Because he lost his arm in the war against Napoleon, Nicholas cannot return to Society. The ton will reject him. Now, he lives in solitude in his estate, claiming he prefers it. Then a child arrives. A young boy who reminds him of his past. A boy who threatens his present. A boy who must be dealt with to ensure Nicholas' own future."Rusch's short fiction is golden."—Kansas City StarInternational bestselling writer Kristine Kathryn Rusch has won or been nominated for every major award in the science fiction and fantasy field. She has won Hugos for editing The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction and for her short fiction. She has also won the Asimov's SF Magazine Readers' Choice Award six times, as well as the Anlab Award from Analog Magazine, Science Fiction Age Readers' Choice Award, the Locus Award, and the John W. Campbell Award. Her standalone sf novel, Alien Influences, was a finalist for the prestigious Arthur C. Clarke Award. Io9 said her Retrieval Artist series featured one of the top ten science fiction detectives ever written. She writes a second sf series, the Diving Universe series, and she writes a fantasy series called The Fey. She also writes mystery, romance, and fantasy novels, occasionally using the pen names Kris DeLake, Kristine Dexter, Kristine Grayson and Kris Nelscott. For more information about her work, go to kristinekathrynrusch.com.