Fate's Edge

Table of Contents

 

 

PRAISE FOR THE NOVELS OF THE EDGE

BAYOU MOON

 

“A thoroughly entertaining blend of humor, action, misdirection, and romance.”

—
Locus

 

“Solidifies the subgenre of romantic urban fantasy superbly . . . If you like urban fantasy with a strong edge of romance,
Bayou Moon
will leave you breathless.”

—
SFRevu

 

“Megatalent Andrews returns to the world of the Edge, where magic, blood feuds, and danger await . . . [There’s] never a dull moment as Andrews thrusts her characters into an array of extreme dangers that are ferocious as well as creepy. When it comes to supernatural fiction, Andrews is always a guaranteed keeper!”

 

—
Romantic Times
(top pick)

 

“Even better than the first book! . . . With a great setting, a super action-packed plot, and fabulous characters,
Bayou Moon
is a thrill to read, and I highly recommend it!”

 

—
Night Owl Reviews

 

“[Andrews has] the ability to build books that create action sequences that make you forget how to breathe, complicated but ultimately satisfying romance, biting humor, and worlds you would like to see for yourself.”

—
Darkly Reading

 

 

ON THE EDGE

 

“A fascinating world combined with pulse-pounding action and white-hot romance makes
On the Edge
a winner!”

—Jeaniene Frost,
New York Times
bestselling author
of
One Grave at a Time

 

“[An] engaging urban fantasy series opener . . . Andrews has created a complex plot and convincing characters that will keep the pages turning.”

—
Publishers Weekly

 

“A great, fun romance, an offbeat mix of old-fashioned rural magics, contemporary life (complete with Wal-Mart and comic book shops), and magical sword-wielding warriors.”

 

—
Locus

 

“The character development is flawless, the plot inventive, and the pace defies readers to put the book down . . . This one is a winner and shows there is still plenty of room for surprises in a genre riddled with tired replays.”

 

—
Monsters and Critics

 

“A wildly entertaining world.”

 

—
Darque Reviews

 

PRAISE FOR THE KATE DANIELS NOVELS

MAGIC BLEEDS

 

“Ilona Andrews is one of the few authors whose books just keep getting better. A series can sometimes stagnate . . . Ilona, though, has no such trouble.”

 

—
Romance Reviews Today

 

“Ilona Andrews does it again . . .
Magic Bleeds
delivers on the promise of ‘one hell of a good read.’ You will not be disappointed!”

 

—ParaNormal
Romance.org

 

MAGIC STRIKES

 

“Andrews’s crisp dialogue and layered characterization make the gut-wrenching action of this first-person thrill ride all the more intense . . . mesmerizing.”

 

—
Romantic Times
(★★★★★)

 

“Andrews blends action-packed fantasy with myth and legend, keeping readers enthralled.”

 

—
Darque Reviews

 

“Ilona Andrews’s best novel to date, cranking up the action, danger, and magic . . . Gritty, sword-clashing action and flawless characterizations will bewitch fans old and new alike.”

 

—
Sacramento Book Review

 

“Write faster . . . I absolutely love the relationship between Curran and Kate—I laugh out loud [at] the witty sarcasm and one-liners, and the sexual tension building between the couples drives me to my knees knowing I’ll have to wait for another book.”

 

—
SFRevu

 

MAGIC BURNS

 

“Fans of Carrie Vaughn and Patricia Briggs will appreciate this fast-paced, action-packed urban fantasy full of magic, vampires, werebeasties, and things that go bump in the night.”

 

—
Monsters and Critics

 

“With all her problems, secrets, and prowess both martial and magical, Kate is a great kick-ass heroine, a tough girl with a heart, and her adventures . . . are definitely worth checking out.”

—
Locus

 

“[
Magic Burns
] hooked me completely. With a fascinating, compelling plot, a witty, intelligent heroine, a demonic villain, and clever, wry humor throughout, this story has it all.”

—
Fresh Fiction

 

“The sexual tension Kate emits has me gritting my teeth.”

—
SFRevu

 

“If you enjoy Laurell K. Hamilton’s early Anita Blake or the works of Patricia Briggs and Kim Harrison, you need to add Ilona Andrews to your reading list.”

