Moon Shadows

by Neena Jaydon

  "Get a geek girlfriend," Whitney said, gesturing with a French fry. "Then it all works out."

  "Why are you dressed like that?" Frankie asked.

  "It was kind of a fancy place," Theo said. "The hairdresser's. Look, I was going to get my hair cut anyway."

  "Yeah," Frankie said, reaching for the ketchup bottle.

  "You're making too big a deal about that, Frank."

  "Aw, I'm just bugging you," Frankie said. "You know that."

  Theo stared at the plate of pasta in front of him, his fingers hesitating by the fork. He knew that Frankie was only partially teasing. Whitney was munching on his sandwich, giving Theo worried glances, but not saying anything. Grateful for that courtesy, Theo nevertheless wished one of them would change the subject and distract him.

  "How do you know?" he found himself asking.

  "Know what?" Whitney asked.

  "If—you're being asked to change too much."

  All three of them went quiet, and Theo didn't miss the look Frankie and Whitney exchanged. Sighing, Frankie leaned forward.

  "Come on. Out with it."

  "It's probably nothing, but..." Theo fingered his hair again, then slumped against the back of the booth. "It's all little things."

  "Theo, you can just tell us. We're not going to judge you. We're your friends." Whitney's reassurances made Theo wonder whether this was worth bringing up. And they were small things: comments on how he dressed, recommendations on where to go for clothes or his hair, trying to "fix" his shyness, affectionate but patronizing remarks about his games, his anime, his figures. He'd walked out of the hair salon excited at the thought of showing Max his new look, but now doubt set in. That doubt came out in a list of the little things that had been bothering him.

  "No way, dude," Frankie said. "Tell him to back that bus up."

  "Well," Whitney said, his expression pained, "he probably has no idea how he's coming across."

  "He has to be into you for who you are, not who he wants you to be."

  "Talk to him first. I'm sure he doesn't know that stuff bothers you. And I'm sure you haven't told him." Whitney held up a hand. "Hey, I get it. It took me months to just ask Marnie out. But it's probably the fairest thing to do. Give him a chance, you know?"

  "You're just saying that because you're in a couple and think everybody else should be," Frankie said, his tone losing some of its edge.

  "No, I'm saying that because when they're together Theo looks happier than I've ever seen him before," Whitney said primly. Theo rubbed at his burning neck and picked up his fork.

  "All right, all right," he said. "I'll talk to him. Now can we talk about something else?"

  "Okay," Frankie said after a pause. "Question: should I subscribe to Showvo just to watch Stake to the Heart, yea or nay?"

  Theo was very grateful for the distraction as they got back to familiar territory. Yet he left the restaurant with a sense of unease. Talking it out with his friends had defined the problem, not solved it.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  "I'm so going to do it," Charli said, nudging Kuh-Cake with her heels to bring him in line with Ay-Muff. Chrissi laughed, her voice clattering about in the trees. The sound of hooves scritching over packed snow was overpowered by their voices. They also took over the empty road as the horses moved away from each other like magnets with the wrong polarities matched. Unlike their riders, the horses had strong opinions about personal space. "Tomorrow's November nineteenth. His birthday. I'm asking him out."

  "I dare you," Chrissi said. "I'll, like, video you doing it."

  "Don't frigging video me. That'll be too embarrassing."

  "You're going to ask out a total freak-job. What do you care about getting embarrassed?"

  "How is Joe Tamura a total freak-job? You're such a jerk, Chrissi."

  "He sits there and plays cards with his loser friends all the time. Who does that?"

  "I don't know, somebody who likes cards. Jeez, what is your—whoa!" Kuh-Cake swerved away from the trees. Charli went with the motion. Ay-Muff nearly crashed into her and her mount. When she looked, startled, she saw his saddle was empty. "Chrissi!" Instinctively grabbing at Ay-Muff's flopping reins, she tried to see around his head. "Chrissi, are you okay?"

