When Matthew came down in the morning, he found the Mannel family unexpectedly united in breakfast. Daniel expansively ruled the table, talking animatedly to his parents about the Democratic Senate majority. The three of them seemed to agree this was an excellent thing, if only they’d get their act together.

“Maybe we’ll finally end this stupid war,” Daniel remarked, laughing.

Matthew remained quiet as he prepared his breakfast, letting the background chatter wash over him. He seated himself and took a bracing sip of coffee before voicing the question that was weighing on his mind.

“Who broke my guitar?”

Quiet settled over the table as everyone turned to look a him. Daniel smiled easily. “I was trying to catch up on some sleep yesterday morning, and instead I got a freaking folk concert. I just wanted to make sure it wouldn’t happen again.”

Matthew wrestled with the urge to lean across the table and throttle him. He took a deep breath in and exhaled slowly. “And you couldn’t just ask me first?”

Daniel laughed and shared an amused look with his father. “Ok, your parents probably didn’t ever tell you this, but that is not how the world works. If you want something done, get it done. Don’t pussyfoot around with pleases and thank-yous. People of action rule this world.”

Normally, Jessica would’ve leaped in with some supporting comment, but this morning she did not seem quite herself, simply watching the confrontation with blank eyes. Elisha looked on with concern, her hands knotted on her lap.

Matthew no longer attempted to conceal his glare. “You have no right-” he began heatedly, but Mr. Mannel cut him off.

“I’d think twice before talking about your rights. You are staying here out of the goodness of my heart. I could’ve tossed you out on the streets at eighteen, and if you display anymore attitude, I’ll rectify that mistake right now.”

Matthew took a deep breath and looked down at the table. Don’t fight battles you can’t win. Wait until you can pick the time and place. Just breathe. Don’t make eye contact… just breathe.

With a sudden, sharp snap, his mug shattered, spilling amber liquid over the table. Matthew started violently, looking in disbelief at the slowly dripping gash on his palm. “Must’ve been cracked or – or something,” he muttered haltingly.

In a daze, he rose and left the room.

“I’m losing control, Jeph.” Matthew shut the door to his room softly behind him, wincing as he cradled his injured hand against his chest.

“You never had control,” the small wight volleyed back sharply. “Control is power, and you acquire power through knowledge and dedication, both of which you seem to be short in.”

Matthew looked over to where Jephel was seated calmly in his chair, and paused, stuck by the changes that had taken place in the daemon. In addition to growing several inches, his skin had reddened patchily. Small nubbins of horns poked out on his forehead, and a long, flexible, barbed tail swung lazily out behind him.

“What’s happening to you?” Matthew asked tiredly, seating himself on the bed. “You look different.”

Jephel smiled crookedly. “As I grow in strength, I gain back more of myself, and my true form begins to emerge.”

“Your true form?”

“What was stripped from me in the beginning. What I regained before the Seal of Solomon broke, and then lost again.”

“What were you like… back then?” Matthew asked quietly.

“I was mighty, revered for my strength and ferocity. My enemies trembled before me, for my name was death,” Jephel said softly. “When I was complete, I moved mountains.”

Silence fell, and Matthew experienced an indescribable sensation of loss; some part of him mourning for a great being that might not come again. At the same time, another part of him balked at the notion, wondering if Jephel was actually serious. He just could not imagine the small wight moving mountains, active imagination or not, and had a sneaking suspicion that the daemon was simply over inflating his own importance again.

Matthew passed his unwounded hand wearily over his face and looked down. Taking a deep breath, he said, “What do you mean, I never had control?”

Jephel snorted, sharp and acerbic once again. “I mean you don’t know what the fuck you’re doing. You keep on the way you’ve been going, and either you will kill someone, or someone will kill you. You think breaking a coffee mug in a little temper tantrum is bad? Wait until someone really pisses you off, and you take out a city block before you realize what you’re doing.”

