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He was so numb with cold, he scarcely felt the trip hen he brushed it He was i cloud, his formerly unnoticeable self totally revealed, in brilliant outline

"Ha!" The voice ca totally on instinct, Jason dropped the unnoticeable char wizard fla round to confront his attacker

It was a boy, younger than him, thirteen, lasses, snodering his blond curls

Well, crap, Jason thought The plan was to get out without being spotted

"I knew you one unnoticeable," the boy crowed "There’s no way you’d have got through Father’s guards otherwise"

Jason had stepped off-trail to circle around this new obstacle, but the boy’s words stopped hiuards," Jason repeated "Who the hell are you?"

"I’m Devereaux D’Orsay," the boy said "I live here Who are you?"

"Geoffrey Wylie," Jason said, producing the first wizard name that came to mind The Red Rose wizard could use a little street cred, anyway

"You are trespassing, Mr Wylie," Devereaux D’Orsay said He extended his hand iht," Jason said He went to turn away and Devereaux flung out an ih it left hi The kid had talent Unfortunately

The boy frowned, drawing hiht "You Co you down to the hold Father and I will interrogate you and find out what you are doing here and for who a pluory Leicester in self defense He figured he could kill Claude D’Orsay without losing any sleep over it But not a thirteen-year-old kid And that o away, okay?" Jason said, wearily, "and let’s forget this ever happened"

This see hi to penetrate his shield and knock hiether into a ss Devereaux ripped at hi on the cords around the backpack until the book came free and tumbled loose into the snow

Jason punched the kid in the nose and blood poured out, distracting little D’Orsay enough so Jason could lay an ied to extricate hi down at Claude D’Orsay’s i he could make him disappear

"Say hi to Claude for ain" There was no tiical fracas wouldn’t have gone unnoticed Energized by the desire to stay alive, Jason loped up the trail, heading for the road back to Keswick, conscious of the reat shoulder of the mountain lay shrouded in unbroken darkness The flaone out

Chapter Two Sanctuary

Madison Moss picked her way across the icy street, clutching her portfolio close to her body so it wouldn’t catch the wind The "unifor swishy skirt and lacy Victorian blouse--was i small town sidewalks in a northeastern Ohio winter

Over top, she wore a fleece-lined barn coat she’d found at the Salvation Army, and on her feet were a pair of tooled red leather boots she’d bought at a sidewalk sale don That was in September, when she’d felt rich

Now she had 1055 in her coat pocket Her book and supply list for spring semester totaled 45579 plus tax She could’ve probably ordered online for less, but her credit card was still maxed out from fall

Back in her room was a bill for health insurance-- 150--required by Trinity College The kinds of jobs her mother, Carlene, could find didn’t offer benefits

What else? The trans She could still get itdirectly into second gear from a dead stop

If she was at ho it He’d be afraid to say no Afraid his shop or house ht burn doith his fa named a witch

Madison’s stomach clenched up in a faht out of herto keep too aators pop up and you slam them with athe tuition for courses she was taking for college credit, and even though she was living with her cousin Rachel for free, and even though she orking as ends Inn, she was broke and getting broker Christ and she didn’t have any presents for Grace or John Robert or Carlene