Freddie's Shadow Cards

by Jessica Brody

  “What if I helped?” she blurted out before she could stop herself.

  Ally blinked her large blue eyes in confusion. “What?”

  Freddie sucked in a breath and forced herself to say the words. “What if I helped you clean up the tea shop?”

  Ally seemed to comprehend something and shook her head adamantly. “Oh, no. No more Shadow Cards. No more favors from the all-powerful queen of shadows. I can’t afford it. The price is just too high.”

  “No,” Freddie rushed to say, taking a hesitant step toward Ally. Ally took a hesitant step away. “No cards. Just me. I’ll help you clean up. With two people, it’ll go much faster. Maybe we can even finish before your mom gets home.”

  Ally narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “What’s the catch?”

  Freddie shrugged. “No catch. No deal. I promise. I just want to help. I feel…” She struggled to find the right word, to identify that yucky feeling in her gut. And then it came to her.

  “Guilty,” she finished softly. As soon as she said the word, she knew it was the right one. She felt guilty. She’d never experienced that sensation before. It was an awful, evil feeling. And not the fun kind of evil, either. She hated it.

  “Guilty?” Ally repeated with skepticism.

  “Yes,” Freddie said. “I feel guilty about what the cards did—” She stopped herself and restarted. “I mean, what I did, and I want to help make it right.”

  Ally studied Freddie for a long time, her mouth twisted to the side, as though she couldn’t decide whether or not to believe her. “No magic?” she confirmed.

  Freddie drew a cross over her chest. “No magic.”

  Ally surrendered with a sigh. “Okay. Let’s go.” She turned and started in the direction of the tea shop. “You’re right, it will go faster with two people.”

  Freddie grinned, feeling the knot in her stomach loosen for the first time, and jogged to catch up, her shadow dragging behind.

  “All-powerful queen of shadows?” Freddie repeated as she fell into step with Ally. “I kind of like that.”

  Ally nodded. “I know, right? It has a nice ring to it.”

  It’s no shovel, but this bucket is digging deep and helping.

  Maybe Opal had a point….Time will tell.

  After working for hours with buckets, mops, towels, blow-dryers, and fans, Ally and Freddie finally got the tea shop dry. By the end of the night, Freddie’s arms ached and she was exhausted, but when she stood back to admire what they’d done, she couldn’t help feeling a twinkle of pride.

  The Mad for Tea shop looked almost as good as new. Sure, there were still a few damp spots on the rugs and some of the furniture wouldn’t dry until the morning, but they had done it. And Freddie had never seen Ally look so happy. The smile on her face was practically its own source of sunlight. She was beaming.

  Even Freddie smiled a little, despite herself.

  “Thank you,” Ally said as Freddie was leaving to head back to the dorm. “It was really nice of you to help me out.”

  Freddie shrugged. “It was the least I could do.”

  The whole way back to the dorm, Freddie thought about what had happened that day. How she’d failed to reverse the Shadow Cards’ curse, and how she still didn’t know what Opal had meant when she’d said that Freddie already knew the answer.

  Everything was still a mess. Sure, the tea shop may have been dry, but she still wasn’t a member of the Auradonnas. And Carlos was still in the infirmary with a dislocated shoulder. And Fairy Godmother still wouldn’t let Jordan film any Web show episodes.

  Freddie knew Jordan was upset over it. She had a feeling Jordan felt the same way about her Web show as Freddie felt about singing.

  “Wait a minute,” Freddie said aloud, as a thought suddenly came to her. She stopped walking. “Fairy Godmother said Jordan couldn’t film another episode.”

  Freddie covered her mouth to stifle a gasp. Then she took off at a run.

  She found Jordan in the banquet hall a few minutes later, sitting alone at a table with her laptop, hitting refresh over and over.

  Jordan momentarily looked up when she heard Freddie enter. “I just lost fifty more followers. In an hour,” she lamented.

  Freddie ignored her. “I know how to fix it!” she shouted breathlessly.

  Jordan scowled. “Fix what?”

