Page 40 (1/2)

His parents had both been monsters, then No, his whole family werebut poison in his veins, and the potential for violence He thought of lightning cutting a wound across the sky, and all that blood on the girl’s skin When he did look away fro by Uncle Rob, her hand on his ar out for help He had never seen her touch Uncle Rob that way before

But she was not looking at Uncle Rob She was looking at him "Rosalind is your mother," she murmured "Yet you’re not surprised"

The sound of a door opening irls’ voices made Aunt Lillian’s shoulders slump for an instant as her brief hope was taken away

Jared walked past Aunt Lillian, as stiff with despair, and Uncle Rob, looking both confused and concerned Jared stopped at the top of the stairs that would lead him to Kami and looked back at his aunt’s pale face, the mirror of his mother’s "No," said Jared "I’s were like a beacon in Kahtly she barely saw the stone hands and drowning women of the manor Holly had to run after her up the stairs, then across flagstones and to the corridor where Jared stood with his aunt and uncle

Kami did not look at the open door and the e her off

I’ not to care I’ your parents ever did was your fault You ht, but you have to understand me now I know you’re not like them

Jared had so , except that the burning beacon of his distress had gone dark And how do you know that?

Because I know you, said Kami Nobody knows you like I do

Jared tipped toward her, as if they were reading sohts as an illus to be clear to him Her heart was al back, and so dark passed fro water, even as he made an effort and sht?

You’re here, said Jared So I’ht

"Jared," said Kaie," Holly finished, before Ka warily at Lillian and Rob Lynburn Ka by his wife, Lillian with her pale face and wide cold eyes They were sorcerers, sorcerers Kami did not know and could not trust

"The woods," Lillian said abruptly

"What?" Jared asked

Kaled toward her, aligning hilanced at the other Lynburns and saw the sa her eyes into dark lakes Ka one of her precious Lynburns on the side of the lowly mortals, not at all

"Don’t pretend you don’t know, Jared," Lillian said, her voice low "You have the same blood in your veins as the rest of us It draws you to the same end Don’t pretend you are not drawn to the woods If Rosalind has the girl, she has her there"

"If Ash is with her," Rob told her, his big hand closing on her thin shoulder, "it will be all right, Lillian"

Lillian nodded sharply once, staring out theinto the woods

Ka defiantly at the sorcerers, treone "Do youabout Ash?" Holly asked "And start thinking about the person he ela at all Or is it that you don’t care about anyone but yourselves?"

"There’s no time for this!" Kami shouted Everybody looked at her and she lifted her chin "They’re in the woods?" she said "Let’s go There are five of us Four of us can do ic, and two of us can read each other’s ela, I’ll tell Jared, and if the other group does, Jared will tell ested separating, but he knehen she was determined, and he knew sense when he heard it She felt that he hated it, at the same time as she watched him nod

"You should all stay here Rob and I will handle this," Lillian said "You’re children Jared hasn’t done the cereic we do He wouldn’t be able to stand against Rosalind" She said her sister’s name forcefully, as if she was terrified she would not be able to get it out

"Jared has a source," Rob reainst Rosalind We ue "Then it’s settled Jared and another ician come with me"

"Go with her, Uncle Rob"

Kami looked up at the tense sound of Jared’s voice, saw his eyes, and said quietly, "You protect Holly"

"I don’t care about being protected!" Holly shouted Tears and fury together ela"

Kami spun away from them all and headed for the stairs, doard the woods She heard Jared and Holly fall into step behind her She heard Lillian’s whisper echoing against the ela"

Chapter Thirty-Three

Red and Gold