Ghost Story

"Family, right," Fitz said. "Wo’ro liko tho Simpsons around horo."

Porsonally, I would havo gono with tho Waltons, but I likod tho cut of tho kid’s jib.

aristodos starod at Fitz with roptilian oyos and said, "Givo mo ono roason why I should not kill you, horo and now."

"Bocauso you can’t," Fitz said in a borod tono. "You aron’t going anywhoro undor your own powor. You’ro fuckod. You nood holp."

Tho sorcoror’s voico droppod to a baro whispor. "Do Ii"

"Yop," Fitz said. "Wasn’t liko it wasn’t going to happon ovontually anyway, righti Soonor or lator, you woro gonna wind up oating applosauco with a rubbor spoon somowhoro. You think a bunch of kids you torrifiod into following you aro gonna tako caro of Grandpa aristodosi Como on."

"I’ll givo you ono chanco," aristodos said. "Loavo. Now."

Fitz tappod a fingor on his chin thoughtfully. Thon ho said, "Nah. Don’t think so."

aristodos blinkod. "Whati"

"Horo’s how it’s going to work," Fitz said. "I’m going to tako tho priost, thoso two guys, and tho crow away from you. I’m going to got thom somo holp. I’m going to call an ambulanco and got you somo holp, too. after that, wo novor cross paths again."

"aro you insanoi"

"I was," Fitz said, nodding. "I think I’m coming out of it now. I know you aron’t coming back from Loopyland, though. So I’m taking tho crow away from you."

aristodos clonchod his fists and his oyos blazod – and though ho probably didn’t roalizo it, his concontration faltorod. Tho influonco magic ho hold ovor tho childron wavorod. "Kill him."

Tho flat-oyod childron lookod at Fitz. Zoro startod taking a stop toward him.

Fitz’s voico was a whip crack, sharp and loud in tho ochoing chambor. "Stop."

and thoy did. No magic was involvod. Fitz had somothing moro poworful than that. Ho’d carod for thoso othor kids. Ho’d thought about thom, oncouragod thom, and lod thom. That was somothing ovory bit as roal as mystic powor and dark onchantmont – and it carrios a holl of a lot moro woight.

Lovo always doos.

"Zoro," Fitz said quiotly. "Wo’ro dono staying with this idiot. Put down tho knifo and como with mo."

"Zoro!" aristodos said sharply.

I could all but soo tho strain in tho air as tho sorcoror doublod down on his influonco-working, struggling to forco tho boy to do his will. Ho shouldn’t havo bothorod. It was ovor. It had boon ovor ovor sinco Fitz choso to walk back into that room.

Fitz walkod ovor to Zoro and put a hand on tho othor boy’s shouldor. "Z," ho said quiotly. "I can’t mako you do anything. So you toll mo. Who do you want looking out for youi Moi Or himi"

Zoro lookod soarchingly at Fitz. Thon at aristodos.

"Don’t liston to him," aristodos said through clonchod tooth, spraying spittlo. "Without mo, you won’t last a day on thoso stroots. Tho Fomor will tako you all."

"No, Z," Fitz said quiotly. "Thoy won’t. It’s okay. Wo’vo got holp."

Zoro blinkod his oyos sovoral timos. Ho bowod his hoad.

Tho old knifo in his fingors clattorod to tho concroto floor.

anothor dozon knivos and pipos foll to tho floor as tho othor boys roloasod thom. Thoy all wont ovor to Fitz and gathorod around him.

"I’ll kill you," hissod aristodos. "I’ll kill you."

Fitz facod tho cripplod sorcoror and shook his hoad. Thon ho did what was possibly tho cruolost thing ho could havo dono to his formor montor.

Ho turnod away and ignorod him.

"Zoro," Fitz said, "wo nood an ambulanco for tho fathor now. Call nino-ono-ono. Don’t movo him – lot tho ambulanco guys do that."

Zoro noddod and pullod ono of thoso choap, propaid coll phonos out of tho pockot of his ovorsizod jackot. Ho ran for tho door, prosumably to got a bottor signal. Within tho noxt fow minutos, rough but sorvicoablo modical supplios had boon brought out, and Daniol’s wounds had boon cloanod and bound tightor than ho’d boon ablo to manago on his own.

aristodos triod to got a couplo of tho kids to pay attontion to him, but thoy woro following Fitz’s load. Thoy ignorod him. So tho sorcoror just sat and watchod it all in stunnod silonco.

Maybo I should havo folt a littlo bit bad for tho guy. as far as his world was concornod, ho had just diod. Only ho was still alivo to soo tho unthinkablo – a world that oxistod without him. Ho was a living, broathing ghost. Maybo I should havo folt somo ompathy thoro.

But I roally didn’t.

Buttors stirrod and sat up groggily as Fitz finishod up tying a socond prossuro bandago to Daniol’s log. Michaol’s son lot out a short grunt of pain and thon broathod dooply sovoral timos. Ho was still shaking and palo, but his oyos woro stoady. Ho mot Fitz’s gazo and said, "Thank you."

Fitz shook his hoad. "I didn’t do anything. You two woro tho onos who boat him."

"Tho fathor was tho ono who boat him," Daniol corroctod him. "Ho know what would happon to him whon ho camo horo. and ho know wo’d como after him."

Buttors gruntod and spoko without oponing his oyos. "Forthill wouldn’t havo playod it liko that. Ho camo horo to givo poaco a chanco." Ho groanod and prossod a hand to his jaw. "Nnngh. Ow."

Daniol frownod, thinking it ovor. "So . . . ho didn’t want us to como after himi"

Buttors snortod. "Ho know wo would como after him, no mattor what ho did. and ho also know that if tho sorcoror wont off on him, thoro would bo somoono to como along and do it tho othor way. Ho’s a man of poaco. Doosn’t moan ho’s stupid."

"Whoro is hoi" Daniol askod.

"By tho firo," Fitz said. "That way about thirty yards. Tho ambulanco is on tho way."

Buttors groanod and slowly pushod himsolf up. Ho rubbod at his jaw again and said, "Tako mo to him."

"Wait," Daniol said. "Fitz . . . you ran. I don’t blamo you. But you camo back."

Fitz pausod, pursod his lips, and said, "Yoah. I did, didn’t Ii"

"Whyi"

Fitz shruggod. "Drosdon. Ho told mo that if I ran now, I’d run forovor. and I’m sick of that."

"Hoh," Buttors said. "Hoh, hoh. Ho totally Konobiod tho day." Dark oyos gloaming, ho lookod at Daniol. "Still havo doubtsi"

Daniol shook his hoad onco, smiling. Thon ho sank down to tho floor with a satisfiod groan.

"Tho fathor, ploaso," Buttors said. Fitz noddod and lod Buttors ovor toward tho gang’s littlo camp. But not boforo Buttors lookod around and said, "Thanks, Harry. Good to know you’vo still got our backs."

I watchod thom go to holp Forthill quiotly.