“Oh yes, it’s quite possible,” he assured Matthew, who was looking horrified. “You really need to get a handle on what you’ve got, kid. It isn’t just parlor tricks, and it isn’t just about getting you laid, although that’s a nice fringe benefit. You have in your hands the ability to literally reshape the world. You have this power for good reason.”

“And what reason is that?” Matthew asked warily.

“That’s the million dollar question, isn’t it?” Jephel said wryly. “If I told you what I think, it’d be meaningless to you. This is one answer you’re going to have to find out for yourself, kid.”

Matthew slumped back against the headboard. “Forget I asked,” he said sourly. “So how do I gain control of what I have?”

“Well, it’s just possible you might was to read the book that started this all,” Jephel suggested sarcastically. “Seeing as it was written with the beginning practitioner in mind.”

Matthew said nothing. Jephel looked at him sharply. “You haven’t even touched it since the night you brought me forth,” he observed. “Why is that?”

Matthew closed his eyes and shook his head. There was a long pause before he spoke. “I’m afraid,” he whispered at last.

“Of what?” the small wight inquired calmly.

“Myself,” Matthew replied softly.

Jephel scratched his head and coughed in bemusement. “Ok, you’ll have to explain this one to me, buddy, ‘cause I’m kinda out to sea.”

“When I read it for the first time,” Matthew said in a dead voice. “I forced Erin into sleeping with me. The second time, I nearly killed myself. I don’t know what will happen if I read from it again, but I think that whatever it is, I’ll screw it up, and I don’t want to hurt anyone else.”

“Oh, you don’t want to hurt anyone else,” Jephel said sarcastically. “How noble of you. Listen up, small fry, if you don’t want people to get hurt, you need to do something! Sitting around and sniveling in the corner will get people killed; and I don’t just mean you, you self-sacrificing little shit, so don’t get your hopes up. You don’t like those cards? Tough shit. That’s what you have to play with.” The small wight arched an eyebrow. “So? What’ll it be?”

After one last glare, Matthew nodded reluctantly. Taking the book from his nightstand, he drew a deep breath, and opened it again.

Aidon grimaced as he glanced at the clock on his dashboard. The pharmacy had messed up twice on his father’s prescription due to a new hire, and the young man was running late. He didn’t like to be gone too long; despite orders to the contrary, his father was bound to try and go up or down the stairs, and the results could be disastrous.

Rain splattered heavily on the windshield, the wipers working overtime to keep the encroaching drops at bay. Aidon idly drummed his hands on the wheel as he listened to Maroon Five’s “Makes Me Wonder”.

There were no houses around for miles, and so Aidon was surprised and dismayed when he spotted a vaguely feminine form trudging wearily along by the side of the road, completely drenched. He hesitated a moment, torn between an instinctive urge to offer help, and a desire to get back to his Dad as quickly as possible.

Aidon’s Dad felt duty was very important, and had done his best to instill that same sense of honor in his son. Thus, the first inclination won out, and Aidon pulled over to the side of the road and rolled down his passenger side window.

“Miss!” he called out, squinting through the rain at the hiker’s indistinct shape. “Need a lift?” In truth, he wasn’t sure if the woman was married or even how old she was, but he felt it better to err on the side of youth… women could be so touchy about the littlest things.

The figure hesitated, then approached slowly. When she got close enough to be visible, Aidon fought to keep his jaw from dropping. The most gorgeous brunette he had ever laid eyes on was coming towards him uncertainly, he dripping clothing clinging to her form in a way that left little to the imagination. She looked vaguely familiar. The brunette stopped again, eying him warily.

Aidon had to speak loudly to be heard over the rain. “Look, I don’t want to hurt you. You just… really look like you need a ride.”

She frowned, and his heart sank. She must think I’m some sort of psycho But it was merely a gesture of thought, and in another moment, she had taken his offer, quickly opening the car door and sliding inside.

“I must be soaking your car,” the brunette said regretfully, shivering as she wrapped her arms around herself.

