Peter Halson was only seven years old when his father first took him into his library and began showing him the various tools of his trade:

Volumes upon volumes of knowledge, curated across centuries, all meant for the singular purpose of arming those who would dare face the monsters of this world and stand between them and the horrors they might bring about.

"Your brother and sister will always be people of action, Peter," the elder Halson told his son between puffs on his yellowed ivory pipe. "To be counted on in times of duress, indeed. But you, boy, are the mind behind their brawn."

"I'm seven, Da'," little Peter said.

"Frances and Johnathan can speak English and a touch of French, and read just enough Latin to get by. You are completel...

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