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Praise for the Retrievers novels of
laura anne gilman
Staying Dead
“An entertaining, fast-paced thriller set in a world where cell phones and computers exist uneasily with magic and a couple of engaging and highly talented rogues solve crimes while trying not to commit too many of their own.”
—Locus
“An exciting…unpredictable story that never lets up until the very end…I highly recommend this book to fans of urban fantasy, especially [the works of] Jim Butcher, Charlaine Harris, Kim Harrison or Laurell K. Hamilton.”
—SF Site
Curse the Dark
“Gilman has managed the nearly impossible here: a cleverly written and well-balanced fantasy with a strong romantic element that doesn’t overpower the main plot.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews [4 1/2 stars]
“With an atmosphere reminiscent of Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code and Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose by way of Sam Spade, Gilman’s second Wren Valere adventure…features fast-paced action, wisecracking dialog and a pair of strong, appealing heroes.”
—Library Journal
Bring It On
“Fans of Charlaine Harris, Kelley Armstrong and Kim Harrison will find Bring It On a very special treat. The author is an expert worldbuilder and creates characters that are easy to care about.”
—Affaire de Coeur [5 stars]
“Gilman has outdone herself…The revelations are moving, the action is fantastic and the ending is something that makes you wonder what will happen next.”
—In the Library Reviews
Burning Bridges
“Wren’s can-do magic is highly appealing.”
—Publishers Weekly
“This fourth book in Gilman’s engaging series delivers…Wren and Sergei’s relationship, as usual, is wonderfully written. As their relationship moves in an unexpected direction, it makes perfect sense—and leaves the reader on the edge of her seat for the next book.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews [4 stars]
“I’ve been saying it all along, and I’ll say it again, this is an excellent series, well worth picking up, and I haven’t been let down yet.”
—Green Man Review
“Valere is a tough, resourceful heroine, a would-be loner who cares too much to truly walk alone. A strong addition to urban fantasy collections.”
—Library Journal
Free Fall
“An intelligent and utterly gripping fantasy thriller, by far the best of the Retrievers series to date.”
—Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Compulsively readable, fast-paced and deadly serious…Wren continues to be an engaging and likable protagonist, one the reader can root for with all her heart.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews
Curse The Dark
Laura Anne Gilman
Dear Reader,
Welcome, or welcome back, to the world of the Cosa Nostradamus, where the person walking next to you on the sidewalk may not be…entirely human, and magic not only didn’t fade away in the modern age, it got stronger.
In Curse the Dark, a lot changes for Wren and Sergei as they take on a job for the mysterious—but well-paying—Silence. Decisions are made, surprises are sprung and consequences are dealt out, both tragic and joyful. Life isn’t always easy, it’s rarely ever fair. But when Wren’s around, you know it’s always going to be an adventure!
And don’t miss Wren’s other adventures in Staying Dead, Bring It On, Burning Bridges and Free Fall, available now, and Blood from Stone, coming in May 2009.
Enjoy!
Laura Anne Gilman
For Amy and Sue.
Even if they did want to trade me in for a puppy.
Acknowledgments
The past year was probably the toughest ever in my life, and a number of people were much-needed, much-appreciated lifelines.
Keith R. A. DeCandido
Jenn Saint-John
James A. Hartley
Lesley McBain
Lisa Sullivan
Jennifer Jackson
Susan Shwartz
Peter Liverakos
Howard Shaw
And in the memory of Kath Lawrence, who reminded me to take those lifelines and hold on tight.
Secure yourself to heaven.
Hold on tight, the night has come.
Fasten up your earthly burdens,
You have just begun.
—Indigo Girls, “Secure Yourself”
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Epilogue
Chapter One
“Next time,” Sergei muttered out of the corner of his mouth, not taking his eyes off the security guard leaning against a wall several paces ahead of them, “we’re taking a boat.”
“Sorry, okay?” Wren said, doing her best not to snap at him. “I’m trying. I really am.” And she was. It just wasn’t helping.
Her partner’s deep sigh was the only response she got. They’d had variations of this conversation ever since she threw her bag into the cab outside her apartment that morning, and things had only slid downhill since getting to the airport. If they could have gotten through all this quickly, and not given her so much time to think about it…But, well, that wasn’t going to happen. And the weird feeling of being stared at, even though there wasn’t anyone paying any attention to her, was just making things worse.
The line shuffled in place, people shifting bags and checking watches. Sergei took a small case out of his suit coat pocket, opened it and removed a slender brown cigarette, then put the case away. He rolled the cigarette between his thumb and forefinger, then started rotating it end to end, as though practicing for a coin trick he already knew how to do.