Page 3 of Shadow of Death

He held up his hand, stopping me. He wiped his chest, dusting off some of the flour, and then walked out of the cabin.

Chapter Two

“Piper, you coming?”Charlie was waiting with his school bag by the front door.

“Of course I am. Just grabbing the rolls I made you this morning.” I grabbed the package off the table. Since I couldn’t seem to sleep last night after Kicks had left, I’d had lots of time to make more batches.

Charlie’s eyes went to the offering in my hands. “Do I have to?” He spoke like a kid being told he had to take his medicine.

“These came out better.” When he didn’t move, I shoved the package into his bag for later.

He was eyeing me up with a skepticism that seemed too severe for a six-year-old.

“Just try them, okay? I swear I’m getting better at this.” I grabbed his hand and tugged him out the door so he wouldn’t be late.

“Can I eat Evangeline’s cookies still?” he asked as we walked to school.

“Of course.” My rolls might be getting better, but I knew their place in the world. I’d die before I could compete with Evangeline’s cookies.

“I’m sure yours will get as good as hers one day if you just keep trying,” he said, looking up at me with those hazel eyes that were identical to mine. “You just have to keep working at it.” He smiled in complete confidence after repeating what I always told him.

Just keep going, keep trying, and you’ll get there.I couldn’t remember how many times I’d said that to him, even as I’d begun to lose confidence in those words myself.

He ran ahead as we neared his school, hollering, “See you later, Piper! Love you.” He waved, not even looking back, as he met up with his little friends.

He was only six, not even able to shift yet, and he was more at home here than I ever would be. He didn’t need me to walk him to school. I did it forme. Each day here with him was a gift. I was like a squirrel storing away memories for the coming winter, when times would be bleak.

Death would be calling in on her bargain soon, taking me who knew where, to kill who knew what. But when I saw Charlie running and laughing, it took the edge off the sorrow.Myfuture might not be settled, but he was home.

I watched him playing for a few more minutes, listening to his laughter blend in with his friends’ until it was a chorus of childhood joy in the air. I finally forced myself to turn and head toward the inevitable.

I found Kicks on the other side of the pack territory, kneeling by the foundation of the mill. Even though there was a chill in the air, his shirt was off and his skin was glistening. Damn it all to hell. How was I supposed to have a conversation with him like this?

Jimbo, one of the masons here, nodded at me, smiling. Kicks was finishing up cementing a joint but hadn’t even turned my way yet.

He was taking too long to acknowledge me. He didn’t even want to look at me. Was it because I’d grabbed him like I was ready to bang his brains out and then froze like he’d caught me off guard? It would’ve put me in a snit.

Kicks took a second to straighten, wiping his hands on his jeans and then turning to me. “Hey.”

“Hey,” I said, sounding as stilted as he had. Was this what it would be like eventually? Maybe one day instead of being awkward, we’d stop talking altogether? “Do you have a few minutes?”

“Sure,” he said, not looking like he actually wanted to give me a second. “Want to take a walk by the river?”

“Yeah, that would be great.”

He grabbed his shirt from where it had been laid on a nearby boulder and threw it on. Considering the other day, maybe he wanted to keep me from jumping him? I wasn’t sure if I was disappointed or relieved.

Neither of us said anything until we got to the river, where the sound of the water would hide our conversation as long as we were careful.

“So what’s going on?” he asked when I wasn’t immediately forthcoming.

“I’ve been thinking about last night. I’m sorry how that situation ended.” I’d thought of several variations of how to say that. They were all awkward. There weren’t yet words created in the universe that would prevent this being awkward.

“I didn’t help the situation. We were both heated. Things happen.” He shrugged.

He was being gracious and yetthings happen?Things. Happen?Was it his shrug that was making me spin off kilter? Had it been just another kiss to him, heaped upon so many others? I’d lost sleep thinking about it, and he was acting like it was nothing.

“Well, I’m not as used to thosethings happeningas you are, so sorry about that.”

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