aDonat hurt him, Rose!a Georgie said.

Jack looked like a wet kitten: miserable.

Rose marched onto the porch, shut both the door and the screen door firmly behind her, and pointed to the path. aRoadas that way.a Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) He descended the steps. Without the cape, he didnat seem quite as ma.s.sive. The light, supple leather of his black jerkin hugged his broad, muscular back, which slimmed to a narrow waist caught by a leather belt, and long runneras legs in gray pants and tall dark boots. His movements had a sure but light quality about them. He wasted no gesture, economical yet adroit, and as he walked across the gra.s.s to the smoking stains, she was reminded of her grandfather. Cletus had moved like that, with the agility of a natural fencer. But where her grandfather had been lean and relied on speed, the blueblood, while probably fast, looked very strong. She had a feeling that if he hadnat jumped onto her Ford, the old truck would have crumpled around him like an empty soda can.

The blueblood stopped by the stain and glanced at her. She crossed her arms. He held out his hand, inviting her to join him. Fat chance.

aPlease grace me with your presence,a he said as if she were a lady at some ball and he was inviting her on a balcony for a private chat.

He was mocking her. She bristled. aI can see everything from here.a aDo you care for your brothers?a aOf course I do.a aThen I fail to understand why you take their safety so lightly. Come here, please. Or should I carry you?a She jumped off the porch and walked over. aIad like to see you try.a aDonat tempt me.a He knelt by the stain and held his hand above it. The power coalesced below his palm.

He murmured something in a language she didnat understand. The magic flowed, following his words, and the smoke condensed into a shape.

Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) An awful beast stared at her. It was tall and long, with the deep chest and hindquarters of a greyhound. Its head on a long neck was almost horse-like in shape, except for the four dull gray slits of the slanted eyes.

The creatureas paws were disproportionately large, their fingers long and armed with three-inch claws. The thought of those claws ripping into Jack made Rose gulp.

Obeying the wave of the bluebloodas hand, the beast opened his mouth. Its head nearly split in half, its maw gaping wide, wider, showing rows of triangular teeth, bloodred and serrated, designed to shred meat.

aThere were two of them,a the blueblood said softly. aOne came from the left and the other from behind the house. They stalked Jack and meant to kill him. I understand that your education is lacking and you donat trust me, so listen to your instincts instead: you know that this is an aberration. This isnat an animal, but something else entirely. Put your hand into it.a aWhat?a aTouch it. Youall feel the residual traces of its magic. It wonat harm you.a Cautiously Rose touched the smoke. Her fingers tingled with magic, and she felt it, an awful sensation of touching something slimy and rotting, yet coa.r.s.e, as if shead stuck her hand into a putrid carca.s.s and found it filled with sharp grains of sand. She recoiled.

That wasnat enough. She had to learn more.

Rose forced her fingers back into the smoke. The revolting sensation claimed her hand again, and she grimaced, looking away, but held her hand within the creature. Her fingers numbed, and then she sensed a distant echo of foul magic, pulsing like a live wire within the memory of the beast. It was an alien magic, impa.s.sive and cold like the blackness between the stars.

Rose withdrew her hand and shook it, trying to Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) fling the memory of the feeling from her fingers. He was right. This was no natural animal.

The blueblood collapsed the smoke shape and offered her his hand. aTouch me.a She stared at his palm. Calloused. Probably from swinging that b.l.o.o.d.y sword.

aI wonat bite,a he said. aNot until youare in my bed, anyway.a aNever happen.a She put her hand into his. Magic slid into her fingers. He was letting her see his power. It shone within him, warm and white, like a distant star. The star dimmed and vanished, as if hidden by a cloak, and suddenly Rose found her fingers in the hand of a man, who was studying her with a knowing smirk. His skin was warm and rough, his grip firm, and her mind came right back to his abiting in beda remark.

Rose jerked her hand out of his fingers. His point was clear: even she knew that to summon those beasts, he wouldave had to open himself to their greedy magic. It clung to her still, trying to worm its way inside.

Anybody in prolonged contact with the beasts or their source would be permanently tainted. She had detected none of their miasma within the blueblood. He was clean.

The blueblood raised his hands, as if asking for her feedback.

aYouave made your point,a she admitted. aYou didnat bring them here. Youave made much of your education, so I take it you know what they are. What are they, and what do they want?a He looked lost in thought for a moment. aI have no idea,a he said. aIam calling them ahoundsa for now.a Great. Fantastic.

aI know they wanted to kill Jack,a he said. aI donat believe he was a particular target. They wouldave gone for anyone else in his place. Their magic is . . .a Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) aClingy,a she supplied.

The blueblood nodded. aIt seeks to a.s.similate. Itas dangerous.a aThank you, Captain Obvious.a aThatas why Iall stay with you tonight,a he said.

