“Good,” Caleb said. “Then there is only one matter left to discuss. Karin tells me a shadow followed you last night. A new shadow, one she's not met on patrol before. What do you know of it?”
I thought of that small inky shadow flowing toward me amid the mulberry trees and then again at the hedge. “Nothing.” I didn't know where the shadow had come from or why it had followed us. Though I had seen it before, I realized with a start—in my restless dreams after Mom had left.
Caleb's eyes narrowed, but he said only, “You need not fear. The Wall kept the shadow at bay. Karin will make certain it continues to do so. But we must know what this shadow is so we can banish it or lay it to rest.” Caleb's voice held a strange edge, nothing like Karin's understanding smile.
“I don't know.” I shied back, fearing anger, but Caleb only frowned.
“Think on it,” he said. “We dare not let this go for long.”
I settled uneasily into the chair as Allie pulled Caleb from the room. Why would a shadow follow me? Had my magic somehow called it out from among the trees? I listened to Matthew's ragged breathing. Magic had saved his life.
I didn't mean to fall asleep and only knew I had when I woke to Allie draping a blanket over me. “There's a pillow on the floor,” she said. “You could at least lie down.”
I remained in the chair, though. Tallow padded in from the hall and jumped into my lap. I held the cat tightly, thinking this time I would stay awake. But Allie needn't have worried. Soon I slept once more.
When I next woke it was night, and Matthew was muttering in his sleep. “Can't,” he said. “Can't let him …” He drew shallow breaths between words. “We
I hadn't heard Caleb enter the room. And I'd been listening. I always listened—Father had taught me how. No one walked that quietly.
“Rest,” Caleb whispered to Matthew. He reminded me of Karin, speaking to the trees. “Seek rest, seek comfort, seek sleep.”
“I'll kill him,” Matthew growled. “Tear him limb— from limb.” His voice was hoarse, as if his throat were lined with wool.
“Be at peace,” Caleb said.
Matthew's words grew softer. “I promised. Promised Cam that he—would be—the last—”
I heard footsteps down the hall. Samuel entered the room and flipped a switch in the wall. Harsh yellow light flooded the room. I gasped aloud as Allie followed him in, rubbing her eyes.
Caleb pulled the covers down. Beneath them Matthew wore only a loose pair of trousers. Caleb's hands moved over Matthew's chest and throat, both of which were covered with bruises. Bruises and a fine layer of gray hair—wolf hair. It covered the back of Matthew's hands, too, and poked out around his ears. I hadn't noticed in the dark.
If Caleb saw, he gave no sign. “I don't like the fluid I feel in the boy's lungs. But we need to fix his ribs soon, too. Allison”—Allie moved to his side—“be my watcher. Maybe I can do both.”
Caleb closed his eyes, hands moving over Matthew's skin. Silver light flowed beneath Caleb's fingers, and I fought the instinct to pull Matthew away, to rescue him from this magic instead of letting it heal him. I clenched my hands and stepped back toward the dresser instead. A bare glass ball glowed in the dresser lamp, bright as a miniature sun. I reached toward that light.
The ball was hot. I jerked my hand away. Samuel moved to my side. “Got the generator running on methane two years ago,” he said with a smile. “Magic can't do everything, you know.”
I drew my fingers to my mouth. It felt like magic, no matter what Samuel said. Tallow leaped to the dresser, sniffed the light suspiciously, and batted at a spot in front of it.
Matthew whined softly and scratched the air. His arms began to shift, skin giving way to fur, nails turning to claws—but then they were only hands once more.
If Caleb was frightened, he gave no sign of that, either. Allie touched his elbow. “Enough,” she said.
Caleb drew back with a tired sigh. “Thank you, Allison.”
Samuel said to me, “Allie's been Caleb's watcher for almost a year. Ever since Caleb started teaching her.”
Matthew's breathing was quieter now, more even. He sat up slowly and opened his eyes. “All right.” His voice sounded weary beyond all words. “I'll stay hidden. I'll stay safe. To protect the others. But only because Tara asks it.”
He turned away and buried his head against the pillow. I heard him sobbing softly.
Caleb turned to me, his question clear enough. But I couldn't answer this one, either. I didn't know whom Matthew wanted to tear apart. Didn't know if he really would have had Tara—had my mother—not asked him to hold back.
A cold feeling settled into my stomach. Mom couldn't possibly have told Matthew to hold back, not unless she'd already known he was a wolf.
As I listened to Matthew's quiet sobs, I wondered what else my mother knew—and what else she hadn't told me.
I slept fitfully for the rest of the night, waking whenever Matthew wheezed or coughed or turned in his sleep.
Sometime after daybreak he must have fallen silent, though, because I slept for a long time then, and woke when it was evening once more. I jerked awake with a start and saw Matthew sitting against his pillows, staring at me. Tallow slept at my feet. She'd drifted in and out of my lap all night.
“Liza.” Matthew's voice was raspy, but he no longer struggled for breath. “You're all right?”
Matthew laughed, a painful sound. “I'll take that as a yes. Where are we?”
“A town. Washville.” I fought to lower my voice. Was he really going to be all right? The thought of those mulberry roots strangling the breath from him still sent cold shivers down my spine. “What do you remember?” I asked.
“Dogs,” Matthew said, and his brow creased. “Trees.” He hunkered deeper into the pillows. He looked so weak, so pale. His hair hung lank and tangled about his face. “Do you trust them?” he asked at last. “The people here, I mean.”
They were strangers. We weren't supposed to trust strangers. Yet I did trust them—because of those strangers Matthew sat beside me, breathing without pain, far from the trees that had nearly killed us both.
Caleb knocked and entered the room. Allie trailed behind him with a pile of clothes in her arms. Caleb leaned down and ran hands over Matthew's skin, tilting his head to one side as if listening for something. “Better,” he declared. “Much better.”
Matthew grasped Caleb's hands. “Thank you,” he said, “for all you've done for us.”
For the first time, Caleb smiled. The expression drew my gaze from his magic-touched hair and eyes, making him seem more ordinary. “You are welcome, Matthew from Franklin Falls.”
Matthew sighed and released his grip. Within moments he slept once more.
Allie looked up at her teacher. “He's going to be all right, isn't he Caleb?” Her voice so clearly sought reassurance. I waited for Caleb's answer, not admitting that I sought it, too.
“One can never be certain. But yes, I believe with time he will heal fully now.”
“Oh, thank goodness,” Allie said. “I could hardly sleep last night. I was that worried.” She handed me the pile of clothes and gestured to where my boots, belt, and knife lay beside the dresser. “You're healed enough to eat