“Hey, don’t – don’t you worry about that,” Aidon told her, retrieving a roll of paper towels from his scattered backseat. “Here. This is all I’ve got.”

“Thank you,” she said, smiling gratefully. “I’m Elizabeth, by the way.”

“Aidon,” he said, and clasped her damp hand in his strong grip briefly before releasing it.

“I know.”

Aidon blinked in surprise. “Oh.” Frowning, he took the car out of park and started driving again. “Do I know you from somewhere?”

Elizabeth nodded, the movement complicated by her attempts to blot her hair with a few of the paper towels. “We went to school together. Remember Mr. Debray?”

“Oh right!” Aidon exclaimed as the memory struck him. “He was that awful Psyc teacher!” He shook his head. “Man, if ever there was someone ruled by his Id…”

Elizabeth giggled, the silvery sound filling the car. “He did tend to leer a lot, didn’t he! There was a rumor going around that if you sat in the front and wore something low and tight he’d bump you up a grade.”

“If only I’d known that, I might not have failed,” Aidon said regretfully, and smiled at Elizabeth, who laughed again. “You always sat in back though,” he continued, serious again.

“Yeah, well, at least I know I earned my C, you know?”

He nodded. Hesitating a moment, he ventured, “Why’d you get in? We didn’t really talk at all, and I know my reputation in high school was not – not good.”

“Well, I never got a bad feeling off you,” Elizabeth said thoughtfully. “And… I really believe that everyone should get a chance to show you what kind of person they are.”

Aidon glanced over at her and she smiled mischievously at him, eyes twinkling. He felt his heart falter in his chest. “Besides, I was dripping!”

They laughed together, and Aidon relaxed a little. He often felt constantly on the defensive around other people, but that seemed to be changing of late. First Matthew had disarmed him with open friendliness, and now this glorious creature had slipped inside his car and taken down his barriers with a few words and a smile.

“Um… I hope you don’t mind, but I have to stop off at my place before I drive you home. I’ve got to get my Dad his medicine.”

“That’s ok. Hmm…” She turned to him, her eyes wide and appealing. “Could I ask you a big favor? Could you maybe lend me some dry clothes? And if you’d let me take a shower, I will sing your praises.”

Aidon swallowed hard. “Sure,” he said as evenly as he could. “No problem.” Now she wanted to wear his clothing. The young man had the sudden surge to pinch himself to make sure this wasn’t just all a dream. He struggled to contain his growing arousal. “So… um, how did you come to be out in this? If – if you don’t mind my asking, that is.”

Elizabeth sighed. “No, it’s ok. My boyfriend ditched me. We got in an argument when we went out to eat, and he just took off without me. Of course, my purse and cell phone were in his car.”

“So he didn’t come back to pick you up once it started raining?” Aidon asked incredulously.

“Oh, it was raining when he left me there,” Elizabeth stated matter-of-factly.

Aidon blinked rapidly, and the car swerved before he got himself back under control. “So you – he stranded you in the rain?”

The brunette glanced at him wryly. “Sure. You seem surprised.”

“Well… yes. Just… you know, being your boyfriend, you’d think he wouldn’t do something like that.”

Elizabeth stared at him for a minute longer, than looked away with an effort. “Yeah, well… that’s life.”

“I shouldn’t be,” Aidon said seriously.

“Come on,” Elizabeth said impatiently. “Are you saying you’ve never had a fight with your girlfriend where you did or said something you regretted later?”

Aidon flinched inwardly, but kept his face impassive. “I’ve never had a girlfriend,” he said flatly.

“O-oh,” Elizabeth stammered in surprise. “Sorry.”

The silence stretched uncomfortably. Elizabeth stared out the window. Aidon gripped the steering wheel tightly, trying to think of something to say to alleviate his embarrassment, but drawing a total blank.

After a few minutes, Elizabeth looked back at him and smiled again, and just like that, everything was better. “So, what are your plans for the fall? Are you going to college?”

