Fate's Edge

ball, all fur and teeth.
    “Poor, poor Jack,” Audrey said. Her voice was sweet, but her eyes mocked him. “Everyone’s mean to you. What will you do? There is no room to run away to this time, and Rose won’t help you.”
    How does she know about my sister?
    The Wild snarled. They had all ganged up on him. Jack’s heart hammered in his chest. His claws prickled the inside of his hands. He glanced at George. His brother stood there, his face calm, like he was a complete stranger.
    “Selfish and stupid,” Kaldar said. “That’s you.”
    “Good for nothing,” Gaston added.
    The Wild screamed and scratched inside Jack, straining to break free. He wanted to grow teeth and claws and dash into the forest. No, he had to stand his ground. Changing in the Edge wasn’t like changing in the Weird. It hurt, and it lasted half a minute. They would kill him before he was done.
    The world distilled itself to painful clarity. He had to defend himself. He couldn’t let them take him.
    Why? They were friends—why would they do this? Why didn’t George do anything?
    “You’re on your own,” George said. “Don’t ask me for help, crybaby.”
    Traitor. Jack looked into his brother’s eyes. They were blue and calm, almost peaceful. George always helped him. Always. Even when everyone else turned away.
    This was wrong. George would never turn on him.
    It’s a test, he suddenly realized. They were testing him to see if he would snap and give himself away. They were watching him carefully, trying to gauge what he would do.
    Jack’s instincts told him to bite back as hard as he could. But that was what they expected of him, then he’d be stuck in that clearing by himself, while George went out to spy and probably fight. George was good with his rapier but not that good.
    Jack pushed the Wild back into its hole. It clawed him, refusing to go, and he had to force it, step by step. It hurt. His mouth tasted bitter. Finally, he shoved it deep inside, into its usual place. It must’ve taken only a couple of moments, but to him it felt like forever.
    The colors lost some of their sharpness, the scents faded just a fraction. He stepped away from the edge of the cliff.
    Jack took a deep breath and forced himself to smile. “That’s okay. If I get in trouble, I’ll just mop up my tears with George’s hair.”
    It was a lame joke, but that was all he could manage.
    Audrey was looking at him, and her eyes were kind again.
    “Good man,” Kaldar said. “There is hope for you yet.”
    Gaston walked over and punched his shoulder.
    Jack breathed. He was terribly tired all of a sudden.
    “Okay, now we’ll need money,” Audrey said. “And a lot of it. Preferably owned by some ass, so I won’t feel bad stealing from him. Gaston, any candidates?”
    Gaston raised his black eyebrows. “How do you feel about a slaver? Rumor says he doesn’t believe in banks. He keeps all his money in his mansion in the Edge.”
    Kaldar raised his hand. “Sold!”
    “Oh, really?” Audrey crossed her arms. “So I guess you’ll be breaking into this mansion all on your own without my help.”
    “I could,” Kaldar said. “But I would get caught.”
    “In that case, how about I decide if we’re sold or not?”
    Gaston waved his notebook. “Maybe the two of you should let me tell you about the guy first.”
    Jack heard them bicker, but the words barely sank in. His legs grew weak, as if all his muscles had turned to mush. He took a couple of steps back and half sat, half fell, on the grass. Exhaustion claimed him. He took rapid, shallow breaths.
    George came over and sat next to him. “The Wild?”
    Jack nodded. He had beat it back that time. But it was so hard, much harder than it had been before in the parking lot. He had won this time. There would be a next time, and he wasn’t sure who would win then.

TEN
    KALDAR lay on a low ridge, wearing one of the Mirror’s night suits. The fabric, painted with swirls in a dozen shades of gray, hugged his body, formfitting but too elastic to hinder his movements. With the hood hiding his hair and his face painted gray and black, he supposed he resembled a ninja.
    It was good that nobody could see him because he looked completely ridiculous.
    Although, come to think of it, the suits did have their advantages. For example, if one had decent night vision, he could admire the way the stretchy fabric clung to Audrey’s incredibly shapely ass . . .
    “Kaldar,” Audrey hissed. “Stop looking at