On the Edge, page 14
“I’ll just be a minute,” Rose promised.
She went out the back porch, across the grass to the old wooden swing hanging from the massive limb of a gnarled oak. The night had fallen, the darkness cool and spiced with the delicate, slightly bitter scent of Poor Man’s Orchids dripping from the vines winding about the tree and the faint mimosa perfume of nightneedle flowers. The house windows cast off weak light onto the darkness-drenched lawn.
“How did you get my number?” She scooted onto the swing.
“One of your friends gave it to me. The one with green hair.”
Latoya. “How do you know her?”
“I came by your work. I thought maybe I could take you to dinner. They said you were fired.”
She heard real concern in his voice. “Yes, I was.”
“Sorry to hear that. How are the boys taking it?”
“They don’t know yet.”
“So you need a job? I could ask around . . .”
But of course, they wouldn’t hire her. Not with her stellar Edge paperwork. Still, it was so thoughtful of him to offer. “That’s very nice of you, but I’m doing okay for now.”
A faint edge appeared in William’s voice. “I heard there was a man involved.”
Latoya and her big mouth. By now the whole Edge knew she was let go because of a man. Not that she gave a damn about what they thought or said about her. “I wasn’t fired because of him. You see, Emerson, my boss, and my father, they used to be friends. I don’t even know why I’m telling you this . . .”
“Probably because you need someone to talk to. I’m here, and I’ve got time.”
She sighed and pushed against the ground out of habit, starting the swing swaying back and forth. The chain protested quietly.
“What is that creaking?” he asked.
How in the world did he hear it through the phone? “I’m sitting on an old swing.”
“Ah. So what about this Emerson?”
“Like I said, he and my father used to be friends. Then my father left. He went on to . . . to adventure. Emerson stayed behind, married, got a job in the family business, and tried to live a quiet life. I think, though, he always wanted to go off with my father, but never got brave enough to break free. In the last year, Emerson’s life fell apart. He didn’t do so well as an insurance salesman, and his dad made him run Clean-n-Bright instead. His wife left him. He has money problems, and he’s skimming off the top of the business. It’s all crashing down around his ears. I think every time he saw me, he thought of my dad living the good life somewhere. He would’ve fired me anyway, sooner or later.”
“He sounds like a real prize, this Emerson.”
“He’s just an unhappy, angry man. I don’t have to put up with him anymore, and I’m glad. It’s in the past now.”
“You know, you could’ve told me about this other guy,” William said softly. “I’m not afraid of a little competition.”
She hesitated. “William, I thought we had settled this.” Please, don’t make me hurt your feelings again.
He laughed quietly. It was an odd laugh, deep and bitter. “Don’t worry. I remember where we stand. Since you told me something private about yourself, I’ll tell you something private about me. I never had a family like you do, Rose. That’s why I like you so much. You’re kind and smart, and pretty, and you take care of your brothers. Nobody ever took care of me like that. I think I always wanted to find someone like you to settle down with. To have a real family. I don’t know if I would be good at it, but I’d like to try. I would keep you and the kids safe. Nobody would ever hurt you. Sorry, but I can’t just let you get away without a fight.”
A heavy weight settled on her chest. There was sincerity in his voice that was impossible to fake. He just laid it all out for her.
“William,” she said as gently as she could. “I’m sorry that you’re alone. But I don’t think I—I don’t think we, me and the boys, are the right family for you. I know that you think of me as Rose, the big sister to the boys, but I’m my own person. I want to be happy, just like everyone else. When a man joins our family like that, it will be because I love him. I don’t think I would ever fall in love with you. There is no spark between us, and you know it as well as I do.”
She listened to the long silence.
“You’re an odd woman, Rose,” he said finally. “Most women would enjoy all the attention.”
“I have enough attention as it is,” she murmured.
“From that man who got you fired?”
Rose sighed. “He’s an arrogant ass who thinks I’m lower than dirt. If I could get rid of him, I would.”