  “Your Web show.”

  “There’s nothing to fix,” Jordan said. “I’m not allowed to film any episodes.”

  “Yes,” Freddie said, a huge grin spreading across her face. “You’re not allowed to film any episodes. But Fairy Godmother didn’t say anything about me.”

  I’ll take over Jordan’s show for now! It’ll be great.

  This is definitely one of my more brilliant ideas. Why didn’t I think of it before?

  “And that’s a wrap!” Jordan called three hours later. It was dark out and everyone else had gone to bed, but Jordan and Freddie had just finished editing the most epic episode of Jordan’s Web show ever.

  Well, Freddie thought it was the most epic ever, but to be fair, she hadn’t seen that many episodes. She still wasn’t exactly sure what Jordan’s Web show was about.

  “Play it back!” Freddie said excitedly.

  The two girls had spent the last few hours filming Freddie singing different parts of the same song in various locations all over the school. And now with a little editing magic, they’d turned her into a one-woman a cappella group!

  Jordan pressed play and Freddie appeared on the screen, four times. The screen was split into quarters and Freddie’s face was in each square. In the top left square, she sang the soprano part of the song; in the top right square, she sang the alto part. In the bottom left, she sang a groovy background harmony. And finally, in the bottom right, she snapped and made short hissing sounds with her teeth to form the percussion part of the track.

  Separately, the parts had sounded pretty weird, but edited all together and layered, it sounded perfect.

  It was the same song she’d sung in Bass Notes and Beignets, right before they had been chased out of the club—the Auradonnas’ finale number, “Would You Rather?”—except now it was a cool jazz remix.

  “That sounds totally wicked,” Jordan remarked after the song had come to an end. “My viewers are going to love it. Are you ready to post?”

  Freddie grinned. “Ready.”

  With a flourish, Jordan pressed a key on her laptop and both girls gathered in front of the screen to watch the view counter. Freddie held her breath. How long would it take before—

  “Look!” Jordan cried. “We got our first viewer.”

  “And there’s another one!” Freddie said as the little number under the video clicked from one to two. After that, the number of views skyrocketed. It went from two to twenty in a matter of seconds. And from twenty to two hundred a few minutes after that.

  “Whoa!” Jordan said. “This is good.”

  “Do you think people are liking it?” Freddie asked.

  “Of course they are!” Jordan said. “Look at those comments.”

  Freddie hadn’t even noticed that comments had already started appearing beneath the video. She read the first few.

  Best episode yet!

  Who is this Freddie person? She has wicked good chops.

  We’ll miss you, Jordan! But thanks for stepping in, Freddie!

  Freddie beamed at the screen, pride bubbling up in her chest. She had finally gotten to sing, and in front of all of those people. And they loved it!

  She glanced over at Jordan, who was also beaming. Then she looked at the screen, where the video had started over, and she could hear her own voice reverberating out of the speakers. Ever since she was a little girl, her big dream had been to become a singer. It was the only reason she was in Auradon. And until a few minutes ago, she’d felt like that dream might never come true.

  After filming the Web show, Freddie decided it was time to visit Carlos in the hospital. She hadn’t yet seen him since he’d
dislocated his shoulder. Mostly because she’d felt too guilty, but now, she realized he was only there because of her—because she trusted the Shadow Cards—and she needed to apologize.

  “Apologize?” Carlos said with a wrinkle of his nose. He was lying in one of the infirmary beds with his arm in a sling, slurping a milkshake out of a straw. Dude was curled up in a little fur ball on the foot of his bed.

  “I know,” Freddie said with a chuckle. “It’s not a word that gets tossed around much on the Isle of the Lost.”

  “I’m not sure it’s a word that’s even known on the Isle of the Lost.”

  “Yes,” Freddie admitted. “But it’s a word that’s used here. And if this is going to be my home, then I guess I have to learn the language of the natives.”

  Carlos flashed her a look of disgust. “You’re not going to hug me or something, are you?”

  “Eww. No!” Freddie said instantly.