—
LoveVampires

 

 

MAGIC BITES

 

“Treat yourself to a splendid new urban fantasy . . . I am looking forward to the next book in the series or anything else Ilona Andrews writes.”

 

—Patricia Briggs, #1
New York Times
bestselling author of
River Marked

 

“Andrews’s edgy series stands apart from similar fantasies . . . owing to its complex world-building and skilled characterizations.”

—
Library Journal

 

“Fans of urban fantasy will delight in Ilona Andrews’s alternate-universe Atlanta.”

 

—
Fresh Fiction

 

“A unique world laced with a thick plot full of strife, betrayal, and mystery.”

 

—
Romance Junkies

Ace Books by Ilona Andrews

The Kate Daniels Novels

 

MAGIC BITES
MAGIC BURNS
MAGIC STRIKES
MAGIC BLEEDS
MAGIC SLAYS

 

The Edge Novels

 

ON THE EDGE
BAYOU MOON
FATE’S EDGE

THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

 

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the authors’ imaginations or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

 

FATE’S EDGE

 

An Ace Book / published by arrangement with Ilona Andrews, Inc.

 

PRINTING HISTORY
Ace mass-market edition / December 2011

Copyright © 2011 by Andrew Gordon and Ilona Gordon.

 

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the authors’ rights. Purchase only authorized editions. For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

 

ISBN : 978-1-101-54596-6

 

ACE
Ace Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
ACE and the “A” design are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

 

 

 

To Anastasia and Helen

Acknowledgments

Fate’s Edge
was a fun book to write, but even the fun books take a lot of work. We’re grateful to Anne Sowards for continuing to edit us and to Nancy Yost, our agent, for continuing to represent us despite our best efforts to drive them both to an insane asylum.

We’d like to thank the following people for making the book a reality: production editor Michelle Kasper and assistant production editor Andromeda Macri for bringing it all together, editorial assistant Kat Sherbo for heroically dealing with our ornery e-mails and keeping us on schedule, artist Victoria Vebell and cover designer Annette Fiore DeFex for creating a gorgeous cover, interior designer Kristin del Rosario for making the book look beautiful between the covers, copy editors Sara and Bob Schwager for making sure the narrative was consistent, and publicists Rosanne Romanello and Brady McReynolds for tirelessly promoting the book.

Special thanks go out to Deric Gant for his knowledge of scripture and charismatic preachers. We’d also like to thank Jill Myles, Meljean Brook, and Jeaniene Frost for many hours of e-mail and phone therapy. We’d also like to thank Jessie Mihalik for helping us move to Texas and find this awesome house, where most of the book was written. We’d like to thank each other for being very patient and avoiding divorce despite the AC breaking three times in triple-digit summer heat.

Finally, we’d like to thank our readers for following our stories.

PROLOGUE

IF she had only one word to describe Dominic Milano, it would be “unflappable,” Audrey Callahan reflected. Stocky, hard, balding—he looked like he had just walked out of central casting after successfully landing the role of “bulldog-jawed older detective.” He owned Milano Investigations, and under his supervision, the firm ran like clockwork. No emergency rattled Dominic. He never raised his voice. Nothing knocked him off his stride. Before moving to the Pacific Northwest, he’d retired from the Miami Police Department with more than a thousand homicide cases under his belt. He’d been there and done that, so nothing surprised him.

That was why watching his furry eyebrows creep up on his forehead was so satisfying.

Dominic plucked the top photograph from the stack on his desk. In it, Spenser “Spense” Bailey jogged down the street. The next shot showed Spense bending over. The next one caught him in a classic baseball-pitch pose, right leg raised, leaning back, a tennis ball in his fingers. Which would be fine and dandy, except that according to his doctor, Spense suffered from a herniated disk in his spine. He was restocking a warehouse when a walk-behind forklift got away from him, and the accident caused him constant, excruciating pain. He could frequently be seen limping around the neighborhood with a cane or a walker. He needed help to get into a car, and he couldn’t drive because the injured disk pinched the nerve in his right leg.