“I do not, as you will see. Him and your new beau both. They killed those folks.”
“Then it was Chester. He made my Billy do it.”
“No, I’d guess it was the other way around. But you’ll see for yourself.”
She turns as their wagon appears, dirt crunching under the wheels. She heaves again, vomiting.
“Oh, just wait until he’s closer,” I say.
“You tricked me.”
“No, you tricked us. Didn’t you wonder how I just happened to have those herbs on me?” I step toward her. “You honestly expected you could lie to us?”
“I didn’t lie.” Her voice rises. “Therearetwo dead families. Their kinarelooking for the killer, and theydothink it was the guide. I was careful. I never said anything that wasn’t true.”
“Your words don’t matter, Paula. We see yourintent. Gran knew exactly what you wanted, especially when you convinced her to send me all by myself. The plan was for me to give you a taste of the magic and then kill you for your betrayal. But then I met your son.” I look her in the eye. “And I came up with a more fitting punishment.”
While I talk, I bend, as if touching the ground, sensing something. Instead, I’m taking out my gun. When I rise, she sees it and goes to lift her own weapon.
“Uh-uh,” I say. “I don’t plan to kill you, but I will if I have to. Now, I’m going to leave, and you’re going to let me. Then you’re going to kill your boy.”
“Wh-what?” She straightens. “I’ll do no such thing, girl.”
“Yes, you will. You’ll see what he is—what he’s done—and you’ll kill him because you’ll know you have to. You won’t be able to live with yourself otherwise. If you’re a coward, and you kill yourself instead, then me and my aunties will come back and finish the job ourselves.”
Before she opens her mouth, I wrench the shadows from the trees and swaddle myself in them. She looks frantically from side to side as I disappear.
“You’ll probably want to kill your man, too,” I say. “But that’s your choice.” I lean to her ear. “It was all your choice. Remember that.”
With the shadows tight around me, I slip away. I’ll tell my aunties what I’ve done, and we’ll stay the night, to be sure Paula does the right thing. That’s the hard truth of shadow sight. Itforces us to do the right things, the only things we can live with, and Paula will make the right choice.
She’ll always make the right choices now.
The Price You Pay
May 2, 2012
As Kara wobbled from the tavern, she reflected that being drunk wasn’t nearly as much fun as she remembered. It’d been nearly two years since she’d had even a sip of alcohol. That wasn’t in response to any problem—not unless you considered getting pregnant a problem. Kara certainly did not. Having Melody was the best thing that ever happened to her. Given her life so far, the bar of comparison wasn’t set very high, but still, motherhood was amazing, and well worth a few years of sobriety.
“Which way’s the car?” Ingrid slurred beside her.
“Over there.” Kara pointed to the taxi stand. “It’s that yellow vehicle, with the nice man who will take us home.”
“I’m not leaving my car here overnight.”
“Yes, you are, because I promised Gavin you wouldn’t drive.”
Ingrid rolled her blue eyes. “When did you get so old?”
When Kara didn’t answer, Ingrid’s voice took on a hint of a whine. “I need to move my car. It’s brand new and a lease, and if they tow it, they’ll scratch it. I’ll have to pay?—”
“Where are you going to move it to?”
Ingrid pointed an unsteady finger toward a sign advertising all-night parking for $100. Kara presumed it really said $10, despite what the blurry numerals suggested.
Damn, why’d she let Ingrid talk her into this?
Because you’ve been letting her talk you into crazy shit for almost twenty years.