“I could run him off for you.”
“No, I think it’s best I handle it myself. I—”
She raised her eyes and saw Declan standing two feet away, his sword on his back.
“Rose?” William asked. “Hello?”
Declan’s eyes blazed like two white stars. He held out his hand. “Give me the phone, Rose.”
“Who’s that?” William asked. His voice lost all warmth.
“Let me speak to him.” Declan reached for the phone.
“I have to go,” she told William. “Talk to you later.” She snapped the phone closed.
“Damn it,” Declan snarled. “I told you to give me the phone!”
She jumped off the swing. “How long have you been standing there?”
“Long enough. Was that William?”
She ignored him and headed to the house.
“Answer me,” he demanded.
“I don’t have to,” she said, struggling to keep her calm. “You have no right to order me around.” Rose marched to the back porch.
“You stubborn fool, you have no idea who you’re dealing with.”
“I have a very good idea.” She stopped and looked at him. “Let’s get this one thing completely clear. You don’t own me. I’m not your slave or your servant, and I don’t give a damn what color your blood is, how old your family is, or how much money and power you have. I let you stay in my house because you pay me and I’m backed into a corner. Don’t think for a moment that I’ll let you give me orders and run my life.”
She turned on her heel and went into the house. Declan was only a step behind.
Grandmother sat at the kitchen table. Her face was very pale. Her gaze fixed on Declan, as if he were a murderous maniac. Rose didn’t blame her. His eyes were completely frosted over and his face promised a storm.
“Where are the boys?” Rose asked, noticing Declan’s cloak, draped over a chair. So he’d come here first, and then tracked her down to the back.
“Asleep,” Grandma said, her voice carefully neutral.
“No need to wake them, then. Declan and I’ll go up to the house. I’ll come back for the boys in the morning.”
Declan swiped his cloak, hanging it on his left arm, bowed, and gently picked up Grandma’s hand, brushing his lips across her knuckles. “Je vous remercie avec tout mon coeur pour votre accueil si chaleureux et de votre gentillesse. Bonne nuit, Madame Éléonore.”
“Je vous en prie. Au revoir.” Grandma’s voice was clipped with tension.
Rose bristled. Her knowledge of French was minimal, but she caught “thank you” and “your kindness.” Declan stepped to the outside door and held it open for her.
“Rose, you can stay here,” Grandma said quickly.
“I’ll be fine.” Rose forced a smile and left the house.
She waited until they cleared the lawn and started down the path to her house, before she spun to him. “What did you say to her?”
“I said, ‘Thank you very much for your cordial reception and your kindness. Good night, Mrs. Éléonore.’ ”
“What were you doing in my grandmother’s house?”
His voice was acid. “Looking for you. You were gone for a long time. I thought you might be in danger, and I tracked you down. It wasn’t exactly difficult—your wheelbarrow left very clear tracks.”
She glared at him. “You terrified my grandmother.”
“I was the very soul of courtesy.”
“Yes, that’s why she’s sitting in the kitchen with a deer-in-the-headlights look on her face. Don’t come here. Ever. My grandmother has nothing to do with any of this.”
He stepped closer to her. “Now, you listen to me. There are things going on here that you aren’t equipped to deal with, and whether you like it or not, I’ve chosen to protect you from them. If that means I have to enter your grandmother’s house or follow you into the Broken, then you’ll just have to deal with it, because even if the lot of you pile all of your magic together, you can’t stop me.”
The magic buckled inside her, spurred by her anger. The night gained a pale shimmer, and she realized her flash had leaked into her eyes, making them glow. “I wouldn’t be so sure,” she ground out.
His eyebrows came together in disbelief, and then his own eyes blazed white. They glared at each other.
“No more stalling, Rose. You’ve lost your job. You have all the time in the world now. You’ve promised the first challenge tomorrow. Deliver.”
“You’ll have your challenge.”
“I look forward to it.”
“Fine.”
