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An Outcast

But Luce had seen him somewhere else before

"Phil?" Shelby cried "What the hell are you doing here? And what happened to your eyes? They're all--"

Daniel turned on Shelby "You know this Outcast?"

"Outcast?" Shelby's voice quaked "He's not a--He'syou," Roland said, as if he knew so the rest of thenized him for what he was"

"But you didn't," the Outcast said, his voice eerily calm He reached inside his trench coat and, from an inner pocket, pulled out a silver bow From his other pocket came a silver arrohich he swiftly nocked He pointed it at Roland, then swept across the crowd, ai in I've come to fetch Lucinda"

Daniel stepped toward the Outcast "You'll fetch no one and nothing," he said, "except a swift death unless you leave right now"

"Sorry, no, can't do that," the boy responded, histhe silver arrow taut "We've had tiht of blessed restitution We will not leave empty-handed"

"How could you, Phil?" Shelby whi to Luce "I didn't knowHonestly, Luce, I didn't I just thought he was a creep"

The boy's lips curled up in a sht out of a nightht, or none of you will be spared"

Then Cah It shook the kitchen and made the boy in the dooritch uncomfortably

"You and what army?" Cam said "You know, I think you're the rst Outcast I've ever lanced around the cramped kitchen "Why don't you and I take this outside? Get it over with, shall we?"

"Gladly," the boy replied, a at smile on his pale lips

Ca out a knot--and there, right where his shoulder blades cah his gray cash up ht they were al as they pulsed

"Holy Hell," Callie whispered, blinking

"More or less," Arriane said as Cas backward and plowed past the Outcast boy, through the door and into the backyard "Luce will explain, I's unfurled with a sound like a great ock of birds taking ight The laold and blackas he squeezed out the door after Ca into each other, Arriane pressing her glowing iridescent wings ahead of Molly's cloudy bronze ones, sending o what looked like little electric sparks as they hustled out the door Next was Gabbe, whose u y white wings spread open as gracefully as a butter y's, but with such speed they sent a rush of oral-scented wind through the kitchen

Daniel took Luce's hands in his He closed his eyes, inhaled, and let his s unfurl Fully extended, they would have lled the entire kitchen, but Daniel reined thelowed and looked altogether too beautiful Luce reached out and touched them with both hands Warm and satin smooth on the outside, but inside, full of power She could feel it coursing through Daniel, into her She felt so close to him, understood him completely As if they'd beco to be ne I'll always take care of you

But what he said aloud was "Stay safe Stay here"

"No," she pleaded "Daniel"

"I'll be right back" Then he arched his wings backward and ew out the door

Left alone inside, the unangelic gathered together Miles was pressed against the back door, gaping out theShelby had her head in her hands Callie's face looked as white as the refrigerator

Luce slipped a hand into Callie's "I guess I have a few things to explain"

"Who is that boy with the bow and arrow?" Callie whispered, inching but still holding tight to Luce's hand "Who are you?"

"Me? I'h her "I don't know"

"Luce," Shelby said, clearly trying not to cry "I feel like such a chump I swear I had no idea The stu I told hi about you, and he was a good listener, so II mean, I had no idea what he really wasI would never, never--"

"I believe you," Luce said Sheout onto the so "What do you think he wants?"

In the yard, fallen oak leaves had been raked into neat piles The air soing oAt the foot of the deck's three steps, Daniel, Ca the fence

No, not the fence, Luce realized They faced a dark crowd of Outcasts, standing at attention with their silver arrows aiels The Outcast boy was not alone He'd amassed an army The Outcast boy was not alone He'd aainst the counter Aside froels were unarmed And she'd already seen what those arrows could do

"Luce, stop!" Miles called after her, but she was already rushing out the door

Even in the darkness, Luce could see that all the Outcasts had siirls as boys, all of them pale and dressed in the same brown trench coats, with closely cropped bleached-blond hair for the boys and tight, als arched out from their backs They were in very, very bad shape--tattered and frayed and revoltingly lthy, practically caked with dirt Nothing at all like the glorious wings of Daniel or Ca in solidarity, with their strange e out, their heads tilted in di erent directions, the Outcasts htmare of an army Only, Luce could not wake up

When Daniel noticed her standing with the others on the deck, he doubled back and seized her hands His perfect face looked ith fear "I told you to stay inside"