Free Shadows of New York by Heather Fraser Brainerd Page A

ask around for ones that’ll fit better, but I doubt I’ll find any. I had enough trouble finding these.”
    Aiden grew less hairy. His snout turned back into a nose. It took about three seconds, but human Aiden reappeared, putting the gauntlets on without a word. Once they were in place, he changed back again.
    Josh knew that he was a werewolf. He had been present for a transformation, but his eyes had been closed. This time, he saw the change. Aiden began by lowering his head and hunching his back. His arms flexed like a bodybuilder showing off his muscles. Aiden’s T-shirt strained at the seams as his muscles bulked up. Every exposed bit of skin grew long brown hair. With a pained expression, his face took on the appearance of a wolf, long and scary.
    “You’ll want to watch out for the wraith’s hands,” continued Siegfried, “they have a nasty habit of turning into blades when you’re not looking. You can’t touch them, but believe me, they can touch you.” Even from this far away, Josh could see Siegfried’s thumb trace the path of one of the many scars on his face.
    “Alright, Frank, let’s go,” Siegfried called. Josh looked around, trying to find Frank, but Aiden and Siegfried were the only people in the room. Then he saw it. From the corner, something emerged. It was as if a man-shaped shadow had stepped right off the wall and began a slow walk toward Aiden.
    Calling it a shadow wasn’t quite right. Every shadow Josh had ever seen took the shape of whatever it lay across. This one occupied its own space, its arms and legs moving back and forth as it walked. Josh lowered himself an inch or two until he was just able to see over the wall.
    “Begin!” shouted Siegfried.
    Without warning, Aiden let out a fierce growl and sprung forward, his body a blur, gloved paws leading the way. The shadow moved partway through the floor so that the gloves passed harmlessly over its head, and Aiden ran right through it. By the time Aiden stopped and turned around, he had a sword-shaped shadow hovering inches from his face. Josh couldn’t be sure, but it almost looked like Aiden’s eyes darted in his direction for a fraction of a second.
    “Pathetic!” barked Siegfried. “You can’t charge straight in like that. For now, the best you can hope for is to keep up with him and hope he makes a mistake. Force his hand and take advantage of his mistake.”
    In reply, Aiden let out a short series of barks and growls.
    “Fine,” said Siegfried with a nod. Of course he would speak Werewolf.
    Aiden stretched and shook his arms, bouncing on the balls of his feet like a boxer. He hunched forward.
    Siegfried once again yelled, “Begin!”
    It was a replay of the first time. Aiden launched himself forward, and the shadow shrunk. But Aiden didn’t pass through the wraith, instead coming to a sudden stop just in front of him. His right arm swung upward, the golden gauntlet catching his opponent just under what Josh would call his head, sending the shadow flying backward, flattening against the wall and disappearing.
    “Slightly less pathetic!” bellowed Siegfried. “Good contact, but he would have gotten away. You okay, Frank?” he added when the shadow once more stepped from the wall.
    A quiet murmur came from down below. Josh couldn’t make out the exact words, only that it sounded like a whisper carried on the wind, coming from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.
    “Begin!”
    For the third time, Aiden dashed toward the wraith. It didn’t shrink this time. Instead, it shot toward Aiden. When they came together, the shadow-blade-hands were a frenzied whirlwind, slashing up and down, left and right, back and forth. Aiden’s gloves moved just as fast, dodging or parrying each strike. The gauntlets and shadow blades met with hollow thuds. Aiden reached and somehow managed to grab the wraith by what Josh would call his wrists. The two opponents stood struggling, one trying to escape, and the other trying to