“Fine.”
They didn’t speak all the way home.
TWELVE
JACK sauntered into the house, following Rose and Georgie. Rose headed into the kitchen, Georgie went into their room, and Jack ambled a bit in the living room, deciding what to do. If he went back outside, he’d have to stay inside the ward lines. He could go to the kitchen and steal something to eat . . .
Jack passed by the door to Declan’s room and froze. The blueblood sat on the bed. In front of him on a rough canvas lay knives. Many, many sharp knives. The sun filtered into the room through the window, and the light played on the smooth surfaces of the blades.
Declan picked up a knife and drew a soft cloth over it. A spicy scent spread through the air. Cloves.
Jack liked the way Declan smelled. Like pumpkin pie spice, mixed with leather, and sweat. It wasn’t a girly type of smell.
Declan raised his hand and motioned for him to enter. Jack snuck in, making no sounds, and stopped by the bed. He didn’t say anything, just watched the cloth slide up and down the blades with a very soft sound: whoosh, whoosh, whoosh . . .
“Do you like school?” Declan asked.
“No.”
“Why not?”
“They make us sit still for a long time.”
“Is it hard for you?”
Jack shrugged his shoulders. “Rose says if I want to be a good predator, I have to learn to be patient and do it. She says patient predators don’t go hungry as much.”
“And you want to be a good predator?”
Jack nodded.
Declan took another rag, dabbed some oil on it, and threw it to him. Jack snatched the rag out of the air, fast, before Declan could change his mind. He looked at the blades and looked at Declan. The blueblood nodded.
Jack’s hand hovered over a large, flashy dagger. No, too big. Big meant slow. He was a small cat, and he was strong for his size. There were things that were a lot bigger and stronger, but few things were faster.
“Trailing point knife,” Declan said as Jack held his hand over the narrow blade with an upward curving back edge. “The curve makes the blade longer. It’s light and quick. Good for slashing.”
Jack moved his hand to the knife to the right, with a back edge that swooped down in a concave curve to a razor-sharp point.
“Yatagan clip. The back edge curves down. Some people leave the back edge false, so it’s dull. I like mine sharp. It’s a fast knife. Good for tight quarters and quick stabbing.”
Jack stared at them, torn. Slashing like claws or stabbing like teeth? Finally he picked up the yatagan clip and gently drew the cloth along the blade. His teeth did more damage than his claws. Jack drew the cloth along the blade. Whoosh. He smiled.
“Do you know what ‘anemic’ means?” Declan asked.
Jack shook his head.
“It’s a kind of disease that happens when your body lacks blood or iron. People who have it become tired quickly. They’re usually pale and weak. Have you ever heard Rose mention it when she talks about Georgie?”
“Georgie isn’t anemic,” Jack said. “He would be okay except for Grandpa. Grandpa and all the animals are making him sick.”
“Grandpa?” Declan raised his eyebrows.
“We keep him in the shed out back,” Jack said helpfully. “So he doesn’t eat dog brains.”
Declan gave him an odd look. “Charming Edge custom, keeping elderly relatives locked up.”
“Because of Grandpa, Georgie can’t fight that good. I protect him in school, but he’ll go into middle school when he’s twelve and I won’t. I don’t know what to do about that yet.”
Declan gave him another odd look. “Is the schoolwork hard?”
Jack shook his head. “Boring. We do word lists. You have to memorize the way words are spelled and pretend to read them back. I don’t have to. I already know how to read. Rose taught me.”
“What about math?” Declan asked.
Jack shrugged. “I can add things together. I already know how many angles are in a triangle. It’s called tri-angle. I’m not stupid.” He held on to the knife a bit too long, but made himself put it down and looked at the trailing point blade. Declan nodded.
Jack took the knife into his fingers. He liked the way it felt, light and comfortable. “Lunch’s awful,” he volunteered. “They give you fish sticks. They taste like cardboard. Georgie says they’re made from mystery meat. Nobody eats them.”