Rose blinked. aWhat?a aI didnat come all this way to have my future bride consumed by some aberration. Youare ill equipped to deal with this threat. If your sensibilities wonat permit my presence in your house, then Iall remain here.a He pointed to the porch.

aNo!a aYes.a He turned his back to her, walked onto the porch, and sat on the steps.

aI want you to leave.a aIam afraid itas not possible. See, I promised your brothers that Iall keep them safe tonight, and I wonat go back on my word. Itas your right not to invite me inside, but I would appreciate a blanket. That would be simple human charity.a Rose felt like stomping, except she didnat want to give him the satisfaction of knowing how much he irritated her. aThis is unnecessary,a she said. aWeare safe behind the wards.a aIam not so sure.a aLook, I appreciate your intentions, but I want you to leave.

Now.a He ignored her.

Rose glanced at the house and saw two little faces behind the window screens. Great. What to do now?

Blueblood or no, he had saved Jack. He had sworn not to harm them, and flashing a man who was doing nothing to attack her went against her every instinct.

He couldnat really be trying to protect them. That would be . .

. n.o.ble. She almost guffawed at the pun.

Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) Fatigue mugged her like a wet blanket thrown over her head.

It had been a terrible day, and she had no energy to argue.

aFine. Youare welcome to the porch.a Rose went inside, pulling the door shut with a thud. The boys stared at her. aIf he tries to come inside, shoot him,a she said and headed for the shower.

SOMETIMES simple pleasures are best, and nothing compared with a shower after work. Having spent the entire day squirting cleaners and scrubbing office counters and walls, Rose now thoroughly scrubbed herself with Irish Spring and a fake sea sponge. It took her ten minutes to drown the day in shampoo and soap, and when she emerged, put on clean clothes, and brushed her wet hair, she felt almost human.

While she was in the shower, her fury at the bluebloodas intrusion slowly melted into uncomfortable unease. The blueblood had saved Jack. Head stayed with them because they were scared and even made them food, and then shead treated him like dirt. She felt bad about it. This is stupid, Rose told herself. He was here to force her into marriage. All of this could be an act. She owed him no sympathy.

The creatures that had attacked Jack terrified her to the very depths of her being. Rose wished she could speak to Grandma, but with the evening rolling into night, the trip would have to wait until the morning.

And Grandma lonore, although she would use a phone in a pinch, refused to keep one at her house.

In the kitchen, Jack brought her a pancake on a blue metal plate. aItas good,a he told her. aHe made them special. See, he put sugar on them.a Oh, for heavenas sake. aTell me everything, from the beginning.a Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) Ten minutes later, she pieced together the whole story. The blueblood had cut the beasts to pieces in a feat of incredible martial prowess demonstrated by Georgie with much vigorous waving of his fork, brought Jack inside, promised them that nothing bad was going to get them while they were in his care, and then proceeded to make pancakes. If he somehow staged this whole thing, which was still a possibility, it was masterfully done. The boys were now convinced that he could move heaven and earth. In their eyes, in the s.p.a.ce of an hour, the blueblood went from the ashoot on sighta villain to a glorious hero of unmatched manliness.

aDid he eat?a The boys shook their heads.

Great. Now she had a hungry aheroa on the porch without food or blanket. And her vague unease had blossomed into full-blown guilt. Completely crazy, she reflected as she pulled some sausage from the fridge and fried it. She should be shooting him in the head.

Rose divided the sausage onto four plates. aEat your dinner.a She put a fork and a knife onto one of the plates. Georgie jumped off his chair, poured iced tea into a plastic cup, and handed it to her. Rose rolled her eyes and took the food and the tea over to the porch.

He sat in the same spot she had left him, staring at the sky colored with the first hint of sunset. The wind swiped stray hairs from his long blond mane. His huge sword lay next to him. Even at peace, he emanated menace.

Throw the plate at him and run, she told herself.

She set the plate next to him.

aThank you,a he said.

Now he thanked you and you go back inside.

Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) Instead she leaned against the porch post. aAre you really going to spend the night on my porch?a aYes.a aI can perfectly take care of us myself. Itas fixing to get dark.

You should go back to wherever youare staying.a aIam sure my tent will greatly miss me,a he said.

aA tent?a aYes.a aYouare sleeping in a tent? Why? Are you out of money?a aOn the contrary.a He reached into his jerkin and produced a small leather wallet secured by a strap. He undid the strap, dipped his hand inside, and produced a gold coin. The sunset rays glinted on the metal surface.

A small fortune. She wondered how much it was worth.

