"Mellowed you, that boy has. The first steps towards healing. That is good. It means there's hope for your return." She made a ghastly sound. It was impossible to identify whether it had been a laugh, a caught or a grunt. "The third has his part to play. He was unfortunate in his timing, but coincidences are not things in which are coincidental."

"You make my head hurt," I whispered, reflecting her contradictory words. "My kid? How do I make sure he's safe?"

"He's in danger. Not yet. Not at this second, but he will be. His presence is unnoticed. Most of the beasts of the In-Between lay in dormant...