Aidon shook his head a little, getting his thoughts in order. “Um… yeah. I’m going to ------ College in Concord for Criminal Justice. I want to get into police work.”

The brunette nodded. “That’s neat. I want to try and get into law school myself. I’ll probably get my Undergrad in English or something easy like that.”

Aidon spared her a skeptical glance. “Easy? For some people, maybe.”

The corner of Elizabeth’s mouth curled up as she met his eyes almost shyly. “Well-” she began, but broke off as a dark shape loomed in the road before the car. “Look out!” she screamed. Aidon slammed on the brakes desperately, slewing the car to the side.

The car skidded to a stop, and the two teenagers breathed a sigh of relief. There had been no collision, no sickening thud; they had just missed the figure in the road.

“Are you all right?” Aidon asked worriedly, touching Elizabeth’s shoulder.

“I’m OK,” she answered shakily. “What – what about the man in the road?”

He looked out the window, but was unable to see clearly through the pouring rain. “I don’t know,” he muttered. Grimacing, he opened his door and stepped out onto the churned grass and mud, frowning when he heard Elizabeth following him. The situation made him uneasy, and he’s hoped she’d stay in the car, if only so she wouldn’t have to get wet again.

Holding a hand over his eyes to shield them, he slogged over to the road, peering ahead. The figure was standing in the center of the road, staring fixedly ahead. He was dressed in a dark poncho with the hood pulled low, obscuring the face.

“Hey!” Aidon shouted. “You OK?” Getting no response, he gripped the person by the shoulder and turned him around. “I said-”

Dead, flat eyes stared back at him from a pasty face. The man’s mouth worked soundlessly as water ran down his skin, dripping from his stringy hair. He pitched forward suddenly, and Aidon barely caught him. With Elizabeth’s help, they carried him to the side of the road, easing him down gently onto the grass.

“Oh, my God,” Elizabeth whispered in horror. Her hands glistened red, streaked with blood. The poncho was slashed to ribbons along the sides, and beneath it lay torn flesh.

“Who did this to you?” Aidon asked helplessly.

The man shifted painfully, and caught Aidon’s hand in his own, surprisingly powerful grip. “I knew you’d be here, Aidon. I looked into the Well, and it never lies.” His mouth twisted into a smile. “So good to see you, boy.”

“How do you know my name?”

“Not… important.” The man shook his head. “I thought I could be there to show you the way, but Calatrix attacked me on the road. The Enslaved nearly took me, but I fought them off.” The man pulled Aidon closer, a crazed hint of desperation touching his glassy eyes for a moment. “I was a great warrior, once. I never, never failed.”

“OK,” said Elizabeth soothingly, sounding close to tears. “It’s OK now. You’re safe.”

The man fell back, his sudden surge of energy deserting him. “Not safe,” he muttered. “Never safe. Listen… ach!” he paused and shook as a new wave of pain shot through him. “You must… find your Mage. Give him this.” The man reached inside his tattered poncho, fumbling. Elizabeth helped him, her cheeks wet with more than the rain, and together they brought out a silver amulet, she to resemble and orb surrounded by swirling lines.

“It will guard him,” the man breathed. “And for you, my boy, the ring on my finger. Bear it with pride.” He sank back and his eyes fluttered shut. Slowly, his breathing slowed, until at last his chest no longer moved.

The silence stretched as the teenagers gazed helplessly at the body, all alone in the pounding rain. Finally, Aidon went to check for a pulse.

Suddenly, the stranger’s eyes snapped open once again, a clear and vibrant emerald green, and face twisted into an anguished mask. “Forgive me!” he cried, and then convulsed to hard that Aidon and Elizabeth were both flung violently back.

As they looked on in horror, blinking past the water streaming in their eyes, the man shook spasmodically for a minute more, then fell still forever.

Later, the latest round of questioning from the police over with, Aidon returned to the side of the road, where Elizabeth sat with a blanket wrapped around her in a squad car, a hot cup of coffee clutched in her hands as she stared off into the distance. She started violently as Aidon squatted down beside her, gently touching her knee. When she saw who it was, the brunette relaxed, even attempting a wan smile.

