Free Shades by Brian Keene, Geoff Cooper Page B

happened to her seem even worse. He was disgusted with Matt for what he’d done, and disgusted with himself for the guilty arousal he’d felt when he saw Val’s exposed breast.
    He wished that magic could make the entire day just go away.
    Ronnie, Chuck, and Jeremy caught up with him on Ghilcrest Road.
    “What the fuck happened?” Ronnie demanded.
    Danny studied his friends. Ronnie and Jeremy were coiled tight, ready to snap. Chuck was sullen.
    “Chuck said Matt was acting weird. Well, you were right. He tried to rape Val.”
    “Jesus…” Chuck shook his head in disbelief.
    “Damn,” Jeremy snickered. “Didn’t know he had it in him.”
    “And you stopped him?” Ronnie asked.
    Danny nodded. “Yeah.”
    “Cool.” Ronnie seemed relieved. “But if you stopped it, then why did the cops arrest him?”
    “I just said, man. He tried to rape Val.”
    “She told on him?” Chuck asked.
    Danny didn’t respond. He stared at his feet.
    “Dude,” Jeremy muttered, stepping forward, “tell us she ratted him out. That’s what happened, right?”
    Danny shook his head. The three boys pressed closer, surrounding him.
    “You didn’t narc on him,” Jeremy said. “No way. Fuck that noise.”
    “Yeah,” Danny whispered, “I did.”
    “Jesus fucking Christ, Danny!”
    “Well, what was I supposed to do, man? He tried to rape her. I wasn’t going to lie for him.”
    “Why not?” Jeremy hollered. “He’s one of us, man. You chose Val over Matt?”
    Chuck ran his hand through his hair. “This is fucked up.”
    “Don’t give me that,” Danny said. “You guys would have done the same thing. Ronnie? You like Val. You would have told on Matt, too. In a heartbeat. Tell them.”
    Ronnie didn’t respond. He stared at the ground. Chuck looked away. Jeremy spat at his feet and glared at Danny.
    “You know what,” Danny said. “Fuck you guys.”
    “Fuck you, too,” Jeremy shouted.
    Danny pushed past Ronnie and Chuck, turning his back on them and walking away. He tensed, waiting for Jeremy to swing, waiting for all three of them to jump him. They didn’t. Somehow, that made it worse.
    Danny wanted to turn around, but he resisted the urge. Instead he kept walking. He felt them staring at him, felt the silent incrimination. They thought he’d changed. He didn’t hang out anymore. He’d told on Matt. In their eyes, he was somebody else. But he hadn’t changed. He still felt like the same person. Only now, he was the same person without any friends.
    Except for Gustav.
    He just wished the old man had told him about magic’s price before he paid it.

 
     
    EIGHT
     
     
     
    Gustav stood on the sidewalk, watching the house as the sun went down. The shadows lengthened. The insects sang. Pedestrians and cars rushed past him, hurrying home for the evening. Nobody noticed him, because Gustav did not wish to be noticed. He simply observed—an unmoving, unblinking sentinel, probing with his mind and senses. He didn’t approach, didn’t cross the sidewalk and step into the yard. He couldn’t. Bedrik had taken care to safeguard his home. There were wards and sigils and circles of protection, all invisible to the untrained eye.
    In a way, Gustav begrudgingly admired Bedrik. The other magician’s power was strong, and his influence over the town grew with each passing night. He’d been clever from the beginning, masking his abilities from Gustav, working his magic in secret. Gustav hadn’t been aware of Michael Bedrik’s true nature until the discovery of Martin Bedrik’s body along the Hudson. He’d read the body, read the signs. He knew what was afoot. The casting off of one’s own shadow to gain control of other shades; very serious magic, very bad. And while Bedrik grew more powerful, Gustav’s strength remained the same. He couldn’t challenge his opponent. Not yet. To confront him here where he was strongest would be suicide. Nor could he call upon others from the Kwan. They would not help.