  "Ow. What the hell?" Chrissi's voice sounded weak, but normal enough to ease Charli's growing panic. She had her hands full. Kuh-Cake wouldn't stay still beneath her; his head was raised, his neck rigid. Ay-Muff was equally tense, snorting loudly in challenge. When he pulled sharply away, she lost hold of his reins. He bolted, and before she could react, Kuh-Cake went with him. Kuh-Cake became a powerhouse beneath her. Nothing she did with the reins seemed to matter. Then he stumbled, and she flew out of the saddle.

  The fall went in slow motion. She had time to anticipate belly-flopping on the ground, but not enough to prevent it. The impact knocked the wind out of her, yet concern for her sister kept her moving. Clutching at her aching stomach, Charli got to her feet. She could see Chrissi in the distance, still on the ground. Charli gritted her teeth and started jogging.

  As she grew nearer, her vision seemed to come over in black spots—no, there was just one spot, and it was growing larger, clearer. It wasn't a spot at all, but a person-shaped hole in the air. It was leaning over Chrissi, holding her arm.

  That's one of those shadow ghosts Mom was talking about. Her first reaction was calm. She'd grown up around talk about such things. But Chrissi wasn't moving, not even screaming. Charli started to run for real, pain forgotten.

  "You get away from her! Go on! Don't touch her!" Her shrieks didn't seem to make an impact. She picked up stones as she approached. "Get away from my sister!" The first stone she hurled bounced off the thing; the second went through it. It turned, as if to look at her, but didn't move away. Belatedly Charli remembered the charms that Mom had given them. She'd left hers in her jacket, which was currently tied to the back of her saddle. Chrissi hadn't brought hers at all because she hated the way they smelled. "Shit!"

  Charli stared helplessly at her sister, who weakly moved one of her legs. Charli picked up more stones and drew a deep breath to keep screaming. In return, the shadow dropped Chrissi's arm and moved her way.

  *~*~*

  Max had just put his last training client in the kennel when he saw Theo's car drive in. He went to await Theo outside his car door. He smiled when Theo stood and immediately kissed him, hands diving into the hair at his nape.

  "Well, hello to you too."

  "We've both been so busy," Theo mumbled. "I've only seen you five times in the past couple of weeks."

  "You don't have to make excuses." Max chuckled, kissing the tip of Theo's nose. "It's not like I hate it when you kiss me."

  "Yeah." Theo put his hands on the car door between them and grinned sheepishly.

  "You're not embarrassed to kiss in public anymore, are you?"

  "I guess not." Theo glanced at the house, his brows suddenly knitting. "Did anybody see?"

  "I doubt it. Mom was in the basement last I saw, and nobody else is home." Max bumped Theo's shoulder. "So what do you want to do tonight?"

  "I'm not—" Theo turned sharply.

  Max heard the sound of galloping hooves. He felt his expression harden.

  "How many times have I told those girls not to run those horses on that goddamned road? It's too hard, and at this time of year there's ice—"

  The horses barrelled into the yard, snorting like steam engines. Max, alarmed by the sight of their empty saddles, ran toward them making soothing noises. They were both skittish, their necks dark with sweat. Max had never seen either horse this worked up before.

  "Easy, guys. Easy. Where'd the twins go, huh?" The flash of light startled him and made Ay-Muff leap away from him. Max turned in time to see Theo's dark form burst through the front hedge and onto the road. "Shit!" He waved his arms at the horses, shooing them into their paddock and closing the gate. Then he ran for Theo's car, threw aside the pile of clothes in the driver's seat, and drove
off in belated pursuit.

  It only took about ten minutes, but it felt like an hour before he came upon the twins. They were both on the ground, Charli on top of her sister. Time slowed further as he leapt from the car. When he touched Charli's hunched back, she made a terrified whimper.

  "Charli, it's okay. Let me see your sister."

  "Are the monsters gone?"

  "Yeah, I don't see anything." Max peered into the trees. "Come on, are you two okay? What happened?" Slowly Charli rolled off of Chrissi. Max fought for calm as he saw the blue tinge to Charli's lips. Chrissi looked pale, though she looked at him and seemed to recognize him.

  "I think there were two," Charli said, putting a hand to her temple. "The shadow one and then something—it was growling, like a bear or something." She gave him a gloomy look. "I was too scared to see what it was." Her attention immediately went to her sister. "Chrissi, you okay?"