“Are you OK?” Aidon asked awkwardly. He knew it was a dumb question, as obviously she was not OK, but he really didn’t know what else to say.

Elizabeth looked away, her eyes nervously running over the dashboard and the computer. “I’ve never seen anyone die before,” she said in a small voice. “I – I don’t know.” She shook her head a little, moisture glistening in her eyes.

Aidon hesitated, unsure of what to do, but Elizabeth’s muffled sob decided him. Reaching out awkwardly, he drew her into a hug. She clung to him desperately, burying her face in his chest as he stroked her back. If seemed to be the right thing to do, as Elizabeth’s breath evened out, and her tears slowed and finally stopped. Unexpectedly, Aidon found himself enjoying the embrace as well, in a profoundly comforting way. A tightness in his chest, borne that night of rage and fear and sadness loosened, and he felt as though a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

“Come on,” he said, guiding her to her feet. “Let’s get out of here.”

He led her over to where a young police officer was looking on grimly as two paramedics put the corpse in a body bag. “Might’ve been a bear,” he said unhappily. “But I didn’t think there were any around these parts, and those wounds…” he shook his head.

“Might’ve been a cougar,” his stern-faced female partner suggested.

“Look, Officer… Stanton,” Aidon spoke up, reading the policeman’s name off his badge. “Can we go? I really need to get her home.” He indicated Elizabeth, who was shivering as she clutched the blanket around her.

Stanton frowned, his blue eyes concerned, then looked to his partner. “Chrissy?” She nodded, clearly a dismissal. Stanton smiled. “OK, sure.” He stepped forward and spoke quietly enough so that only Aidon could hear him. “Don’t leave her alone. She’ll need help getting through this.” The officer clapped him on the shoulder, and leaned back, raising his voice. “OK? You have a good night, miss. You were very brave.”

As Elizabeth smiled shakily, Aidon nodded his understanding. Together, they got in the car and left. Aidon took a deep breath as the flashing lights fell away behind them, unable to shake the feeling that unfriendly eyes were watching them from the shadows.

“You have a nice place,” Elizabeth said softly. She was seated on Aidon’s bed, looking around at his room as he rummaged through his closet. She hadn’t felt like going anywhere once she got to Aidon’s house. In truth, being around him made her feel safe, and she just wasn’t ready to let go of that just yet. She met his father briefly downstairs. The older gentleman had greeted her and graciously told her to make herself at home. She’d liked him right away.

Aidon grunted noncommittally. “You feeling black, or white?” he inquired, emerging from the closet to hold up two t-shirts. The black one proclaimed “I’m only wearing black until they make me something darker”. The white shirt had “Unmistakably, Unashamedly, Unabashedly American” blazoned in aggressive lettering across the front.

“I’ll go with white,” Elizabeth laughed, rising to take it. “Thank you.” She retreated into the bathroom to dress. As the shirt slipped over her head, a faint but deep whiff of Aidon’s scent impinged upon her nostrils. She breathed in deeply, smoothing the over-large shirt down over her body.

Elizabeth sighed as she attempted to detangle her hair a somewhat in front of the mirror. She really couldn’t figure Aidon out. He certainly wasn’t crazy like his reputation had led her to think. He actually seemed very nice, which actually only made her more suspicious. In her experience, men were generally only nice to you for one reason, and generally became very upset after they learned they wouldn’t be getting anything physical in return for their help.

Ever since she entered the house, Elizabeth had been expecting to have to fend off some advance from him. The fear had hovered like a dark cloud in the back of her mind, overshadowing everything. And still, nothing had happened, and still she couldn’t bring herself to go. In fact, a small part of her realized the puzzle of Aidon was a welcome distraction. Every time her mind wandered, it drifted back to that road in the rain, and watched a stranger die again, and again…

Elizabeth shook her head, suddenly coming to herself. Running her hands over her face, she put down the comb. When she emerged into the room again, Aidon was gone. She lay down on the bed with a grateful sigh, idly toying with the amulet the stranger had given Aidon. She hung it around her neck to keep it safe, and already it felt natural there. Her limbs felt leaden as exhaustion took its toll, and eventually her eyes fluttered closed.

