Something that took him away from his thoughts and pain.
Distraction.
If there was one thing for which he owed the Grigori leader, it was that. He had temporarily taken Remy from his sadness, and he had liked how it felt.
He crossed his legs, pulling the cuff of his jeans down below his ankle, covering the top of his work boot. From the porch he stared out over the driveway, into the dark woods at the snow-covered trees, and beyond.
Staring into the future.
The dog scrambled to his feet with a bark, walking to the edge of the porch and sniffing the cool air, just in case.
'Do you see it?' Remy asked, feeling the darkness calling to him.
Wo, 'Marlowe grumbled, turning back to him, his thick black tail starting to wag nervously.
Remy smiled, placing both feet on the floor and leaning forward in the chair, hands open to Marlowe.
Marlowe came to him happily, eating up the affection.
'It must've been nothing,' he told the dog, allowing the animal to lick his face.
But Remy knew it was there, waiting to take him away.
A diversion from the heartache.
A distraction found in the affairs of angels.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
A martial arts enthusiast whose resume includes a long list of skills rendered obsolete at least two hundred years ago, Jim Butcher turned to writing as a career because anything else probably would have driven him insane. He lives in Independence, Missouri, with his wife, his son, and a ferocious guard dog. You can visit his Web site at www.Jim-Butcher.com.
Simon R. Green is a
Kat Richardson lives on a sailboat in Seattle with her husband and two ferrets. She rides a motorcycle, doesn't own a car or a TV, shoots target pistol, and has been known to swing dance, sing, and spend insufficient time at the gym. You can visit her on the Web at www.katrichardson.com.
Thomas E. Sniegoski is a full-time writer of novels and comics. He was born and raised in Massachusetts, where he still lives with his wife, LeeAnne, and their Labrador retriever, Mulder.
