Page 39 (1/2)

As I toweled myself dry, I recalled that other voice, the one that had cut through my denial There is another way

Who had spoken? It wasn’t Pryce, and it wasn’t the Destroyer The voice had see its words between the no’s I wasYet Difethwr had heard it, too The Hellion had seemed afraid, or at least disturbed No, afraid Fear had crept into its expression before it tossed

Probably the voice had bubbled up fros like that always happen in dreah it spoke inside my mind, the voice wasn’t my own

Another way Who’d said those words, and what could they mean?

25

I DRESSED IN JEANS AND A T-SHIRT, AND FINGER-COMBED MY hair into so less icky, I entered the living roo with one of my swords She’d pushed aside the coffee table and stood in the race and balance of a one-eyed alley cat with four broken legs

"Tina!" I snapped "Put that away before you hurt yourself"

She staggered sideways inover a lamp in the process

"Oops"

"What do you think you’re doing? I told you never to touch my weapons"

Tina licked her lips nervously "Your aunt said it would be okay" She bent over to pick up the la an end table with the sword point

"Do you seriously expect me to believe that?"

"But I did, child" Mab sat in a side chair I’d been so focused on Tina I hadn’t seen her there

Wait Had aliens stolen my aunt and replaced her with a copy? The Mab who’d trained eant, would never let someone with Tina’s inexperience touch a sword, let alone fool around with it I’d studied books for five long years before she’d let me practice with a wooden sword And yet here she was, cal roo, sharp sword

None of these thoughts found their way out of aped in astonishured out that it was a good idea to set the sword aside while she righted the lamp and also a picture fra irl? Whatever I’ sword and swished it around like a rapier I grabbed it froht in the sofa cushions

Wordlessly, I turned to Mab

"I knohat you’re thinking," she said I doubted it First proclai Tina to play with swords? I couldn’t begin to get my mind around those concepts "But these are remarkable times," Mab went on "We need to recruit all the support we can, and this young lady is willing"

"Right" Tina reached for the sword, and I stepped back to keep it out of her reach "I’ve been willing for, like, ever"

My voice returned as I faced Mab "She becao, then quit after a couple of months She’s never been serious"

"I have so!" Tina’s tone was indignant "I read that whole book! You know I did, ’cause you helpedto Russoy textbook But you don’t juh of Russom’s to swordplay; you just don’t Mab certainly never letmy body between Tina and the sword, I spoke to Mab "You honestly believe she’s ready to start working eapons?"

"Honestly? No But unfortunately we are not talking about a proper apprenticeship We are preparing for war"

War The word tolled an ugly note, like a cracked bell It subdued even Tina, who quit trying to reach around me and stood quietly with her head down So in front of her face She looked young and vulnerable, and suddenly the last thing in the world that I wanted was to drag her into this

"It’s not her war"

Mab’s eyes sith sadness "If we can’t stop it, child, this ill destroy everyone in its path"

26

WE COMPROMISED TINA COULD CONTINUE TO PRACTICE, but only if she used a short sword ofroo her--"Widen your stance There, that’s better! Now, again"--as I went into the kitchen to brew coffee The Book of Utter Darkness lay open on the table, where Mab must have left it That was odd Mab was the very definition of neat and tidy, not so around Maybe she wanted to showaround a long sword, I’d forgotten to ask Mab if the book had revealed anything while I slept