Penumbra

by jindabyne

England was a snowglobe, with Christmas only weeks away, when Beyond the Boundary appears among the London stars. Winifred Gladstone, the shadow spirit hunter, vows to take the youmu on with the help of her twin sister and a newcomer named Levi Manchester.

CHAPTER ONE

Beyond the Boundary only appeared every couple hundred years, saturated with human hate, sponging the world's negative energy until it manifested destruction: wars, plagues, natural disasters, to name a few. Victorian England suffered a different sort of destruction, the kind that disguised itself as creation and invention, introducing science to church-goers and factories to artisans. Society progressed at an alarming rate, leaving citizens fumbling to keep up. Those who couldn't either offed themselves or went mad, clinging to beliefs they formulated to keep calm, beliefs they wouldn't have otherwise. And amidst the insanity, it was easy to forget how alone everyone had become.

Winifred Gladstone stared at the stars, counting the abnormalities, using her parasol to trace a collective circle around them. The circled stars neither twinkled nor disappeared behind rolling clouds. Squinting, Freddie stepped back against her front door, measuring the distance between the ground and the abnormality. She stumbled when her sister opened the door. "There's a youmu in the sky." She turned, half-facing her sister and pointing to the sky.

Irene, Freddie's twin, folded her arms over her chest. She had milky blond hair and peaches-and-cream skin, the kind that women bought makeup to have. Freddie envied it, having bronze skin and dark brown hair that made her an outlier in the Gladstone clan. Her complexion reflected her spirit hunter power, a physical manifestation of her ability to manipulate shadows. Irene's, too, mirrored her power to control light. The only trait they shared was their blue eyes. Other clans whispered about them, fearing their power above all youmu, convinced they would bring the world to its end.

"Youmu are everywhere, Freddie." Irene shook her head. "It is time for bed."

"Go on ahead, I will be there presently."

When the door clicked shut and Freddie heard Irene's muffled footsteps on the staircase, she jumped from her porch to the sidewalk, heels clicking against cracked concrete. Dewy air stuck to her skin as she straightened, squaring her shoulders, looking up at the starry youmu. Lifting her parasol, she pointed the tip toward her opponent, calling the shadows to her, feeling them like velvet, wrapping around her feet, legs, waist, arms. Once Freddie had melted into the shadows, sufficiently becoming them, she leapt to the rooftops then to the sky itself. Morphing her parasol into a shadow scythe, she struck the youmu, intending to slice through, but her scythe bounced back with a resounding crack loud enough to be mistaken for thunder.

She fell, twisting in the air and landing on her feet, her shadows spreading like rings around her. The youmu began vibrating, letting out a metallic groan that reminded Freddie of steel grinding against steel. Pressing her hands to her ears, she ducked her chin to her chest, curling away from the noise as it grew louder. When a hand grasped her shoulder, she spun, gripping her scythe with white knuckles. A boy with blond hair and green eyes watched the vibrating youmu, lips set in a thin line. He was at least half a foot taller than Freddie, with a narrow, lean build. Freddie shrugged him off. "It is improper to touch a lady."

The boy lifted his hands, shrugging. "I didn't want to startle you." He pointed to the starry youmu. "That there isn't something you wanna fight, trust me."

"Who are you?"

"Name's Levi," he said. "And yours, m'lady?"

Freddie narrowed her eyes, melting her scythe back into a parasol. "Winifred Gladstone. Am I to assume you can see that youmu?" She lifted her chin.

He buried his hands in his pockets. "'Course I can. And I know what it is, too."

"Then you are a spirit hunter."

"Of the Manchester clan," Levi said. "I know of your lot. The most powerful hunters at the moment, aren't they? You're the shadow girl." He smiled lopsidedly.

Freddie took a step back. "How did you know?"

