On the Edge (The Edge #1)(67)
Author: Ilona Andrews

"That’s a real good point." Lee swung to Declan. "Why aren’t more of you fellows here taking care of this problem? Why is it you’re here by your lonesome? It’s your mess."

"Technically, the Duke has no jurisdiction in the Edge," Declan said. "So it’s your mess at the moment."

"But they did send you," Jeremiah said.

"Oh, come on." Tom Buckwell slapped the table with his big hands. "He’s covert ops, if I ever saw one. They ain’t gonna send a battalion to help us out, because that would mean they’d have to admit that Duke’s psycho brother made off with their supersecret apocalypse machine, which they weren’t supposed to have in the first place. They sent one guy, a killer, and if he fails, they’re gonna deny they ever knew anything about the whole deal."

"Not quite," Declan said. His hand still stroked Rose’s under the table. "I have a time limit. If in a fortnight I don’t inform His Grace that Casshorn is dead and the device is destroyed, the Duke will take further measures."

"The Red Legion," Grandma said softly.

Declan nodded.

"What does that mean?" Lee Stearns asked.

Grandma’s mouth flattened into a severe line. "When the Red Legion comes through, nothing remains."

"You may hide in the Broken," Declan said, "but they’ll purge East Laporte. It will be like you were never here."

Lee glared. "They have no right!"

"Think," Tom Buckwell said. "Fifty fellows just like him. They’ll come and wipe the place out, so we have nothing to come back to. That’s what the U.S. did in Korea. They don’t want us sitting in East Laporte spreading rumors of their doom machine. And he" – Tom stabbed his finger in Declan’s direction – "he’s the one who’s gonna carry the responsibility for us getting wiped off the map on his soul. It will be his call. Nobody wants to make a call like that."

"Why are you here?" Adele asked softly. "Why did you choose to be the one?"

"I have my reasons," Declan said.

This wasn’t going to get them anywhere. "There is a changeling," Rose said, ignoring Declan’s sharp glance. His hand abruptly left hers. "Casshorn has some sort of hold over him. His name’s William."

"Is he the one who hung Emerson on Dead Horse Oak?" Emily Paw asked.

Rose nodded. "Declan and William were friends, and he wants to save him."

"An army buddy, I bet." Tom Buckwell nodded. "Figures. It’s good for us. Makes it nice and personal, so you’ll fight harder. You got a plan?"

"I can take Casshorn in a one-on-one physical fight," Declan said. "But 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 Casshorn 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."

Jeremiah rose. "I think we’ve heard enough. We need to confer. Let’s let the young ones get some air."

AS the wooden door shut behind her and Declan, Rose blinked against the sunlight and sank on the porch. "Well, that went as well as it could."

"You told them about William," he said.

"Yes, I did. Words like ‘duty’ don’t mean much to them. They understand friendship and family. They wouldn’t touch you because you’re powerful and they’re afraid of retribution from the Weird. They can’t 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. They’re all cursers, Declan. You saw what Jeremiah did to that bird, and you know what my grandmother tried to do to you."

She faced the weighty look in his eyes. "I know it’s a private thing between you and him. But it was best they knew. They might not hurt him now."

"Why the sudden love for William?"

"Are you jealous?" She narrowed her eyes.

"You didn’t answer my question."

"I worry about William, because he’s important to you," she said. "Because I feel that until the two of you settle things between yourselves, it will eat at you. And if William’s truly helping Casshorn . . . You’ll have to kill him, won’t you?"

"Yes," Declan said.

He would have to kill his best friend. Rose looked away, at the trees, at the grass, 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 couldn’t 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. "You said you were a Marshal. Is this what you do?" she asked. "This is what your job is like?"

Declan nodded.

"And it’s always like this?"

"This is probably the worst," he said. "But yes, there are always choices I don’t want to make. It’s my duty as Marshal. A lot is riding on my back right now. If I fail to kill Casshorn, 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 I’ll lose you. And I don’t even know if I have you."

Rose chewed on that. Did "I don’t even know if I have you" mean "I don’t even know if you like me" or did it mean "I don’t even know if I’ll win the challenges and get to own you"?

"You won’t lose me just because you’ve failed," she said.

"If I fail, I’ll be dead," Declan said.

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 Casshorn for putting them all through it. "Oh no, you won’t."

His eyebrows crept up.

"You’ll survive this," she told him. "I’ll be right there to make sure you’ll make it out alive, even if I have to drag your bloody body out of the Wood on my back. I still have a challenge left, and I will stump you with it. You won’t rob me of my victory, Lord Camarine."