point.
"It was-I couldn't-it wasn't fair," she said, fumbling. She was at a disadvantage; she couldn't think properly.
"Fair-let's not get on that again. Life isn't fair. That's not the point. You promised yourself to me."
Jenny opened her mouth to explain, but she couldn't seem to summon up any words.
Because the terrible thing was that he was right, There was no real way to justify what she'd done. She'd given him her word. She'd sworn the oath, knowing it would bind her forever. And she supposed the shameful truth was that she'd hoped to get rid of Julian so that he couldn't collect.
With one finger Julian sketched some lines in the air, a shape like a vase turned on its side. "That's Perthro, the rune of gambling and divination. It's the cup that holds the runes or dice when they're cast."
"Oh, really?" Jenny said weakly, not having the first idea what he was talking about.
"I'll tell you something interesting about the people who discovered those runes. They loved gambling. Crazy about it. They would bet everything -
including their freedom-on one throw of the dice. And if they lost, they'd go into slavery cheerfully, because they had made a promise and they always played by the rules. Honor meant more than anything to them."
Jenny looked away, hugging her own arms. She felt very cold. She wished there were somewhere to hide.
"Are you going to keep your promise?"
What could she say? That it was a promise she never should have had to make? Julian had forced her to play the Game in the beginning-but Jenny had come to him looking for a game. Looking for something scary and sexy, something to provide excitement at a party. Julian had just given her what she'd asked for. It was her own fault for meddling with forbidden things.
But she couldn't-she couldn't.
Teeth sunk into her lower lip, she looked at Julian. She could hardly meet his eyes, but she did. She shook her head.
There. Now it was out. She didn't have any excuses, but she wasn't going to keep her word.
"You know I could just make you."
She nodded. It was what she expected. But at least she wouldn't have gone to him willingly.
He turned to look down at the ocean, and Jenny waited.
"What do you say we play another game?"
"Oh, no," Jenny whispered, but he was going on.
"I could just force you-but I'll give you a sporting chance. One throw of the dice, Jenny. One more game. If you win, you're free of the promise. If you lose, you keep it." He turned back to look at her, and in the eyeholes of the mask she could see midnight blue. "Do you want to play, or do we just resolve this here and now?
Don't panic-think. It's your only chance. It's better than no chance.
And the wild part in her was responding to his j challenge, surging to meet it. Danger. Risk. Excitement.
"One throw of the dice," she said softly. "I'll play."
He flashed her the wolfish smile. "No holds barred, then. No quarter asked or given-for any of the players."
Jenny froze. "Wait a minute-" she began.
"Did you think I was going to fool around? This game is deadly serious-like the last one."
"But it's between us," Jenny said desperately. "Just you and me-"
"No." The eyes behind the mask were narrow. "This is a game for the original players, for everyone who was in the paper house. No more and no less. On my side, myself and the Creeper and the Lurker. On your side-everyone who helped trick me and betray me. I'm going to catch them one by one, starting with Little Red Riding-Hood."
'Wo, "Jenny said, in terror. Oh, God, what had she done? Summer had died in the last Game....
"Yes. And it starts now. Ready or not, here I come. Find my base and you can stop me from taking them to the Shadow World."
"Taking who-?"
"Your friends. Find them after I take them and you all go free. If not"-he smiled-"I keep them all."
Jenny didn't understand. Panic was rioting inside her. She wasn't ready-she didn't know the rules. She didn't even know what game they were playing.
"Julian-"
Quick as a cat, quick as a striking snake, he kissed her. A hard kiss, and Jenny was responding before she knew it.
When it was over, he held her tightly to his chest a moment. She could hear his heart beating-just like a human heart, she thought dizzily. Then he whispered in her ear, "The new game is lambs and monsters." And