Levi tilted his head. "You hear things when you travel. My lot, you see, we used to be pretty powerful. Two years before you were born, though, the society got a little upset with us. They wiped us out in one swoop, like vultures they were, but my mum knew they were coming, she had the ears of a bat, and she handed me off to a pair of humanoid youmus who lived nearby. They told me about this guy here." He gestured to the starry youmu. "Its name is Beyond the Boundary. You've heard of it, I'm sure."

When Freddie had been just a girl, her mother had given her a book of the world's most dangerous youmu, among them the Hollow Shadow and Beyond the Boundary. Neither of them appeared often, but their appearance was usually simultaneous, reflecting the world's hate and pain. Now, the starry youmu, Beyond the Boundary, ceased vibrating and fell entirely silent. To the untrained eye, even a spirit hunter could miss its presence. "Indeed, I have heard of it. How can it be subdued?"

Levi rubbed his calloused hands together. "That's the question, isn't it? No one's managed to kill the bugger yet." He cast a sideways look at Freddie. "But I'd be willing to bet you and your clan can take it down."

"Do not be ridiculous," Freddie replied coolly. "I will not fight Beyond the Boundary."

"You were gonna before I stopped you."

"That is a different matter. I did not know the youmu's identity." She glared. "Now, if you will excuse me, it is time I retire for the night." She swung her parasol in one hand, stepping around Levi. "I suggest you make yourself scarce. The Gladstone clan does not take lightly to those in their territory." Freddie felt Levi watching her as she walked away. Biting her lip, she fought the overwhelming urge to turn around.

CHAPTER TWO

The next day, she beckoned Irene into her bedroom and locked the door. "The youmu in the sky is Beyond the Boundary." She paced the room, tangling her fingers in her hair. Peering out her window, she could see the youmu's dome shape, clearer under the sun than the moon.

Irene lurched forward, gripping the windowsill and looking up, blue eyes scouring the sky until she saw it, hovering just beneath the clouds. Her forehead creased, and she stepped back, hugging her arms over her abdomen. "Have you told father?"

Freddie shook her head and sat on her bed. "I spoke to a spirit hunter last night."

Irene's eyes flashed. "And he told you of Beyond the Boundary?"

"Yes. He knew about us, Reney, and about my power. He claimed he was of the Manchester clan—"

"Manchester?" Irene held up one hand, cheeks flushed. "Do not consort with such a rogueish boy, Freddie. The Manchester's were bad news, an embarrassment to all spirit hunters. That's why the society toppled them."

Freddie frowned. "Who told you that?"

"Father did, of course. He said their power comes from their bones. They can manipulate their skeleton as they wish. It is a ghastly ability. They are demons and should not be reckoned with."

"Sorry, I am sure." Freddie stood, opening the door. "Neither of you have met the Manchester boy. I will not listen to your nonsensical words until you have." She glanced down the hall. "He might understand us, Reney," she whispered.

Irene's expression softened, and she looked down, smoothing her dress. "Well, then, a rendezvous might be in order," she said quietly, stepping into the hall and down the staircase.

Freddie dressed and tied up her hair, blinking at her reflection and wishing she had been born paler, with golden hair like her mother had. Curling dark locks around her finger, she sighed and pushed away from the vanity. She reached for her parasol, which she left leaning against the wall, before slipping into her coat and alerting her maid she would be stepping out for the afternoon. "I will return before supper is served."

Winter shook England like a snow globe. Flurries fell as men and women hurried for the paper, hoping to see a new Reform Bill had been passed, that their children no longer had to work in factories. Some of the learned men wished for scientific discoveries, or for theirs to be recognized. Freddie walked on cobblestone sidewalks, gaze lowered as she listened to London's bustle. Youmu rose from beneath the pavement, hovering between people who did not blink to it. Covering a smile with one mittened hand, Freddie felt glad humans could not see such ugly monsters. She waited until one particular youmu roaming the city's main street backed itself into an abandoned alley. Setting up wards to temporarily hide the alley, she called the shadows, turning her parasol into a scythe and rushing forward, swinging hard. She subdued the youmu in one swing, watching the creature disperse in a burst of light, leaving behind only a metallic stone. She picked it up, tossing it back and forth in her hands, allowing the shadows to melt away. She tucked her parasol beneath one arm.