Would it feed them for two weeks? Three?

aSo whatas the problem?a His face wore a perplexed expression. aI tried to seek lodging, but unfortunately most of your neighbors suffer from a critical lack of trust. They see me coming and lock their doors and shutter their windows, and no amount of yelling and wallet waving can persuade them to listen to reason.a Rose pictured him standing at the boundary of the Ogletree house in that enormous fur cape, with a giant sword sticking over his shoulder, roaring at the top of his lungs and then being upset that n.o.body came out, and laughed.

aIam sure my predicament seems hilarious to you,a he said dryly. aYou live in an insane place populated by mad people without a shred of courtesy.a aHave you tried the McCalls down south? They could use the money.a Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) He turned up his nose, oozing aristocratic haughtiness like it was cheap cologne. aI wonat stay in a shack.a aWell, excuse me, Your Highness.a She laughed harder.

aSome men in my situation would find your giggling offensive.a aI canat help it. It must be nerves.a She shook with laughter.

The fear that curled inside her in a small, cold chunk of ice melted. The blueblood wasnat harmlessa"far from ita"but once she had laughed at someone, it was hard to go back to full-out terror.

aYou could let me stay here. I would pay you, of course.a He dropped the coin into the wallet. It made a metallic clink, announcing there were many more just like it.

aOh, youare good,a she said. aYou want me to let you stay in our house?a aWhy not? I already promised to protect you, so Iam bound to this property by my own word, at least for tonight. You might just as well make some money from my misfortune.a aYouare unbelievable.a Rose shook her head. Why in the world did he want to get into her house so much? A small part of her wondered if he really was worried about the kids, but a much bigger part of her shook its head in cynical disbelief. He was a blueblood. He didnat give a d.a.m.n about mongrel Edger boys.

aIam simply pragmatic. You probably have a spare bed in that house, which, I hope, is clean and soft, and therefore much preferable to the hard wooden floor of this porch.a She actually considered it. He could bust her door down with one shove of his shoulder. In fact, he could probably go through a wall, if he set his mind to it. In terms of their safety, having him on the porch or in the house made absolutely no difference. The money would be most welcome. She could buy beef instead of Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) chicken for once. An extra set of uniforms for Georgie.

Lunchables for the kids. They always wanted them, but at $3.98 a pop, they were a rare treat.

aThis would be a purely business arrangement, separate from our other agreement,a she warned.

aOf course.a aI want you to swear that you wonat attempt to molest me.a He looked her over very slowly. aIf I chose to molest you, it wouldnat be an attempt. And you would be most enthusiastic about it.a Rose felt heat rise to her cheeks. aOn second thought, Iam not sure that my house is big enough to contain you and your ego. Few places are. Promise or sleep outside.a aIf you insist.a aI would prefer to hear the words.a He sighed. aI promise not to molest you, no matter how tempting.a aOr the children.a The smile vanished from his face. His eyebrows came together, and his eyes grew dark. aIam a n.o.ble of the house Camarine. I donat molest children. I wonat be insulteda"a aI donat care,a she interrupted. aYou can beat your chest with your fist in righteous indignation, or you can swear and sleep inside. Your choice.a aYouare the most infuriating woman I have ever met. I swear not to molest the boys,a he ground out.

Rose held out her hand, and he dropped a gold coin into her palm. A Weird doubloon. Even with the draconian fee Max Taylor charged for converting gold into dollars, the little coin was food for a month.

aI donat have change. Do you have something smaller?a aKeep it,a he growled.

aSuit yourself.a Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) She opened the door with a mock bow and a big smile.

aPlease, Your Highness.a aMy Lord Camarine will do.a aWhatever.a She ushered him inside. The boys had polished off the food and were washing their plates.

aGeorgie, fetch his plate and drink from the porch, please.

He will be staying in Dadas bedroom tonighta"he paid for it. Youare sleeping in my room on the floor.a The blueblood growled low in his throat.

In thirty seconds Rose and the blueblood sat at the table across from each other. Rose tried the pancakes.

They were predictably cold, but still delicious, and she was ravenous. aG.o.d, these are good.a aSlowly.a Rose raised her gaze from her plate.

He sat very straight at the table, cutting the pancake with surgical precision.

aEat slowly,a the blueblood said. aDonat cut your food with the fork. Cut it with the knife, and make the pieces small enough so you can answer a question without having to swallow first.a Why me? aRight. Any other tips?a Her sarcasm whistled right over his head. aYes. Look at me and not at your plate. If you have to look at your plate, glance at it occasionally.a Rose put down her fork. aLord Submarine . . .a aCamarine.a aWhatever.a aYou can call me Declan.a He said it as if granting her knighthood. The nerve.

aDeclan, then. How did you spend your day?a He frowned.

aItas a simple question: How did you spend your day? What did you do prior to the fight and pancake Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) making?a aI rested from my journey,a he said with a sudden regal air.

aYou took a nap.a aPossibly.a aI spent my day scrubbing, vacuuming, and dusting ten offices in the Broken. I got there at seven thirty in the morning and left at six. My back hurts, I can still smell bleach on my fingers, and my feet feel as flat as these pancakes. Tomorrow, I have to go back to work, and I want to eat my food in peace and quiet. I have good table manners. They may not be good enough for you, but theyare definitely good enough for the Edge, and they are the height of social graces for this house. So please keep your critique to yourself.a The look on his face was worth having him under her roof. As if he had gotten slapped.

