Page 34 of Ties of Shadow

The Shade and I walked into the first level of the solarium, surrounded by his plants and his ego and his shadows. My hands twisted around themselves as I paced to catch up.

“I am not my father.”

He frowned. “I never said you were.”

“I’m not a master potion maker. I don’t have the magic to help you.”

His fingers tapped on the wood of the banister of the stair as he considered me. I squirmed under his attention. “Are you a competent potion maker?”

“What?”

“Have your potions ever hurt anyone?”

My mouth dropped open as I stepped back. “Seven stars, no. I would never give something to anyone I wouldn’t take myself.”

The Shade turned and started again up the stairs. “Then you’ll do.”

I chased after him, my skirts swirling. “I want to help—really, I do—but I’m not the person you’re looking for. Why can’t we just take the ingredients to my father? He’ll know what to do with them.”

The Shade pulled to a halt. “What do you think your father is doing now without a daughter or the ingredients he needs to save the queen?”

Drinking. I winced at my own cruel thought. “I’m sure he is out finding more ingredients. He…values his position. He cares. He knows his place is to serve His Highness—I mean, Her Majesty.”

His gaze latched onto mine. “Tell me honestly, if given the ingredients, can you produce the potion for the queen? Because that’s all I need to know.”

“But—”

“Aelia.” His voice was ragged with exasperation.

My shoulders slumped. “I can.”

He turned on his heel and headed back up the stairs toward the racerbristles. I followed behind him, the lingering shadows sometimes obscuring the edge of the step and making me slower. As soon as I had the thought, the shadows lifted and moved before him instead. I huffed a laugh and tried to catch up. Whatever I did, I couldn’t look at the Shade’s rear. That would really be—

The Shade had stopped, and I ran into him. His shadows caught me, though I felt his shoulders shaking with…was that laughter? He turned and grasped my upper arm to steady me.

“Alright, alright. As much as I enjoy listening to you, it seems only fair to teach you step one of thought blocking.”

Heat soaked through my clothes under his palm. “Is that why I can’t hear you?”

He nodded carefully. “I am very, very cautious to be sure I don’t share my thoughts with you.”

“Why not?”

He continued, completely ignoring my question. “The first thing to know about thought magic is that thoughts are like light. Thoughtszip through our minds like stars falling across a black sky.” I blinked dully. “Or…like a lamp shining its light, casting its ‘thoughts’ about the room.” His right-hand fingers tapped along the edge of my shoulder blade. Goosebumps erupted. “To block the light, you need to build a barricade, or a filter, around the lamp. Imagine building a wall of, oh, let’s say shadow bricks, around your mind. And add a door.”

As foolish as it sounded, I tried to do as he was describing. Black and swirly brick by shadowy brick, the walls formed. I pondered the door handle for a moment. I could choose the handle of my old room; it was round and bronze with a notch on the back half that my fingers had threaded a thousand times. Instead, I decided on the arching black iron handles of the manor.

“Don’t forget the roof.”

I hastily added a roof and a floor. I now had a lovely black box around a shining lamp. My cheeks heated; how was this anything more than an imagination game? “How do I know if it worked?”

His shoulder lifted, and his eyes glinted in amusement. “Probably think something.”

My mind went blank, thoughtless, and empty. I scraped the bottom of the thought-barrel.I have an itch on my back and my shoe is too…purple.I tried not to grimace at the ridiculous statements, but he didn’t flinch. “Did you hear that?” I asked.

He glanced up to the floor above us where the mother skunk was looking down at our interlude. “You blocked the thought.” He smiled and turned back up the stairs. “Now, you can imagine walls around other minds too, to help prevent interloping if you don’t want to hear it. The longer you are with m—within the castle, the stronger the magic will grow. You’ll want to block out some voices here and there. But if you keep everything too tightly shut, you might not hear the animals when they speak to you.”

I stepped forward, trying to imagine my own black box staying as I went about my business. I peered at the Shade…remembering how he was the Evil Dark Lord and all. With a grin, I followed the Shade up the stairs, happy to test his resolve and my blocking.I like your Uncle. He was nice. I also like that he teases you.I glanced up to be sure he was still moving.I like your hands—they’re warm. I thought the Shade’s hands might be cold because you are Death. I wish I could trust you, but who could trust someone so handsome?I glanced up to be sure he kept climbing.I’d like to try out that kiss again sometime when I’m not dying.

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