  Carlos exhaled loudly in relief. “Thank badness.”

  Freddie grabbed a spare pillow from the empty bed next to him and swatted him with it.

  “Hey!” Carlos complained, protecting his milkshake with his good arm. “Watch it! This is chocolate malt!”

  “I’m not going to hug you,” Freddie continued. “But I do want to help somehow.”

  “Help?” Carlos once again pronounced the word like he’d never heard of it before.

  Freddie nodded toward his busted arm. “Yeah, I feel bad that you’re stuck in here and can’t play tourney.”

  Carlos snorted. “So what are you going to do? Strap on body armor and a helmet and storm the tourney field in my place?”

  “I’d probably play better than you,” Freddie teased.

  Carlos grabbed the pillow Freddie had used to swat him and threw it at her. She ducked just in time.

  Dude startled at the commotion and jumped off the bed. He ran over to the door of the infirmary room and scratched at it, letting out a soft whine.

  “Actually,” Carlos said, his voice softening. “I could use your help with Dude.”

  Freddie’s gaze swiveled toward the furry mutt waiting by the door. “Your dog?”

  “Yeah. He’s getting antsy cooped up in here all day. The doctors said I have to take it easy for a few more days, but he’s used to going on walks and running around the tourney field and—”

  “I can take him for a few days,” Freddie interrupted, feeling the last bit of guilt dissolve in her stomach the moment she said it. “I’m happy to help.”

  “Happy?” Carlos echoed, once again pretending he didn’t know the meaning of the word.

  Freddie nodded. “Okay, yeah, I might have overdone it with that one.”

  I may not be willing to call myself “happy”—I am a villain’s kid after all—but I’m walking with my head a little higher…and this fluffy little shadow following me around.

  For the next hour, Freddie walked Dude around the campus of Auradon Prep. The dog loved it. He stopped to sniff every tree and every flower. She took off his leash and he ran ahead of her, leaping with delight.

  As night began to fall and the streetlamps turned on, illuminating the path in front of her, Freddie could feel her shadow fall into step beside her. It was almost like it was tapping her on the shoulder, reminding her that it was there. Always waiting to show itself.

  She stopped and turned toward the dark formation on the sidewalk.

  Because of the way the light shown dramatically behind her, her shadow was huge. It stretched across the path and onto the green grass. It looked so menacing. And the tiny top hat with the peacock feather that Freddie always wore made it look like her shadow had a grotesque, distorted head.

  “I’m not afraid of you,” Freddie announced.

  The shadow didn’t move. It didn’t run. It didn’t hide.

  Not that Freddie expected it to.

  She extended her arm out to the side and watched her dark silhouette do the same.

  She took a step to the left. Her shadow followed.

  She crouched down low. Her shadow morphed into a tiny black blob on the sidewalk.

  Freddie glanced up at the street lamp above her head. She was standing right in the middle of its soft beam. She took three giant steps to the left, until she was completely out of the light.

  Her shadow disappeared.

  Freddie let out a maniacal laugh as something dawned on her that she’d never realized before.

  All this time, she’d thought her shadow followed her. Stalked her. Wreaked havoc on her life and the lives of people around her. But actually, it wasn’t like that at all.

  Her shadow was a prisoner. It was trapped. It could only go where she went. It could only do what she did.

  Her father may have been controlled by dark creatures and shadowy figures, but Freddie wasn’t.

  With another laugh, she jumped back into the light, watching her faithful shadow appear again.

  Except it wasn’t alone. A second silhouette appeared next to it. This one was wide and lumpy.

  Freddie jumped in surprise and turned around to find Evie carrying a giant sack over her shoulder.

  “Whatcha doin’?” Evie asked in an amused tone.

  Embarrassed at having been caught standing in the dark, laughing with her own shadow, Freddie tried to act natural. “Nothing. Just out for a walk with Dude.”

  Upon hearing his name, Dude came running over from a bush he’d been sniffing.