She was standing on the roadway again, staring down at the stranger’s dead body. As she watched, he shifted and stirred. A finger twitched, curled. Slowly, he pulled himself to his feet. Elizabeth found herself in the grip of a fear the like of which she had never felt before. Her heart beat madly in her chest, every bit of her just wanting to run; but some invisible force held her in place.

The stranger opened his eyelids, but his eyes were gone, and blood trickled down from the ravaged sockets. “You spread death, bitch,” he snarled, and lunged for her throat. His icy fingers fastened on her flesh…”

Elizabeth awoke with a start, shaking. Striking off the hand on her, she scrambled back frantically, trying to get away from her attacker. Huddling back against the wall, she wept in panic, curling up with her knees against her chest, burying her head in her arms.

Slowly, the fog retreated from her mind, and Elizabeth became aware that Aidon was kneeling in front of her, speaking soothingly in his gruff voice. “… it’s OK, it was just a dream, you’re safe.”

She flung herself on him with a sob, wrapping her arms tightly around his solid frame. Aidon held her awkwardly, obviously out of his depth. Taking deep breaths, Elizabeth tried to collect herself.

“I’m sorry,” she said presently. “I’m a wreck right now. I probably… look terrible, too.” With a sudden flash of self-consciousness, she pulled back.

“You’re fine,” Aidon said noncommittally, confirming her worst fears.

Elizabeth wiped her cheeks free of tears, still sniffling a little. “This is going to sound totally pathetic, but… could you stay in the room while I sleep?”

Right after she said it she knew what a terrible idea it was. Aidon was going to think she was coming onto him, wanting comfort sex or something, and she would have to explain to him that wasn’t what she meant, and then he would kick her out of the house…

Aidon hesitated a moment. “Sure. I’ll just… sit in the chair over there, OK?”

Elizabeth nodded, a profound sense of relief washing over her. “OK.”

They resituated themselves, and she laid back down on the bed again, on her side with her back to Aidon. With the loss of light, her previous fear threatened to swamp her again, but Aidon’s steady presence anchored her. Part of her protested the reassurance that she derived from his presence, insisting she was only setting herself up for a fall; after all, she had only just met him. But most of her really didn’t care. Right now, she desperately needed security, whatever the source.

Feeling peaceful and warm, Elizabeth dropped off to sleep, a small smile on her lips.

“MATTHEW!!!”

The youth in question started convulsively, jarred from his study. The voice shouting was definitely Mr. Mannel’s, viciously enraged. Bolting upright, he shoved Principatus Antiquus Diabolus under his pillow and had started for the door when it burst open, Mr. Mannel standing framed in the doorway, his face distorted with rage.

“Explain this to me please, using small words!” Mr. Mannel brandished a newspaper in his hands. Advancing on Matthew, he shoved the paper at him. The young man stepped back, then took it quickly. Scanning the page it was open to, Matthew soon found the relevant story.

WARD OF PROMINENT HOME-OWNER CAUGHT DUMPSTER DIVING

By Dacia Kingsley

The article featured several color photographs of Matthew tearing through trash bags and being restrained by the garbage men. He blinked rapidly, trying to think of what words to use to explain the situation.

“Well, there’s this girl who works at-”

Matthew was completely unprepared when a fist connected forcefully with his jaw, sending him staggering backwards into the wall.

“I don’t care what fucking cunt is the reason for this!” Mannel screamed. “When you fuck up, it’s my name that is dragged through the mud!” he took a deep breath, obviously regaining control of himself.

