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"We o as quickly as we can," Kitsune said, both to Blue Jay and to Jenny "There isn’t ti we must do first," Frost interrupted, the look in his eyes a challenge to anyone wishing to contradict him "Oliver’s fa to take hih the Veil so that he can call them"

Kitsune blinked in surprise "Now?"

"Now?" Jenny echoed

Blue Jay traced a finger along his o and studied Oliver closely The aze was cold "Yes, now He may not have another chance Of course You must," the shape-shifter said, and for the first tiht he could almost see the bird in the Borderkind’s face The blue feathers tied in his hair seemed to dance and sway of their own accord

"Yes," Frost agreed "While the Mazikeen confer You’ll remain here and learn whatever more there is to learn of this conspiracy?"

"If you wish"

"I would be grateful We should not be gone long"

Blue Jay and Jenny Greenteeth sat side by side on the table Oliver wondered if anyone ever used the lanced at hi

"Be careful," she said "Much of the one from your world forever when the Veil was created, but some still remains And there are tierous indeed"

There was so in her eyes and in her face that made him want to stay, to remain with her and not be parted But froh toof Julianna, and of Collette, and the longing to hear their voices and to soothe their fears was stronger

"I’ll keep an eye out"

Blue Jay wore a s "Go on, if youtoo fast"

The winter ust of wind He nodded "Come here"

Oliver followed him to the fountain on the opposite side of the courtyard froestured to the water that sprayed into the air and it became snow Winds buffeted Oliver as the snow beca out the false sunlight fro

"Go," Frost told hih

It was h the park, when Oliver appeared fro and back into the world of his birth He knew the city i by far across the green grass and over the tops of bushes and a wrought-iron gate that went round the park A gust of frigid air was the only sign that Frost had accompanied him, and when he looked down he saw a sprinkle of icy rime upon the lawn, like frozen dew

"Muirl shouted "Mum!"

Oliver turned to see her, a pretty little thing with a ribbon in her hair and her coat buttoned up tight It was nearly Christmashow many days away he was not certainbut there was no snow in London It snowed rarely in the British capital, though that had not always been true With an oversized mitten she pointed at Oliver

"Mum! That man!"

The mother peered suspiciously at Oliver and then turned to her daughter, her voice lower but still audible "What of him, Ellie?"

"He justun-vanished! Wasn’t there ain his chest, Oliver gave the ent s, he hoped his smile would say Herthe girl by heraway

Oliver let out a relieved breath and looked around, trying to orient hie and it had been one of the greatest experiences of his life He’d taken a classical draone to see more plays in a handful of months than he’d seen in the culy fanize this park at first glance He could see a lake to his right and far off to the left a bandstand at the bull’s-eye center of the ays that threaded the park A sign beside the path had arrows pointing in several directions he ht walk to find a Children’s Zoo and a Deer Enclosure, as Another for Sub-Tropical Gardens Distant ether This was Battersea Park He had never been here before, but had heard about the variety of attractions it offered

Public land So a part of the world beyond the Veil was made up of a ift, that much was certain

For a moment he just breathed in the damp, chilly air of London It armer and the sky clearer than he would’ve expected as the year drew to a close in the United Kingdoht of his oorld It was the first ti days, however, and he felt exposed Frost was soid winds that blew to England all the way from the Russian steppes But still he felt vulnerable

And the clock was ticking He was frightened for his own life, but he was now equally concerned for the danger his friends faced Several ti the quiet confrontation in the courtyard of the Mazikeen he had considered releasing Frost from his vow The other Borderkind needed him, and they had to find out who it was that controlled the Hunters But the truth was that he had saved Frost’s life, not once but twice, and Kitsune’s once as well It wasn’t so much that he felt they owed hied his to the he was able to find a way to get the order of death lifted from him, he knew that he would not abandon them to their fate

"Okay, okay, clear your head," he whispered to hiarette dangling froave him an odd stare as he passed, but did not stop Oliver surveyed the park again, no longer focused on his location or the people ere enjoying the unseasonably pleasant Dece it, he began walking toward the fence in the distance and the road beyond The path curved and he followed it out to a gate

On the sidewalk just outside, he finally found a phone booth, one of the red-painted boxes that spoke of London tradition He felt shaky and oddly war a deep breath, he opened the door and stepped inside, and a kind of happiness touched his heart He was not out of danger, but at least he could make contact He could hear the voices of the people he loved Julianna must be furious with him, and he could not bla was a bad thing But all of those considerations had to wait Regardless of how ive hiht

Oliver plucked the phone from the cradle and dialed for an operator, then asked for international help His awareness of the crisis beyond the Veil h three different people before an operator could help hie it to his credit card It was probably shortly after noon, which would make it pretty early back home, maybe seven o’clock or so But the call couldn’t wait, and he doubted anyone would want him to wait

Yet at hoed hi Not even the answering h hiht to be so Oliver wanted to think that Collette would have stayed in Maine after his disappearance, but he wasn’t sure how many days had passed at hoo back to New York, back to work But even if she was gone and their father was out, there ought to be a ht to have been there

His anticipation turned to uncertainty, he gave the operator Julianna’s nuin to explain It took half a minute of odd noises on the line before he heard it start to ring on the other end