Anne Ursu - The Shadow Thieves

"Your grandmother? No. Why?"

"Oh." He shook his head slightly. "Never mind." Charlotte raised an eyebrow and looked at him, but Zee had retreated back into his pondering and clearly had no intention of elaborating. Well, whatever it was, she would get it out of him later.

"Well," Mr. Metos said, "the Footmen are here. They have collected a great number of shadows, and they will keep collecting them until Philonecron is satisfied. Perhaps they already have enough. I do not know. What I do know is that it's extremely important that you, Zachary, and you, Charlotte, stay safe. I believe they were trying to take Charlotte's shadow-or Charlotte herself- in order to lure you into the Underworld, Zachary. I believe they need you, Zachary, because of your blood. I believe they need you to utter the spell that will bring the shadows to life. Blood is everything, and they are using your blood to enchant the shadows. They need you for the final step."

Zee looked up. "I won't do it."

Mr. Metos said gently, "Unfortunately, Zachary, Philonecron has your blood, and he knows how to use it. Philonecron has been working with your blood, and I believe he can manipulate your will."

"What?" Zee asked.

"I believe he can control you. I believe once you get down into the Underworld, Philonecron can make you do exactly what he wants you to do. He knows how to talk to your blood, as it were."

Zee stared at Mr. Metos, horrified. Charlotte shuddered. "Mine, too?" she whispered.

"I don't know. You and Zachary don't have the same blood, but it is similar. I think he would have some power over you, but it wouldn't be as overwhelming as it would be for Zachary."

Zee was shaking his head slowly. Charlotte had a sudden urge to reach out to him, but she didn't dare.

"Listen to me very carefully," Mr. Metos continued. "He can make you do what he wants, Zachary. If he can lead you down to the Underworld, he will have all he needs to make his shadow army. And then, for the first time in history, there will be war in the Underworld.

And that is a war I do not want to see, because I am not sure Hades can win."

"Well, why does it matter?" Charlotte piped up suddenly. "So what if he overthrows Hades? It doesn't sound like he's so great."

Mr. Metos's gaze turned to her. "Well, Charlotte, if the shadows are sent into battle and destroyed, their owners will die. If Philonecron overthrows Hades, he will send your newly dead friends and all the rest of the Dead into a part of the Underworld that really is hell. Hades has no interest in the Dead, but at least he doesn't want to punish them. Philonecron wants all the Dead to spend eternity in torment. And since we will all one day die…"

Zee sat up. "He can't. He can't!"

It was the loudest he'd ever been, and Charlotte stared openly at him. And then she remembered his grandmother, and she gulped and looked at the floor, while Mr. Metos said softly, "I will not let him, Zachary. Now," he continued, "I want you two to stay inside the house. Do whatever you have to do, but they will have a harder time taking you from there. They need one of you, and I'm sure they wouldn't mind having both of you."

"But-" Zee exclaimed.

Mr. Metos held up his hand. "I am going to go down to the Underworld and stop Philonecron. I believe I can free the shadows, and then they will naturally go back to their owners. With no shadows, he has no army."

"How?" Charlotte asked. "How do you get down there? How are you going to free the shadows? How-"

"That is not your concern," he said sternly. "Ms. Mielswetzski, your concern is staying safe and keeping Zachary safe. I am counting on you."

Charlotte nodded. On any normal occasion she would have resented being condescended to-she was perfectly capable of doing things on her own-but in the case of going into the Underworld and taking on some evil Greek god named Phil, she'd let the adults take care of that one.

Mr. Metos drove them home, and they rode in the car in utter silence. Zee was off in his own Zee world again, and Charlotte was lost in images of the Underworld, drawn in gray and shadow

When they arrived in front of the Mielswetzskis', Charlotte asked quietly, "How… how do we know when it's safe?"

"I'll come by," Mr. Metos said. "It won't be long. A day or two. I will be back."

Charlotte closed her eyes for a moment and an image of the Footmen appeared in her mind- they were there, behind her, reaching for her, ready to suck her into Death.

Her eyes popped open. "And.. she didn't know she was going to say the words until they were out of her mouth -"will you be okay?"

Mr. Metos almost smiled. But not quite. "I will," he said firmly "I will."

As they hurried up the path to her house, Mr. Metos watching carefully from the street, Charlotte found herself unconsciously wanting to take Zee's hand, but she didn't. Instead she clutched her arms around her chest and made her way quickly to the door.

BARTHOLOMEW, FOR ONE, WAS GLAD TO SEE THEM home. When Charlotte opened the door, the kitten came bounding down the stairs and leaped toward Charlotte and Zee, landing just at their feet. She proceeded to rub herself against their legs, purring madly.

"She, for one, is glad to see us," Charlotte remarked under her breath, reaching down to pet her kitten.

Her mother, on the other hand, was not as glad. Or rather, she was delighted to see them safe and sound, but she had been worried because they were late and Charlotte had sounded so strange on the phone, and who was this Mr. Metos anyway, and what did Charlotte think keeping her cousin out with his massive head injury, and did anyone think of the turkey burgers?

Lecture received and apologies given, Charlotte led Zee into the kitchen, where Mr. Mielswetzski was cleaning up from dinner. He was not delighted, per se, to see them, but he was much less emphatic, and that was all right with Charlotte.

"What's with Mom?" she whispered. Zee hung back, looking uncomfortable.

"Oh, Char, she's worried," Mr. Mielswetzski said. "This flu thing has got her shaken, and she wants to keep an eye on you. She can't help it. We can't help it. You'll understand when you have kids."

Charlotte raised her eyebrows.

"Be patient with your old parents, my girl. We worry about you. That's all. If we act a little hysterical at times, it's just because we love you so much."

Charlotte's eyebrows sank. She looked at the ground. "Okay, Dad," she said quietly. Once upon a time there was a girl named Charlotte who suddenly felt a great attachment to her home.

"Now, can I get you anything?"

She and Zee exchanged a look. They had so much to discuss, but it suddenly occurred to Charlotte that there was a great beast gnawing its way through her stomach, and it would eat her and then Zee and then the whole house if she didn't get it some other sustenance quickly. From the way Zee looked at her-a sort of pleading wooziness – she guessed he felt the same way and simply didn't have it in him to say so.

"How about some of those great turkey burgers, Dad?" Charlotte asked.

"Coming right up," he said, flipping his spatula.

They ate quickly and quietly, the only sound the flatulent squeaking of the ketchup bottle. Charlotte tried to keep her mind off everything that had happened that day, otherwise she might vomit up the very delicious burger, and then she would be scared and hungry and vomity. Better just to try to focus on the dinner at hand.

But the quiet ended when the kitchen door opened and Mrs. Mielswetzski came through. She took one look at Charlotte and Zee and their ketchup-dripping turkey burgers. "What are you doing?" she exclaimed. "I thought your English teacher made you dinner? For"-and here she began to articulate very carefully - "extra credit?"