Kneeling down beside Matthew, Mannel took hold of a handful of his hair and forced his head up painfully. “Listen closely, you little shit. I’m going to have to run damage control on this. If I tell you to do something, say something, you do it, understand? One more fuck-up and I’ll get you locked up in a mental health institution for the rest of your natural life, and screw the bad PR. Got it?”

Matthew nodded slightly.

“Good.” Mr. Mannel straightened up, brushing his hands off on the legs of his expensive slacks. “I’m glad we could have this little chat, Matthew.” Smiling down genially, the businessman suddenly lashed out with his foot, catching Matthew in the pit of the stomach.

When was gone, Matthew pulled himself into a sitting position against the wall, wincing at the stinging ache of fresh bruises. His head buried in his hands, he took deep breaths. He didn’t know how long he sat there, but he jerked in alarm when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to find Rob staring at him in concern.

“Hey,” his friend said slowly. “You don’t look so good. I’m guessing the master of the house didn’t like the paper?” He glanced over at the crumpled newspaper.

Matthew followed his gaze. “Damn her,” he mumbled.

Rob frowned. “What?”

“Dacia,” Matthew gritted in a low voice, seething with rage. “Dacia Kingsley, the girl who wrote the article. I had a – crush on her once. I – asked her out.” He punctuated the sentence with a bitter laugh.

“She turned you down?” Rob guessed.

“She said yes. Then she was busy, then she was unavailable and wouldn’t return any of my calls. She capped it off by saying she just didn’t want to date anyone right then. And two weeks later she was going steady with someone else.”

Rob grimaced and looked away. “Oh. How come you never told me about this?”

“Like I really wanted the extra humiliation.” Matthew grabbed the paper and shredded it violently, trembling with rage. “And then this! She could’ve just said no!” He flung the paper away and pressed his palms into his eyes roughly before running his fingers through his hair. “She could’ve just said no,” he repeated quietly.

Rob reached out and helped Matthew to his feet. He leaned back against the wall, staring at the ceiling. “Why me?” he muttered. “Why me, Rob? What the fuck is so wrong with me that people attack me like this?”

Rob shrugged, looking uncomfortable. “Heck, I don’t know, man. Ask me something about art, sure, but the opposite sex? Not my area of expertise.” The dark-haired artist laughed a little, self-deprecatingly, but trailed off weakly in the face of Matthew’s pain. “Shit, I don’t know, man. People can be ass-holes a lot of the time.”

“I don’t know if that’s even the answer,” Matthew said quietly. “I mean, Dacia seemed really nice, you know, if aggressive. I’ve never seen or heard anything to contradict that, except for how she treated me. I must be some kind of fucked-up freak to deserve this sort of treatment.”

“Aw, come on, you don’t think that,” Rob said sharply. “She’s an ego-centric bitch who get her kicks by castrating people who can’t fight back, and that, my friend, is why she did this. It isn’t your fault.”

Matthew took a deep breath. “Yeah, maybe you’re right. Why should I have to feel guilty about who I am? Why should I even try to control my anger? I have a damn good reason to be pissed off!”

“Damn straight,” Rob said supportively.

“Why can’t I think about myself for once? Why the fuck do I have to go through my life destroying myself for everyone else, and being spat on for my pains?” Matthew smashed his fist into the wall. “You know what? I don’t care! I won’t make excuses for who I am or what I want? I’m not going to find reasons for why everyone is justified in screwing me over!”

His eyes settled on the newspaper, lying ripped and torn on the floor, and his voice sank to a dangerous whisper. “And as they make me suffer, so help me, I will hurt them in return.”

Breathing heavily, Matthew pressed a hand against his forehead. A sharp, jagged pain was stabbing deep inside him. It grew worse, and worse, until he threw back his head and screamed; and the air rippled like jelly around him, sparking with energy. Somewhere far off, he heard Rob shout something, but he had no idea what. There was one last, ripping, tearing wave of pain deep inside him, culminating in the sudden gaping sensation that something within him had broken free. Released all of a sudden, Matthew collapsed to the floor in a boneless heap.