Page 86 of Bargain with Fate
“I wasn’t the best student at that age, and he wasn’t always the most patient teacher. I think when a skill comes naturally to someone, it’s harder to teach.”
Stephen’s head bobbed profusely. “I used to have very low tolerance for people.”
“Used to?”
“Yes. I’m much better now. Even the incident with Darlene, I managed to keep my cool. A product of getting older, I suppose.”
“When did your attitude change?”
“I noticed a couple months ago.” He smiled. “Around the same time I succeeded with the shadow spell. The boost of confidence likely had something to do with it. There was so much trial and error involved before I got it right. I can’t count how many beakers I smashed in frustration.”
I’d bet my cache of weapons that it wasn’t the boost of confidence, but itwasthe spell.
“I’d love to see that spell now,” I said.
“Oh, yes. Of course.” Stephen opened a drawer and produced a file folder. “Everything should be meticulously recorded in here. I like to keep things neat and tidy.”
That was apparent. I flipped open the folder and reviewed the contents. He’d written copious notes on the process from start to finish.
“How many beakers has your shadow broken, Stephen?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Your shadow is more than just troublesome, isn’t he? He has a temper.”
More to the point, he had Stephen’s temper. The shadow seemed to be a physical manifestation of the wizard’s suppressed rage. The shadow was the reason that Stephen seemed unnaturally calm under the circumstances. The spell had transferred those negative emotions from Stephen to the shadow. It became the repository for the feelings Stephen refused to process.
“I suppose one could argue my shadow has anger issues,” he acknowledged.
“Did you know about Darlene?” I pressed.
“Why do you think I locked him in the closet? He’d thrown temper tantrums before then, but he’d shown no signs of violence against others.” Stephen’s voice remained even-keeled. “When he came home and told me what he’d done, he expected me to be proud. To thank him. He was furious when I locked him up so he couldn’t hurt anyone again.”
“Why didn’t you come to me? Or to the HOA?”
“I didn’t want to risk being kicked off the island. Don’t you see, Maya? People like me—where would I go then? Evermore and the other islands are the sanctuaries available to us. If I’m blackballed, I’ll have to take my chances in the regular world again.” He rubbed his temples. “I wouldn’t last a week.”
“Stephen, your shadow is dangerous, and he’s out there right now.”
“Yes, but I managed to bring him back before, and I will this time too.”
The problem wasn’t whether he’d bring the shadow back, it was whether the shadow committed another act of violence before then.
I tried to keep my head as cool and collected as Stephen’s. “Have you made any negative comments about anyone else recently? Anybody cut you off in traffic and flip you the bird?”
Stephen grew pale. “Not exactly.”
“Then what?”
He hesitated. “I may have told him to be grateful to me, that there was a greater threat to him than life in my closet. I didn’t identify them by name, but he’s smart like me. He’ll figure it out.”
“A greater threat? Who would that be?”
“The acting director of security, of course.” The wizard gave me a sheepish look. “You.”
I hadto find Stephen’s rogue shadow before it found me first. I left Terrapin with my head swiveling, scanning the area around me for any sign of a shadow that didn’t belong. I returned to my cottage, where I checked for evidence of an insubstantial intruder. Finding none, I reinforced the ward around the doors and windows to prevent the shadow from entering.
I retrieved Gwen McCluskey’s grimoire from the bookshelf. During a rare lucid moment, the elderly witch had recognized she no longer needed her book of spells and gifted it to me. Not long after, she moved into the assisted living section of the Neighborhood. It was a relief to know she was safe and in good hands. I’d worried about her more than I’d been willing to acknowledge.
