roommate—rang me up when she found Sigi dead in her apartment.”
Sigi seemed to snap into awareness, snatching up her camera bag, grabbing Nan’s arm, and rushing for the door.
“Hey, wait!” Hel cried. He grabbed Nan’s arm, trying to stop them both.
Nan shoved him back, knocking him into the people behind him, then she kept running with Sigi. They darted down the closest alley before the bar crowd could rouse themselves to follow, and then
turned again from there.
“Taxi,” Sigi said, spotting a cab. “Taxi!” She flung out her arm, running into the street to stop the driver. They rushed into the backseat and told the driver to return
to Sebastian’s headquarters.
“We should have thought of that,” Nan said. “Old acquaintances.”
“I
did
think of it,” Sigi said. “I wanted to see old friends and explain. I didn’t think they’d be afraid of me—at least, not once I told
them.”
“Well, we don’t know how the situation in the city must look from the outside, with the workers appearing last night and the Chancellor’s story. People must be terrified.
I’m sure once things calm down, you can explain.”
“That makes sense. But seeing Hel look at me like that…” Sigi brought the camera bag into her lap and put her arms around it.
“Was he a good friend?”
“I had a lot of good friends. Hel and I have known each other since we were kids; he was practically my brother. Margie was a good friend, too. Hilarious, and she’d take good care of
you. And Hilda, and Helena…”
“You have a lot of friends,” Nan said, feeling suddenly aware of her own isolated life.
“I did. They’d love you, too.”
“I don’t know.” Nan tried to keep the conversation moving, unsure if any group of people would truly “love” her. “Maybe you could write them letters
explaining—it might be less shocking for them that way.”
“You’re right. It was careless of me to hope I’d run into them and think they wouldn’t question what happened. I just yearn for normalcy.”
“You and me both.”
O n his fourth morning at the Hands of the White Tree headquarters, Freddy woke to gunshots.
When he came downstairs, a small crowd had gathered, watching as Will and a wiry man named Johan dragged a limp body into the house.
“Anton and Roger were on guard duty,” Will said. “Roger’s nowhere to be found, and Anton’s dead.”
“Roger
shot
Anton?” Sebastian hurried into the center of the commotion, wearing clothes he looked like he’d slept in. “Did anyone see him?”
“Max, Werner, and Keller went out to find him.”
“Bring Anton to my office.” Sebastian ruffled his hair and then looked at Freddy. “Can I talk to you?”
I knew this was only a matter of time
. “You can talk to me,” Freddy said. “From there, we’ll see.”
“I don’t force people to use magic,” Sebastian said, walking with him down the hall to the stairs. “Let me make that quite clear.”
“I assume this is the introduction to some heavy persuasion, then?”
Sebastian threw up a hand. “I do want to know why one of my men would shoot another.” He stopped at the door of his office, nodding at Will and Johan. Ingrid had come up behind them,
and Sebastian shut the door once she’d stepped in, leaving the men outside.
“This
is
what your magic was meant to do, Freddy,” Sebastian said, “allowing this man to have his final say.”
Freddy half-listened, feeling his power pulse in the presence of the dead man. He had never noticed the change that came over him when his magic had an opportunity. He had never gone without
it.
Ingrid cocked her head at him. Her eyes were dark in her pale face. Yet, she didn’t seem sad. Freddy wasn’t sure what she was thinking.
His fingers itched.
“Arabella said I had to stop working my magic, that it was making me sick.”
“That is true, to a point,” Ingrid said. “But this will be a mere fraction of the effort the Valkenraths put you
Sigi seemed to snap into awareness, snatching up her camera bag, grabbing Nan’s arm, and rushing for the door.
“Hey, wait!” Hel cried. He grabbed Nan’s arm, trying to stop them both.
Nan shoved him back, knocking him into the people behind him, then she kept running with Sigi. They darted down the closest alley before the bar crowd could rouse themselves to follow, and then
turned again from there.
“Taxi,” Sigi said, spotting a cab. “Taxi!” She flung out her arm, running into the street to stop the driver. They rushed into the backseat and told the driver to return
to Sebastian’s headquarters.
“We should have thought of that,” Nan said. “Old acquaintances.”
“I
did
think of it,” Sigi said. “I wanted to see old friends and explain. I didn’t think they’d be afraid of me—at least, not once I told
them.”
“Well, we don’t know how the situation in the city must look from the outside, with the workers appearing last night and the Chancellor’s story. People must be terrified.
I’m sure once things calm down, you can explain.”
“That makes sense. But seeing Hel look at me like that…” Sigi brought the camera bag into her lap and put her arms around it.
“Was he a good friend?”
“I had a lot of good friends. Hel and I have known each other since we were kids; he was practically my brother. Margie was a good friend, too. Hilarious, and she’d take good care of
you. And Hilda, and Helena…”
“You have a lot of friends,” Nan said, feeling suddenly aware of her own isolated life.
“I did. They’d love you, too.”
“I don’t know.” Nan tried to keep the conversation moving, unsure if any group of people would truly “love” her. “Maybe you could write them letters
explaining—it might be less shocking for them that way.”
“You’re right. It was careless of me to hope I’d run into them and think they wouldn’t question what happened. I just yearn for normalcy.”
“You and me both.”
O n his fourth morning at the Hands of the White Tree headquarters, Freddy woke to gunshots.
When he came downstairs, a small crowd had gathered, watching as Will and a wiry man named Johan dragged a limp body into the house.
“Anton and Roger were on guard duty,” Will said. “Roger’s nowhere to be found, and Anton’s dead.”
“Roger
shot
Anton?” Sebastian hurried into the center of the commotion, wearing clothes he looked like he’d slept in. “Did anyone see him?”
“Max, Werner, and Keller went out to find him.”
“Bring Anton to my office.” Sebastian ruffled his hair and then looked at Freddy. “Can I talk to you?”
I knew this was only a matter of time
. “You can talk to me,” Freddy said. “From there, we’ll see.”
“I don’t force people to use magic,” Sebastian said, walking with him down the hall to the stairs. “Let me make that quite clear.”
“I assume this is the introduction to some heavy persuasion, then?”
Sebastian threw up a hand. “I do want to know why one of my men would shoot another.” He stopped at the door of his office, nodding at Will and Johan. Ingrid had come up behind them,
and Sebastian shut the door once she’d stepped in, leaving the men outside.
“This
is
what your magic was meant to do, Freddy,” Sebastian said, “allowing this man to have his final say.”
Freddy half-listened, feeling his power pulse in the presence of the dead man. He had never noticed the change that came over him when his magic had an opportunity. He had never gone without
it.
Ingrid cocked her head at him. Her eyes were dark in her pale face. Yet, she didn’t seem sad. Freddy wasn’t sure what she was thinking.
His fingers itched.
“Arabella said I had to stop working my magic, that it was making me sick.”
“That is true, to a point,” Ingrid said. “But this will be a mere fraction of the effort the Valkenraths put you
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