“Have you ever eaten cardboard?”
Jack nodded. “I chewed it.”
“Why?”
“I wanted to know if it’s good to eat.”
Jack put the knife down with reluctance.
“What kind of animal do you change into?” Declan asked.
Jack narrowed his eyes into sly slits. “I’m not supposed to tell you.”
“Why not?”
“Because Rose told me not to talk to anybody about it.” Declan leaned forward and fixed him with his eyes. Jack tensed. If Declan were a changeling, he’d be a wolf, Jack decided. A large white wolf. Very smart and with big teeth.
“Do you always do what Rose says?”
Ooooh. That was a trick question. If he said he did, Declan would think he was a mama’s boy. If he said he didn’t, he’d have to tell him that he was a cat. Jack thought about it. “No. But I always know I’m supposed to.”
“I see,” Declan said.
Jack decided he had to explain, just so there wouldn’t be any doubt that he wasn’t a mama’s boy. “My mom died. My dad left to hunt for treasure. I don’t remember him. He was a good dad, I think, but he might have been not that smart, because when Grandma talks about him, she calls him ‘that stupid man’ sometimes. She can do that because he’s her son, so I don’t get mad.”
“Aha,” Declan said.
“So until my dad comes back, I’m Rose’s cub. So I have to do what she says.”
“Makes sense,” Declan said.
“You like Rose?” Jack said.
“Yes, I do.”
“Why?”
“Because she’s smart, kind, and pretty. She stands up to me. That’s hard to do.”
Jack nodded. That made sense. Declan was hard to stand up to. He was tall and big and he had a sword. “Rose is prickly.”
“She is certainly that.”
“She’s nice, too,” Jack said. “She takes care of me and Georgie. And if you ask her really nice, she’ll make you a pie even if she’s tired from work.”
“And she’s funny,” Declan said confidentially. “But I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell her that. If she knew I thought she was funny, she might not take me seriously. Women are like that.”
Jack nodded. He could keep a manly secret, and it wasn’t something that Rose had to know. “If you win the challenges, you’ll take Rose away.”
“That’s the agreement,” Declan said.
“Can we come?”
“Yes.”
“Breakfast!” Rose called.
Jack started for the door and turned. His eyes flashed with amber fire. “I won’t help you win,” he said.
Declan grinned. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
ROSE crouched by him. Jack wished he were bigger. He disliked it when people crouched to talk to him, but he knew Rose did it so she could look at his eyes.
“Focus, Jack.”
He nodded.
“You don’t chase the leech birds. You don’t stop to catch a bunny. You run as fast as you can, and when you get tired, you hide as well as you can. Do you understand me?”
He nodded again.
“Repeat it.”
“Run and hide. No leech birds.”
Rose bit her lip. “It’s very important. I know that Declan saved you and he’s nice to you, but he won’t be nice to me if I have to go away with him.”
“He said we could come.”
Rose stopped. “Where?”
“With him and you.”
Rose hugged him. “Jack, of course he would say that. He would say anything to get the two of you on his side. You can’t trust him.”
Jack squirmed until she let him go.
Rose sighed and took hold of his bracelet. “Are you ready?”
He nodded.
“Run and hide.”
“Run and hide,” he repeated.
Rose slipped his wrist out of the bracelet. The room swayed. The floor buckled and punched him in the face.
ROSE stepped onto the porch. Declan waited for her in the yard, his handsome face serene.
“You wanted a challenge.”
Declan nodded. “I’m a-flutter with anticipation.”
A-flutter. Right. Rose held the screen door open and let Jack onto the porch. He padded out on disproportionately big round paws and blinked at the sun with huge amber eyes. Thick fur, spotted with rosettes of rust and deep brown that seemed almost hunter green, clothed him in a dense coat. Jack wrinkled his muzzle, shaking his white whiskers. The long chocolate tufts of fur at the tips of his large ears trembled.
