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Chapters (86)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. Booklist
  4. Dedication
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. 67
  72. 68
  73. 69
  74. 70
  75. 71
  76. 72
  77. 73
  78. 74
  79. 75
  80. 76
  81. 77
  82. 78
  83. 79
  84. 80
  85. 81
  86. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

My God, how she liked this! To know he loved her so much he’d abandoned his phone, watch and sword, forgotten to close up and rushed to her aid. “Adam, I’m going in.” He shouted, but she held her phone away from her ear and kept talking. “I’ve looked it over. To all appearances, it’s clean. If I see anything at any time, I’ll back out and get away. Stephen Penderghast’s corporation has reported that he’s dead. After the fight with Zsóke, who from his people would be here to threaten me? You made a mistake, you left everything open, but the danger is minimal, and I will be vigilant... Yes, I will. Count on me.” She hung up before he could argue more. She felt pumped from the victory over Zsóke and, even though she doubted the truth of it, she wasn’t foolish. She would be swift and efficient and careful.

She drove. She parked. She listened. She looked around.

Everything was still. Quiet. So quiet all she could hear was the low roar of the ocean waves and the high calls of the seagulls. She saw nothing out of place, and she needed to get that sword to Adam.

But she didn’t run toward the shop, she strode. She projected confidence, as much for herself as for anyone or anything that might be lurking. She stepped inside and blinked at the change from bright sunshine to shadows. When her vision cleared, the first thing she saw was the sword—and Adam’s phone and watch—on the table lit by a sunbeam radiating down from the skylight.

She chuckled; it reminded her of that scene in The Sword in the Stone where Arthur touches the sword and a light from heaven shines down its approval. To draw an absolutely absurd simile, it was as if Adam was a kingly knight, and she was meant to bring him his sword.

She put the phone and watch in her pocket, picked the sword up by the leather strap on the sheath, whirled to leave—and heard the click of a gun’s safety.

Her heart stopped, then beat so hard her lungs couldn’t function. Slowly she turned to face her nemesis.

He stepped out of the shadows at the back of the shop—tall, big-boned, but gaunt and pale—and pointed a pistol at her.

Adam would say she’d been careless.

She would say Adam was right.

In the deep, rumbling voice she remembered so well from her nightmares, Stephen Penderghast asked, “Are you going to slay me with that sword?”

74

STEPHEN PENDERGHAST IS DEAD.

They said he was dead.