfect French that while he appreciated my vigor when defending my family, if I attempted to hit him again, I would sorely regret it.a That sounded like Declan. aHeas good at intimidation,a Rose said.

Grandma nodded, her eyes opened wide. aOh, I believed him. Besides, the curse had backlashed and I had to sit down. Do you know what I was going to do for a living before your rogue of a grandfather sailed into port with his s.h.i.+p and a das.h.i.+ng smile?a aNo.a aOur village supplied retainers for Count daArtois of the Kingdom of Gaul in the Weird. My family, in particular, had served him for years. Trust me, I recognize blood when I see it. I donat know what Declan told you, but that boy has generations of blueblood ancestors to prop him up.a Rose waved her hands. aI donat think he is all that high on the peer ladder. Sometimes he forgets to act like a blueblood, and heas almost normal. Besides, I checked him in the Encyclopedia , and it says aEarl Camarinea is a courtesy t.i.tle. He probably got it for his military service in the Red Legion.a Grandmaas mouth closed with a click.

Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) aWhat did I say now?a aNothing,a Grandma said. aNothing at all. Youare right, Jack is probably safe with him. Still, donat you think you better check on them?a Rose glanced at the clock on the wall. Thirty minutes past noon. She was late, but the change in subject was awfully sudden. aThere is something youare not telling me.a aDear, I could fill this room with things Iam not telling you.a Grandma had that particular glint in her eyes that said arguing was useless. Rose shook her head and went to look for Georgie. She found him curled up on the daybed, asleep.

aLeave him with me,a Grandma lonore said. aHe needs the rest. Iall walk him back when heas awake.a Rose sighed, hugged her, and left.

She went down the steps, crossed the lawn, and went to her truck. A challenge chaser. She never considered herself to be that way. Well, yes, she did work on her flash until it became an obsession, but that was because she had so little else to occupy her.

What she needed to do was to get home, have a long talk with Jack about not going off on wild field trips with enemies of the family, and explain to Declan . . . What the h.e.l.l did she want to explain to Declan? That in the moments when he forgot about being a blueblood, she found herself drawn to him like a foolish little moth is drawn to a bug-zapping lantern?

Rose drove back to the house. Declan and Jack were still out.

She dragged the groceries in and sorted them out between the freezer, fridge, and pantry. A bag of apples and a plastic container of strawberries came up missing. Probably still in the truck. She went outside.

As Rose approached the truck, broken gla.s.s crunched under her foot. Glittering shards from a busted Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) winds.h.i.+eld lay on the road, stretching to the left in a s.h.i.+ny trail. A quick glance at the truck a.s.sured her that her own winds.h.i.+eld was intact. Rose crouched and examined the gla.s.s. Odd. Not the typical spray or sheet of gla.s.s that resulted from a crash. It looked as if someone had smashed a winds.h.i.+eld and then carefully poured the pieces out to get her attention. She couldave sworn it hadnat been there when she got home.

The sparkling trail ended at an old pine. Rose frowned, looked up, and saw a license plate dangling off a branch on a cord. BOSSMAN. Emersonas license plate. What in the world . . .

She scanned the road. At the far left a chunk of red metal lay on the side, by some bushes. She jogged to it.

It was a piece of a red car hood in the precise tomato shade of Emersonas SUV, its edges dark from the blowtorch burn.

Farther down the road, another chunk lay just before the bend. Rose strode to it, pa.s.sed the curve, and saw a third red spot a hundred yards down. A trail of car crumbs, leading away from the house, toward the Broken. Very well. She jogged back to her truck and started it. She had to see where the car parts led.

FIFTEEN.

LONORE rose from the table, where a small piece of the beast floated in a jar of formaldehyde. The rest of the body had begun to decompose, and shead had to bury it when she could no longer stand the smell.

aTalk to me,a she whispered. She had tried everything. She had called on Adele Moore, Lee Stearns, and Jeremiah. They looked through their books and diaries, and cast their spells, and burned their herbs. She even made the trip down to speak to Elsie, or what was left of her. Her efforts earned her nothing. The collective wisdom of East Laporte had failed.

Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) Whatever the beast was, wherever it came from, it was evil.

On that everyone agreed.

Rumors flew about. To the north, Malachai Radish and his family were gone from their trailer, their place torn apart and left open. Malachai was never the sharpest tool in the shed and his truck was missing, so it was possible he just lost his marbles and took off with his wife and his kids without telling anyone. But lonore doubted it. Adele heard rumors of the dogs vanis.h.i.+ng into the night. And Dena Vaughn found her livestock slaughtered. Something killed the small herd of pygmy goats and painted the hill where they grazed with their entrails.

