a8eb54fe2a7e7ca192cef2761fb9d6c0

Rising up on one knee, Arthur swung. Missed. Leaped to his feet. Swung. Missed. Nearly had his head taken off by a sudden side shot. Got his sword around in time to cut off a piece eight inches long by about three inches in diameter. It hit the floor, flattened, and shimmied its way almost too fast to follow back into its dark bulk.

Claire winced.That’s not good.

The thread was beginning to give.

Light could defeat it. Shadows disappeared in the light.

Unfortunately, the closest thing to a light source was in the refrigerator beside her and it went off when the door closed.

…door…

It could work. If she could get it to chase her. If the shelves hadn’t been put into the refrigerator. If she hit the back of the fridge with time enough to set a second path.

An ice cream scoop flew through the center of the shadow, whistled past her arm close enough for her to feel the breeze, and clattered off white enamel. The good news; the cavalry had arrived. The bad news; it was half a dozen mall elves with slingshots and bats.They couldn’t have brought flashlights?

“Careful!” Arthur’s voice rising above the sudden babble.

And a voice out of the babble.“Fuck! What is this thing?”

“An assassin!” Claire snapped. “It’s here to kill Arthur, but it’ll just as happily take any of you. Don’t let it touch you; it’ll suck your life out through any exposed skin!” If she’d thought—suspected even—that they’d be fighting shadow, she’d have brought along some lotion with an SPF of at least 30. Rummaging in the belt pouch, she pulled out her compact. “Get back! All of you. You, too, Arthur. In fact, you especially.”

He shook blue-black hair off his face.“Your spell will not hold it for much longer, wizard. I would rather be facing it and ready to fight when it breaks free than running away with my back exposed.”

“Fine.” He had a point. “Thenback away, but give me some room to work and try to remember that you must stay alive.”

“What are you planning, Keeper?”

Switching the compact from hand to hand, she wiped her palms against her skirt.“I’m going to get it to chase me into this refrigerator.”

“Are you totallymental?”

A good question. Exactly what Diana would have asked were she around. Claire spent a moment believing her little sister was up to whatever she might have to face, then flashed the assembled mall elves a confident smile. Belief and confidence both for the benefit of the Otherside.“Trust me. Just don’t close the door until I find my way out.”

“Of the refrigerator?”

“Yes.”

The shadow swayed left, the elves shifted right, and Claire felt a cold wet nose bump up against her shins.“I’m going with you.”

“No, Sam, you have to watch out for Arthur and the elves while I’m gone.”

Amber eyes narrowed.“You can’t tell me what to do!”

The shadow rose up, then snapped flat. Arthur swung his sword like a nine iron and sliced a piece off as it tried for his ankles.

“I’m not.” Too many years with Austin for her to even attempt it. “I’m just telling you what the right thing is and hoping that you’ll do it.”

“But what…”

No time for extended arguing.“You attacked the shadow, didn’t you? Kept it from sneaking up on Arthur from behind?”

“Yeah but…”

One of the knots released. Held at only one point, the shadow lashed out at the elves, fell short, and gathered itself up for another attack.

“You kept him alive. We need him alive.”

“Fine, but…”

Claire took that as an agreement and shoved Sam aside with one leg just as the second knot gave way. Snapping open the compact, she caught Arthur’s reflection in the mirror and wrapped the seeming around her. This wasn’t exactly what this had been intended for, but…

…close only counts with horseshoes and hand grenades.

Which wasn’t at all reassuring.

“Hey! Tall, dark, and two-dimensional! Over here!”

A choice between two targets.

But only one of them with a blade sharp and shiny.

Claire threw herself sideways as the shadow attacked, yanked open the refrigerator door, stepped up onto the top of the double crispers, and dove inside. Substance began to distort. Caught her. Then, as an icy touch stroked the bottom of one bare foot, caught the shadow. She jerked her foot away, tumbling through the unformed reality. Allowing the path to take her where it would, she concentrated on splitting it off behind her, on sending the shadow to its ultimate defeat.

Nothing definite. Notexactly imposing her will— Her subconscious was in full agreement with her conscious when it came to destroying that thing.

For an instant, she smelled woodsmoke and burning marshmallows and heard high, girlish voices singing rounds. Then smells, sounds, and shadow were gone.

Another slow tumble and there was water all around her.

She dropped the compact and began kicking for the surface.

*

“How much longer until the Keeper emerges?”

Sam’s ears flattened, but his gaze remained locked on the half-open refrigerator door. “I don’t know.”