Staying Dead

Staying Dead
Laura Anne Gilman

Manhattan's night life just got weirder… It starts as a simple job — but simple jobs, when you're dealing with the magical world, often end up anything but. As a Retriever, Wren Valere specializes in finding things gone missing — and then bringing them back, no questions asked. Normally her job is stimulating, challenging and only a little bit dangerous.But every once in a while… Case in point: A cornerstone containing a spell is stolen and there's a magical complication. (Isn't there always?) Wren's unique abilities aren't enough to lay this particular case to rest, so she turns to some friends: a demon (minor), a mage who has lost his mind, and a few others, including Sergei, her business partner (and maybe a bit more?). Sometimes what a woman has to do to get the job done is enough to give even Wren nightmares…

Staying Dead

Laura Anne Gilman

www.mirabooks.co.uk (http://www.mirabooks.co.uk)

For Mom and Dad, of course.

And for Mir and ElaineMc,

who have some small blame in all this…

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Because no writer works alone,

no matter what it feels like at 3:00 a.m.,

I need to praise and thank the following people:

Jennifer Jackson (agent) and

Mary-Theresa Hussey (editor). Finestkind.

Peter, who understood that there was something I

needed to do, and gave me the space to get it done.

The Cross-Genre Abuse Group, for smacking this

around the room more than a few times.

eluki, who said “yes” to my kids before anyone else,

and Dana and Lynn, all of whom took time out

to pay forward.

The folk in my newsgroup who came up with the info

when I needed it (and the Hounds, who howl on cue).

James, who told me to shut up and get back to work.

Marina Frants, who taught me all sorts of lovely Russian

phrases…some of which even made it into the book.

To you all, if I haven’t said it recently,

grazie. Molto grazie.

The Mississippi’s mighty, but it starts in Minnesota

At a place where you could walk across

with five steps down…

—Indigo Girls

“Ghost”

Contents

Acknowledgments

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen