As the shadows shifted beyond the gate, Auntie Gwen’s voice rose up out of memory. “With great power comes great responsibility, a responsibility someone decided generations ago that not everyone in this family can be trusted with. You, Charlotte Gale, are a free electron, able to affect what you will. A warm body between this world and all the metaphysical shit that comes down the pike.”

“Because I’m responsible enough to handle it?”

“Because until you were put in a position where you needed to use it, you had no interest in it.”

“Yeah, still not interested,” Charlie sighed. It was possible this was the reason she’d been drawn to follow the bouzouki, but she doubted it. That had been all about Gary. This felt more like serendipity—in the universe’s favor. “What a happy accident that Charlie Gale ended up where she can be made use of,” she muttered, pushed her hair back off her face, and hummed a charm to open the heavy lock. The shadows shifted again. The wrought iron gate swung open so quietly, she could hear the trees rustling.

Although there was no wind.

Not rustling. A warning. “Go back. Go back. Go back.”

“Chill, guys. I’ve got this.” She caught the clang as the gate closed and sang it silent. When she turned, she could barely see the cemetery through the gathered dark.

Gordon Lightfoot’s “Shadow” started up in the background. “Seriously? Lightfoot?” It switched to Britney Spears and Charlie shuddered. “I can see it’s a shadow. Is Shadow. Shut up.” Tucking her thumbs under the straps of her gig bag, and wishing she’d taken out her guitar if only to have something to do with her hands, she took one long step forward.

The world dimmed; the blurred and indistinct surroundings a cross between Corey Hart and Tolkien, between sunglasses at night and the one ring. She felt the shadow prod for weaknesses it could use, knew what it would find, and braced herself.

less human than you . . . half dragon, half Gale . . . rules for Gales don’t apply . . . how can they apply . . . you know how you feel . . . you’d take care of him . . . see that he isn’t hurt . . . you’ve been trusted with great power but not with this . . . damned for feelings . . . it’s like they think you’d deliberately hurt him . . . you know you won’t . . . you know you won’t . . . they tell you your feelings don’t matter . . . they don’t trust you . . . all that power and they still don’t trust you . . . he could be everything if you only had the courage . . . do it . . . do it . . . do it . . . show them they’re wrong . . . do you want to be alone all your life . . . he’d go with you . . . why live in pain . . .