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Prologue

To bring the dead to life is no great ic Few are wholly dead: Blow on a dead man’s embers and a live flaust 1869

"This is the story of a beast, so great and fearsohter, brave and beautiful, whose love for the beast redeeh the gloom

At this rather rude interruption, the boy who’d been speaking glared down at the girl lying by his side on the sable rug Hidden between giant bundles of cotton and wool, stored away in the ht overlook the sood homes, who liked to think themselves orphans in a cruel land or castaways lost at sea

Anything that gave a sense of adventure to the world

Already, they had played pirates against the Navy, which he won fair and square Admiral Nelson always bested Anne Bonny–then successfully defended their fort against ra red ?" The boy’s snub nose wrinkled A gesture that, he would not be pleased to know, ht to listen well," he advised sternly "As a hters ought to be given due respect–"

She cut hi across the sable as she snuggled down further The back of the warehouse was cold, despite the dry August heat outside, but no one would find them there, for it was Sunday Only old Dover re as they kept out of sight

"Yes," she said, blinking up at hiood, but you’ve told me this story several times" She lifted her head "Several times"

The boy sat up in a huff "Very well See to provide this afternoon’s entertainleam lit his eyes, one laden with lared back at hiive in that easily It was the best trick the boy had ever seen, and she’d only just let hiain," he said with a sniff

She shot up from her comfortable nest "Can too!"

"Bet you your flip knife that you can’t"

The girl’s little fists balled tight There was no force on earth that would teive up her knife It was her iven the Chatellerault to her A coirl, but Dover told her that girls needed ht to have one He even taught her to use it The boy had been jealously coveting the knife ever since

The boy scowled now "Bah, it wasn’t even that good of a trick My seven consecutive cartwheels were rabbed the la lessons" The boy’s father had enrolled hi his knowledge ever since

"Done Now quit stalling"

Looking griers and snuffed out the candle Darkness covered the out in small pants--one would never admit it to the other, but they were both afraid of the dark

"Go on" He nudged her knee "Do it, then"

"I will," caled, fiddling with the folds of her skirt, unaware that fate tee like a well -stirred soup A spark shot out like a star trailing across the night sky It caught the candlewick, lighting it instantly

"See," she said, beaht to be proud No other girl on earth understood fire the way she did How it came alive, like a newborn soul And how, like a soul, it strove to live, did all it could to ensure its survival For as long as she could remember, fire had been her friend It called to her own soul, create me, set me free Fire made her invincible–well nearly

The tiny flahed, but she set the candle down in haste It teetered, pausingbale of cotton

The light of the fla the look of terror that canited as fast as a dress brushing a coal fire

With a near hu it whole as though it were a ser Unsatisfied, it reached out with a red tongue to taste another bale

The boy grabbed hisher along, for she’d gone white as paste, transfigured by the fire she had started It rose above the on the, black and hot

"Run, Miranda, run!"

But even as Miranda fled and felt sharp sparks of fla her nape, she knew her vanity had ruined everything

Chapter 1

London, March 1, 1879

Miranda remembered a time when she did not fear

When life was comfortable, a warm cocoon in which she basked When she’d awakened each day to a fire roaringback the heavy satin curtains at herto let the sun shine in before setting a silver tray upon a stand by her bed Ah, that tray, filled with flaky little pastries, succulent hothouse fruits, and a pot of hot chocolate Those scents alone could make her shiver with happiness