  "You squished me." Chrissi's voice came out very hoarsely. "And I feel like I got the flu, but, like, a bunch of 'em at the same time."

  "Oh, thank god," Max breathed. Maybe it drew on them both. Maybe that's why neither one's in a coma.

  "For me getting the flu?" Chrissi croaked.

  "No, not for that."

  "God, I feel so cold." She was rubbery weight in his arms as Max lifted her to her feet. He supported her to the passenger seat, Charli a half-step behind him. Once he had both of them in the car, he took one last look around. He was finally able to pick out the pair of eyes peeking through a low-hanging branch. Max nodded curtly and got in the car.

  *~*~*

  Theo knocked on the back door, then stepped inside. He heard Max and Kaitlyn talking in the living room.

  "Hello?"

  "Hey, Theo. Just a sec." Max's voice was overly casual. Theo lurked by the back door until Max came to him with a grim expression and a lowered voice. "They're both resting upstairs."

  "Are they okay?"

  "As far as we can tell. Both of them are talking normally, but they've got no energy. Chrissi can barely move." Max cleared his throat. His gaze was slightly evasive. "What did you see?"

  "There was a shadow spirit there." Theo's lip curled of its own accord. "Charli was, uh, throwing stuff at it. Then she threw herself on top of Chrissi, to protect her maybe. I think m-maybe she distracted it before it could totally, y'know."

  "So that's why Chrissi isn't completely drained." Max shook his head. "Crazy kid."

  "Your sister." Theo tried a smile, but Max simply glanced at him and then down the hall.

  "I want to stay close tonight."

  "Of course. Do you want me to—I could go get some food or something. For everybody."

  "That's nice of you, Theo." Max leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. "But I think this'll just be a quiet family night, okay?"

  "Oh, okay. Sure." He tried another smile, this one feeling less successful. "Keep me updated, okay?"

  "You bet. See you tomorrow maybe?" Max patted Theo's arm, then slipped away to talk to Kaitlyn.

  Theo opened the back door, trying not to feel hurt.

  When stuff happened in our family, Grandmother didn't want strangers around either. Theo went out into the cold. I guess I didn't think I was a stranger anymore.

  *~*~*

  "I still don't think this is a very good idea," Max said as Mom bustled by with one of the twins' suitcases. "Shouldn't we stick close to home?"

  "We have to go outside sometimes. And obviously the girls can't be trusted to keep themselves safe."

  "I'll talk to them."

  "It's already settled, Max. Your aunt's expecting us." Mom paused, setting down the suitcase. "Hopefully we'll have a better idea of what to do in a week or so."

  "Mom—"

  "Max, you can't be there to protect them all the time. They'll be safer this way."

  Apparently I can't be there to protect them any of the time. Max clenched his jaw, keeping his words contained. Mom didn't appear to notice, looking distractedly around the front hall as she patted at her pockets. Then she pulled out her keys.

  "I really hate these things. I've never been chased out of my own home before." She gave him a keen look. "I'll talk to that side of the family, go through the old books. You stay close to this house and watch over Anastasia. All right?" She slapped him lightly on the stomach.

  "All right, Mom."

  "And get Theo to stay here. He needs to be safe too."

  He's about the only one who doesn't have anything to fear from them. But Max just nodded and started carrying suitcases out to Mom's car while she yelled for the twins to hurry. Yet again he's doing the protecting, and I'm good for nothing more than carrying stuff.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  First Quarter

  Theo stood uncertainly in the hall, duffel bag dangling down his back, laptop bag resting against his thigh. Considering how little he liked sleeping away from home, he'd surprised himself by quickly agreeing to stay over for a week. Perhaps it was because he could be useful or because it would apparently make both Kaitlyn and Anastasia more comfortable.

  Or maybe it was just because Max had asked.

  "Hey, Theo." Anastasia came to rescue him. "Come on in. I'll show you which room you can use." She frowned at him. "Is that all you brought? Even for a guy, that's not much."

  Max came out of the living room, a crooked smile on his face.

  "Don't worry, Ana. Theo only has about two outfits anyway." He leaned over Anastasia to kiss Theo lightly on the mouth. "Smile, Theo. That was a joke."