They were under attack. Dread sat in her chest like a hard clump of ice. Where would it end? What did the creatures want? She had no answers. The only weapon they had was Rose and her flash.

lonore rubbed her face. Rose . . . If it wasnat one thing, it was another. The child just couldnat catch a break.

Lord Camarine bothered her. The boy was a genuine article.

Flawless manners. Flawless poise. Head picked up on the faint trace of accent in her speech when she cursed him and replied in refined, aristocratic French. Not something one could easily falsify. And power.

Such great power. When she had gone to visit Elsie, shead seen the damage to the house. The roof was completely gone and most of the wall, too. Amy said head done it in one burst. Expected from the one of the Red Legionnaires, of course. They were the Adrianglian weapon of last resort. Shead heard stories about them when she was a little girl. They fought like demons. Some of them werenat even human. What in the world would an earl be doing in such a legion?

Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) The boy looked like a born rake. He would smash Roseas heart to pieces.

lonore sighed. In times like these, she wished for Cletus.

Not that the old rogue would be any help. Head grin and tell her to leave the kids alone so they could have their fun. Cletus always reasoned with his heart while she always reasoned with her brain. But still she missed him so badly.

For a while she sat, lost in thought and memories. When she finally shrugged them off, the tea in her cup had gone cold. She touched the teapot. Cold, too. Oh well.

She would have to learn more about this Declan. And if Rose wasnat there to answer the questions, she would just have to ask Georgie.

That reminded her. She better check on the boy.

lonore crossed into the sitting room. The daybed lay empty.

aGeorgie?a she called.

He didnat answer.

aGeorgie?a lonore strode through the house, from the kitchen to the bedroom, through it to the other bedroom, past the bathroom, to the storage room. There he was, staring out the window.

She came up to him and petted the pale blond hair. aWhat are you doing here, all by yourself?a She glanced through the window and froze. On the edge of the ward, dark beasts prowled. Two, four, six, more, more . . . They bunched together, crawling on one another, piling into a narrow pyramid. lonore caught her breath. The ward stones were strong and old, but the higher you reached, the weaker the magic barrier became.

The pyramid was now six beasts high. Eight. Nine. The top hound pressed against the ward and toppled Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) into the yard. It fell inside the ward, flipping in the air to land on all fours, shook itself, and padded toward the house.

Georgie looked at her, his eyes huge and terrified. aTheyare coming.a JUST before the boundary, a narrow overgrown path veered right from the main road. A small red piece of a car door lay at the bend, and another rested a little down the path just in case Rose failed to get the message. She parked the truck and took her .22 out of her bag. She was so close to the boundary, that whoever left the trail of car parts could duck into the Broken when she got near. In the Broken her flash was useless, but her bullets would fly past the boundary just fine.

Rose locked the truck and headed down the trail. A few moments later the dense brush ended abruptly, and she found herself at the beginning of a pasture. A low hill rose in front of her, at the apex of which towered a ma.s.sive oak. A few decades ago lightning had hit it, shearing one of the branches on the right side. The story went that some knucklehead ignored the rule about standing under the large isolated trees during a thunderstorm, and when the lightning cleaved off a branch, it fell and crushed his horse. Ever since, the giant of a tree became known as the Dead Horse Oak.

Today the tree seemed even more lopsided than usual. A large oblong thing hung from a thick branch on the right side, swaying slightly. Rose frowned. Now what?

The thing moaned.

She squinted and realized what it was: Emerson, wrapped in white plastic and hung upside down by the seat belts of his car.

He moaned again, weaker. Rose took the safety off her gun, took a deep breath, and advanced toward him, Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) slowly, scanning the surroundings as she came. Her eyes strained to catch the quickest glimpse of danger.

Her ears searched for the slightest sound. She heard nothing, only wind, crickets, and the distant small noises of the Wood.

Step. Another. Rose s.h.i.+vered. She was almost there.

Emersonas face was the color of a ripe plum. His eyes looked at her, unfocused, but failed to see.

aItas okay,a she told him softly. aItas okay. Iave got you.a Blood was probably rus.h.i.+ng to his head. She had to get him down.

Emersonas lips moved. aWoo . . .a aYes?a aWoo . . . Wolf.a aWolf?a aWolf!a His voice gained a sudden intensity. aWolf! Wolf!

Wolf!a Wolf? A wolf didnat wrap him in plastic and hang him off the tree. aOkay, okay,a she murmured. aCalm down. Iall get you down.a She reached for the seat belts.

A black s.h.a.ggy wolf emerged from behind the tree. Huge, as big as a calf, it stared at her with two large golden eyes, its glare cold and vicious, and smart. Too smart.

This wasnat an ordinary wolf. This was a changeling.