Shadow of the War Machine (The Secret Order) (35 page)
Read Shadow of the War Machine (The Secret Order) Online
Authors: Kristin Bailey
“I’ve missed you so,” I whispered against his warm neck as I inhaled the scent of far-off Scottish glens and the smoke of the fires of the Foundry.
During the whole of my apprenticeship, we had lived apart, visiting when we could, writing a flurry of letters until it had felt as if there should be no more to say, and yet every moment felt alive when I was with him.
“I’ve missed you, too,” he said, giving me a soft kiss full of longing. He touched his forehead to mine. “I never doubted you, you know. I knew you could do it.”
“It wasn’t easy,” I confessed.
“Good things never are.” And with that he dropped down to kneel at my feet.
My heart suddenly hammered to life, and all thoughts fled completely from my head. I took a step backward, shocked, but Will caught my hand and held it to his heart.
“For the love of all things holy, Meg,
now
will you marry me?” He waited there, calm and steady, for my answer.
I snorted inelegantly, and Will did his best not to smile. I was in a right state. My head was rushing with a million thoughts, but not a single one objected.
“Of course I will. I love you,” I said. “My beautiful rock.”
He bowed his head and laughed, then pushed to his feet and swept me up. He swung me around until I felt I was flying. I clung to his neck, and he finally stopped spinning. Feeling dizzy, I cupped his rough cheek in my hand and kissed him with all the love in my heart.
“What am I going to do with you, my wild bird?” he whispered against my lips, then kissed me again.
“Live an amazing life?” I suggested.
He laughed again, holding me close.
And I knew it would be true.
Writing this trilogy has been a remarkable experience, and I’d like to deeply thank everyone at Simon & Schuster for all your hard work, your dedication, and your stunning vision for this series. I’d especially like to thank my editors, Michael Strother and Liesa Abrams, for your keen eyes and all your support, especially Michael for his valiant efforts in helping me give a copy to my beloved high school English teacher, in spite of all the mishaps that happened along the way. I’d also like to give my deepest thanks and admiration to everyone in the art department for developing and creating such stunning covers for the entire series. They are true works of art, and I am proud to have them on my shelves.
I couldn’t do this without the help and support of my family. I’d like to thank Mom for helping to brainstorm some of the Amusements for me, and also my engineer husband for pointing out that putting a pendulum in a moving object is a really bad idea. Thank you to my children for your patience while Mommy was working, and for your pride at what I have created.
This is the first book I have dedicated to my friend and critique partner, Angie Gwinner, but it is certainly not the first time she has deserved the honor. In a way, all of my books are dedicated to her, because it is true—I couldn’t do this without her. We have been working together for many years, and I hope we continue to work so well together for many years to come.
And finally, I’d like to thank the fans of the series, who have loved these books and occasionally taken the time to let me know. You are the best. I don’t write for me, I write for you. Thank you all.
Kristin Bailey
grew up in the middle of the San Joaquin Valley in California. In the course of her adventures, she has worked as a zookeeper, a balloon artist, and a substitute teacher. Now she is a military wife and the mother of two children and several very spoiled pets. Find out more at
kristinbailey.com.
SIMON PULSE
SIMON & SCHUSTER, NEW YORK
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ALSO BY KRISTIN BAILEY
The Secret Order · Book One
Legacy of the Clockwork Key
The Secret Order · Book Two
Rise of the Arcane Fire
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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
SIMON PULSE
An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020
First Simon Pulse hardcover edition February 2015
Text copyright © 2015 by Kristin Welker
Jacket wolf sculpture and photograph copyright © 2015 by Matthew Lentini
Jacket photograph of Paris copyright © 2015 by Thinkstock
Series Design by Angela Goddard
Jacket Designed by Regina Flath
Jacket Wolf Sculpture and photograph Copyright © 2015 by Matthew Lentini
Jacket photographs of Paris copyright © 2015 by Thinks Tock
Author photograph copyright © by Katie Murphy
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Book designed by Angela Goddard and Regina Flath
The text of this book was set in Granjon LT Std.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Bailey, Kristin.
Shadow of the war machine / by Kristin Bailey. — Simon Pulse hardcover edition.
p. cm. — (The Secret Order ; book 3)
Summary: Meg has searched the globe for answers about why her parents were killed; where her grandfather disappeared to; and above all, the identity of the man with the clockwork mask behind all this treachery. At last, she has clues that will lead her to the shocking truth.
[1. Secret societies—Fiction. 2. Orphans—Fiction. 3. Love—Fiction. 4. London (England)—History—19th century—Fiction. 5. Great Britain—History—Victoria, 1837–1901—Fiction. 6. Science fiction.] I. Title.
PZ7.B15256Sh 2015 [Fic]—dc23 2014009547
ISBN 978-1-4424-6805-4 (hc)
ISBN 978-1-4424-6807-8 (eBook)