  "Come on, Theo." Anastasia slid out from in between them and led Theo upstairs. "We'll put you in Mom and Dad's room, because then you can use Dad's study to work." She paused in front of the door at the end of the upstairs hall and pointed back. "That's my room, and Max'll be in his old room right next to it."

  Theo nodded confirmation, hoping his disappointment didn't show on his face. Anastasia opened up the door to a dark room dominated by a large bed; it was backed by an elaborate headboard filled with knickknacks and hardcover books. The duvet, upon closer inspection, was covered in delicate flowers and vines. The room itself smelled distinctly of dried lavender, a scent he'd noticed on Kaitlyn herself. He felt very much the intruder as he set down his bags.

  "Do you want to get right to work? Or would you like a coffee first?" Anastasia lingered in the doorway, watching him.

  "Coffee," Theo said. "Uh, would be great."

  "I know this is all kind of weird, but I'm hoping it'll be fun." Anastasia was dressed more casually than he was used to, in jeans and a sweatshirt; her energetic stride showed through more clearly than when buried in long skirts. "Kind of like going on a trip with friends or something. Man, I've got low standards for trips, don't I?" She gave him a wide-eyed look.

  "Trips are overrated," he said.

  "Maybe." She smiled and bustled down the stairs. Max was waiting at the foot of the stairs. He caught Theo by the waist and kissed him. Theo wrapped his arms around Max in return as the kiss shifted, deepened. Max made a sound of approval in his throat when their tongues found each other. Then, slowly enough to demonstrate his reluctance, Max withdrew and looked into Theo's face, brushing aside his hair.

  "Not that I'm not happy to see you," he said, "but it's going to suck having to behave myself around you all week."

  "Maybe, if we—" Theo sagged against the circle of Max's arms. "We're never going to be alone, are we?"

  "Doubt it." Then Max's eyes started to glitter. "So we just save it all up for the end of the week. I'll think of something really special for us to do." He put his thumb on Theo's lower lip and lightly caressed it. "I bought handcuffs." That soft murmur hit Theo in the spine. He swallowed hard as his entire body turned warm. Max chuckled and slipped away, leaving Theo reeling.

  Am I going to last a week?

  *~*~*

  Various scents had been sneaking through the lavender—oregano, vinegar, olives—and now they grew strong enough to distract him completely. Theo gave up on the
report he was typing and escaped the study through the bedroom.

  He could hear Max and Anastasia talking in the kitchen, could hear sizzling and the clatter of plates. The smells of hot oil and steam and meat drew a grumble from his stomach. He peered into the kitchen.

  Anastasia was chopping up cucumbers near the sink while Max stood at the stove. As he watched, Max flicked the cap off of a bottle of balsamic vinegar and splashed some into the frying pan before him on the stove with a hint of a flourish.

  Okay, that's sexy. Theo cleared his throat.

  "Hey, Theo." Max didn't look up from his cooking.

  "Can I help with something?"

  "Don't worry about it. You're our guest." Max deftly flipped mushrooms in the pan.

  "The kitchen's too small for more than two people to do much in at the same time," Anastasia said more apologetically. "Have a seat at the table."

  "Sure. I'll just wash my hands." Theo went to the bathroom on the other side of the staircase to do so. The door to the basement was closed, but through it he smelled the only really odd part of the house. Whatever they kept down there, it smelled of soil, herbs, and things he couldn't actually identify. Instinct told him to go down and investigate, but manners helped him resist.

  Spirits seem to have a weird relationship with smells.

  When Theo returned to the kitchen, Max and Anastasia were chatting about the next day's chores. He sat down at the table and listened, taking in their normalcy for a while. Before it could start making him feel too much like a weirdo, dinner was ready, and their bustling moved in his direction.

  "Oh, my god, but that smells good," Theo said as he looked down at the plate Max set before him. A golden chicken breast lurked under a luxurious tumble of mushrooms bedded on pasta; nestled next to it was a simplified Greek salad, lettuce with feta and olives. Theo swallowed as his mouth filled with saliva. Max grinned as he took his own place. Theo tried a bite and nearly moaned in pleasure.