  It was clear, though, that Evie didn’t believe Freddie for a second. But thankfully she didn’t press the issue. Instead, she swung the giant sack from her shoulder and let it drop to the ground. “Ugh, this thing is heavy.”

  “What is that?” Freddie asked.

  Evie opened the bag to reveal layers upon layers of shimmery fabrics. “They were the costumes for Ben’s tour. The sewing club and I made the most amazing capes for his entourage. But then the tour was delayed and now I don’t know what to do with them.”

  Freddie pulled one out and examined it. “These are amazing!” she said, running her fingers over the gold fabric and gold stitching.

  Evie beamed. “Thanks!”

  Freddie pulled out another cape. This one was purple. “They’re so…so…”

  “Useless?” Evie finished with a sad chuckle.

  “No!” Freddie said with sudden inspiration. “I was going to say flashy.”

  “Yeah. I know. We were really proud of them. Too bad no one will wear them. At least not until the tour is back on.” Evie took the capes from Freddie and returned them to the bag. She cinched it up and heaved it back onto her shoulder. Then she started to walk away.

  “Wait,” Freddie said with sudden inspiration.

  Evie stopped and turned back. “What?”

  “If you’re not going to use them,” Freddie said, “I actually know someone who’s in need of some really flashy costumes.”

  It’s finally the day of the big a cappella championships. Everyone at Auradon Prep has been talking about the Auradonnas and whether or not they can beat the Sword in the Tone.

  If anyone needs me, I’ll be moping in my room.

  Even though the competition was being held right there on campus, Freddie couldn’t bring herself to go. It was just too hard to watch them perform up there without her. Especially when she knew she deserved to be up there, too. She should be up there. And maybe she would have, if she hadn’t messed up her chances by using those stupid Shadow Cards.

  “What do you mean, you aren’t going?” Evie asked when she stopped by Freddie’s dorm room the morning of the competition. “Everyone is going.”

  “Not me,” Freddie grumbled. She was lying on her bed with Dude, who seemed to be brooding right along with her.

  “The capes look fantastic, by the way. Ally was so happy when I gave them to her. That was a really good idea.”

  Freddie could tell Evie was trying to make her feel better, but it wasn’t working. She reached out and scratched Dude behind the ears. He lifted his head and
gave her a sad look.

  Evie sat down on Freddie’s bed. “Sulking causes wrinkles, you know.”

  “I don’t care,” Freddie said, but it was muffled and barely understandable because she said it into the pillow.

  “You should come,” Evie said. “We can sit together.”

  Freddie shook her head. “I just want to be alone.”

  Dude barked.

  “Sorry. We just want to be alone,” Freddie corrected herself.

  Evie sighed and stood up. “Okay. Well, I’ll be in the chapel if you change your mind.”

  “I won’t,” Freddie called after her, and then she heard the door close.

  She lay on her bed, listening to the footsteps of people in the hallway. Everyone was leaving to go to the chapel. Everyone was leaving to watch the Auradonnas perform without her.

  Finally, after what felt like hours, the entire dorm fell silent. Freddie guessed she and Dude were the only ones left in the building.

  She pushed herself up and stared at the lonely pink ruffled bed across the room. She really wished she hadn’t destroyed all of CJ’s pirate decorations in her moody outburst the other night. She missed looking at them. They reminded Freddie of her friend. Now she had nothing but pink ruffles to look at, which just reminded Freddie of everything she wasn’t. And everything she’d lost in the past few days.

  She reached under her pillow, where she’d stashed the deck of Shadow Cards, and untied the string, giving the cards a quick shuffle. She could feel them coming to life again in her hands. Like her touch alone was enough to activate the dark magic within.

  Even Dude seemed to feel it, because he suddenly picked up his head and growled at the cards.

  The all-powerful queen of shadows.

  That was who she had become. That’s what the cards made her.

  But as she held the powerful objects in her hands and stared down at the creepy images drawn on the faces of each one, Freddie began to realize that she didn’t want that title. She didn’t want to be known for her dark magic. She wanted to be known for what was truly important to her: singing.