Magic For A Price – Excerpt #4

I blogged over on the Deadline Dames today about a few crafty things I’ve been doing. If you want a look at my new yarn organizer, or are curious about whether or not I’m dabbling in epublishing (hint: I am) head on over and check it out.

Now….here we go! Another little excerpt from MAGIC FOR A PRICE.  Hope you enjoy!

***

Hayden slurped down some coffee, looking at Terric, who was quietly eating his eggs, to Zayvion, who was doggedly working his way through a piece of toast, to Shame, who was glaring at Zay.

“You boys fighting?” Hayden asked.

“Not yet,” Shame said.

Terric shook his head. “How are you feeling, Allie?”

“I’m good. Are you two okay?”

“We’re fine. Well, I’m fine. Shame is angry at Zay.”

“Really, Ter?” Shame said. “You’ll stoop to honesty so quickly?”

“Shame,” Zay said. “Can we talk?” He stood.

Shame glanced up at him. Maybe weighing his mood. Maybe weighing his own mood. We all looked at the both of them.

“If it’s going to be a fight,” Hayden said, “there better not be weapons involved.”

“No fights,” Maeve said.

Shame pushed up to his feet. “I’ll be right back, Mum.”

Zay turned and walked off, and Shame followed.

“What are they fighting over?” Maeve asked.

“Zay threatened to beat Shame if he didn’t do something about the Veiled,” Terric said.

“Zay’s been threatening to beat Shame for one thing or another for most of their lives,” Hayden said. “What got him riled up this time?”

“He threatened to hurt me.” Terric sat back and took a drink of his coffee. He stared out the door,  an unreadable expression in his eyes.

“Ah,” Maeve said as if that explained all.

“You can handle yourself in a fight,” Hayden said.

“I know,” Terric said. “That wasn’t what made Shame angry.”

“I do not understand that boy of yours, Maeve,” Hayden said.

She just nodded. “He’s a curiosity at the best of times.”

I knew what had made Shame angry. She probably knew it too. Zay had pointed out that Shame was vulnerable in a new way. He had pointed out that he knew if Terric suffered for Shame’s choices and actions it would make Shame angry.

Shame had once told me it wasn’t the fact that Terric was gay that kept him from wanting to know if they were Soul Complements. It was that if they were Soul Complements, that meant Shame belonged, in some way, to someone. And someone belonged, in some way, to him. Which put him in the very vulnerable position of having someone tied to his life, and tied to his actions.

Shame didn’t want to be the kind of person someone else relied on. I thought he might have spent years making sure that people didn’t expect too much of him.

And Zay had thrown that very new, very fresh vulnerability in Shame’s face.

***

Available November 6, 2012