The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan Read Free Book Online Page A

heft of big boxes in his arms and the sun on the back of his neck as he pushed the final box into the car boot. The air felt like it had rained sometime thismorning, and the sky was washed a lighter shade of blue than normal. Nick turned back to the house, cracking his neck, and let one thought form in his mind: They were going to London, and they might have at least a couple of months before all the freakish madness caught up with them.
    No sooner had he thought this than a thunder of feet on the tarmac behind him made him spin, going for the knife sheath in the small of his back.
    Framed against the pale sky, rushing toward him in a flurry of open flannel shirts and the chiming of about four necklaces apiece, came the odd couple from last night.
    Nick let go of his knife, though not without a moment’s reluctance, and fixed them with a cold look that was usually effective. They did not run in the opposite direction, but Nick leaned his forearms on the roof of the car and maintained a baleful gaze, just in case they decided to reconsider.
    Mae’s eyes scanned the filled car and Nick’s disheveled appearance, and realization swept over her face. “You’re running away!”
    â€œYou’re an investigative genius,” Nick said.
    She scowled at him, small face twisted into an incongruous expression of fury. It struck Nick as funny that this short, pink-haired girl would obviously have loved to be tall and imposing and have her fury strike fear into people’s hearts.
    â€œWhat about us?” she demanded. “We don’t have anyone else to help us!”
    â€œSo? I don’t care.”
    Mae seemed momentarily floored, her righteous outrage lost in uncertainty. She glanced at Jamie, who was standing about doing his impression (Nick had to concede it was good) of a wounded deer. She reached out a hand to clasp his shoulder.
    â€œYou know what’s going to happen to Jamie,” she said in a low voice, scraping on her pain. “How can you just leave us?”
    â€œWhy shouldn’t I? People die all over the world, and I doubt you lose sleep over them. What’s so special about you? Why should I want to help you? You two invaded my home and got my brother marked!”
    Nick set his teeth lightly into his lip. He’d come close to raising his voice. His arms were tensed, his hands clenched with the longing to reach for a knife or a sword, his insides knotted with the urge for action. He wished sometimes that he could feel angry without feeling the urge to kill, but he never had.
    It was different for Alan. He’d asked his brother once what he felt when he was angry since Alan never wanted to kill people—though sometimes he had to—and Alan had looked upset and described feeling indignation and annoyance and a hundred things all at once that he said added up to anger.
    Alan was too soft. All Nick felt was the violent desire to cut down whoever was in his way.
    â€œCome on, Mae,” Jamie said, his quiet voice a shock. “I told you he’d be too angry to help us. We’ll find some other way.” He glanced at Nick, eyes sliding apprehensively from him to the safer sight of the car. “I’m sorry about your brother. We didn’t mean for him to get hurt.”
    â€œDoesn’t matter what you meant,” Nick pointed out.
    He’d be on edge until Alan’s mark was gone. He didn’t need these people bothering him as well.
    Jamie reached up to take his sister’s hand that rested on his shoulder, twining her fingers around his and trying to use it to tug her away. He backed up a step and then stopped, like a boat caught short at the end of its rope. Mae stood firm, her eyes boring into Nick.
    â€œGet lost,” Nick said, enunciating each word as if she was a bit slow. “There’s no help for you here.”
    That was when Alan came outside, blinking slightly in the bright light. His quickly checked smile at the