She smiled at him. aOh, and thank you for the pancakes.

They are delicious.a

SIX.

ROSE awoke early. She had slept badly, in short bursts, waking up every hour or so to check on the kids.

Twice she thought she heard something outside, and she went out onto the porch to investigate. She found nothing. Just the night, which, so mundane a day before, suddenly seemed sinister and full of danger.

When she did fall asleep, she dreamt of monsters, children screaming, and sliding out of control on wet mud that seemed never to end. By five, she gave up on sleeping and dragged herself upright to make coffee.

She pa.s.sed by her fatheras bedroom. The door was closed.

Last night she had given aDeclana a brief tour of the house, starting with the bathroom. He seemed to have matters well in hand. Rose wasnat surprised. The existence of the Broken wasnat exactly public knowledge in the Weird, but some n.o.bility were aware of it, Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) just like a few select Broken residents were aware of the existence of the Weird. He was probably high enough on the social ladder to be privy to secret information.

Tour finished, Rose gave Declan a spare toothbrusha"his doubloon had paid for it and morea"and a fresh towel, and made up Dadas bed with clean sheets and blankets. The kids told him good night, and he disappeared behind the door. She hadnat seen him in her midnight wanderings. Whatever phantom noises had troubled her failed to bother him.

Rose briefly considered knocking on the door but decided against it. She didnat have to leave, not yet, and she could use a calm moment with a cup of coffee before the kids rose.

She opened the windows to let fresh air in, boiled coffee in a small metal ewer her father called an ibrik, allowing the coffee to foam up twice before permanently taking it off the heat, poured herself a cup with a little bit of milk, and sat down at the table, fully intending to savor the drink. In front of her, wide windows offered the view of the lawn running into shrubs bordering the gra.s.s. Beyond them she saw the path curling into misty gloom between the trees. In the pre-dawn light, the leaves and the gra.s.s were dark and wet with dew. A chill filtered through the screen on the window. On mornings like this, she was grateful for a roof over her head and coffee. Rose brought the cup to her lips, blew gently, and touched the rim. Still too hot.

The creatures disturbed her. Shead never sensed anything so .

. . so alien. All magic had a natural connection, even the vilest kind, but the beasts were disconnected from everything. They werenat undead; they werenat conjured, animated, or trans.m.u.ted. To do any of those things, one had to start with a natural Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) element: rock, metal, living tissue, and that base left an imprint on the final creation. The beastsa magic had no ties to anything.

As much as it pained her to admit, she was deeply grateful that Declan happened to come along to save Jack. That, far more than the doubloon, had earned him a stay in her house. Her memory served up Declan, bursting with power, his eyes iced over with radiant white . . .

He was something else. Shead thought of him several times last night, during her relay of catnaps and paranoid wakefulness. She still wanted to touch his face just to rea.s.sure herself that he was indeed flesh and bone.

Rose dragged her mind back to the problem of the boys.

Without her truck, she had no way of getting the kids safely to and from the bus stop. Letting them walk by themselves was out of the question, not with those creatures around. She had to be at work by seven thirty and would likely stay there until five, if she was lucky, or six. The kids were released at three thirty in the afternoon, and the bus dropped them off at three forty-five. They couldnat walk up to the house by themselves, not with those beasts around, and she didnat feel comfortable making them wait that long by the main road. Grandma was likely still at Adeleas.

The old woman lived deep in the Wood, and whenever Grandma visited her, she usually lingered overnight.

The boys couldnat wait for two hours by the bus stop. The Broken had its predators as well. They would have to skip a day.

A movement on the path made her stretch her neck to get a better look. Declan emerged from the shadowy trail, running. She jerked upright, expecting pursuit. He ran to the lawn, leaned forward for a moment, Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) shaking his head, and began to circle the house slowly in that telltale jogger way, walking off the burn in his lungs. Rose dropped back into her chair. Her pulse hammered. p.r.i.c.kly needles of adrenaline rush nipped at her arms. d.a.m.n him.

He probably didnat know the meaning of running from his attacker, arrogant a.s.s that he was. Chew slowly, indeed.

She understood why he was the way he was. Shead read the Encyclopedia of the Weird and other books she bartered from the caravans. The n.o.bles of the Weird enjoyed unmatched power. They ruled over their domains as individuals and over their countries as a.s.semblies under the watch of a const.i.tutional monarch.

They were painstakingly bred, educated from birth, and brought up with the sense of belonging to the elite.