"That's a nice catch," Levi said from the rooftop, looking down at Freddie with a crooked smile on his face. "I'd been hunting that one all morning." He leapt from his perch, landing lightly, knees bent, before straightening.

Freddie pocketed the stone. "Then you must not be a very accomplished spirit hunter. I managed to subdue this one with a single swing." She smiled.

"So you're not giving me the stone out of pity, are you?"

"You do not deserve what you cannot subdue." Freddie shrugged then frowned. "Do you need the money so badly?"

Levi leaned against the wall. "I am living alone in London, and rent is rising daily."

Freddie pressed her lips together, looking between the alley's threshold and Levi. "I can offer you a bed and three meals a day, so long as you teach me how to subdue Beyond the Boundary." She turned, pretending not to see Levi smile.

Irene and Levi sat on opposite sides of the parlor, watching each other sip tea and eat cucumber sandwiches. Freddie knelt by the hearth, turning the youmu stone over in her hands, squinting at the bits of crystal embedded in it. When Irene quietly coughed, Freddie looked up. Irene nodded to Levi, who had spilled his tea and was desperately trying to pat the stain from his pants. Freddie ducked her head, stifling laughter, as Irene held one hand to her mouth. Levi flushed when he heard them giggle, demanding to know where the bathroom was.

Freddie shook her head as he left. "I cannot bring myself to believe he is a demon, no matter what Father says." She set her tea and saucer on the table. "He is a boy, nothing more."

"That he is," Irene said, standing. "But you must never forget his namesake. He is a tiger cub, all soft fluffiness, but he will grow to become deadly."

"As will we," Freddie added. She bit the inside of her cheek. "You have heard what Aunt Judith says about us when she thinks we are not listening. She is fearful of us."

Irene took a deep breath, reaching for a cucumber sandwich. "Let her believe what she will."

Levi returned, standing in the doorway and frowning as if he could feel tension in the air. He dug his hands into his pockets, rocking back on his heels. When he glanced at Freddie, she looked away. Her tea had gotten cold.

After bedtime, Freddie snuck from her room to the attic and sat by the window. Beyond the Boundary had grown, and some of its star-like spots had blended together like smatterings and smears of watercolor. She leaned forward, scanning the youmu in its entirety, thinking Aunt Judith might not fear her so much as respect her if she could subdue it. She squeezed fistfuls of her nightdress. If she and Irene worked together, and if Levi joined them, they might stand a chance. Irene had said it herself; the Manchester boy was a demon.

The attic door opened, and Levi peered around it, offering a small wave when he saw Freddie. He joined her by the window, sitting on the sill and looking to the sky, green eyes reflecting each star individually, a garden full of lightning bugs. "It's bigger than before."

"Fight it with me."

Levi's eyes widened. "What?"

Freddie gestured to the youmu. "Help me fight Beyond the Boundary," she amended. "I have been told about your clan. You manipulate your bones, correct?" She folded her hands in her lap. "You said your clan had been destroyed due to its power, a power you inherited. I think it lucky for you, then, to have found me."

Levi shook his head. "No, I'd rather not. You and that clan of yours are more than capable of fighting on your own."

Freddie narrowed her eyes. "I would not have propositioned you if I thought we could handle it. You know more about Beyond the Boundary than us. Your power is formidable."

"Formidable," Levi muttered. "Yes, I am formidable. I never asked to be." He glared, pushing off the sill and pacing, wringing his hands behind his back. "You don't know what it's like to be treated like a demon because of a name. I have been shunned by people who did not even try getting to know me. I may be a spirit hunter, a Manchester, but I am still human."

"You are wrong."

"Excuse me?"

Freddie stood, brushing attic dust from her nightdress. She lifted one palm, calling shadows, forming an orb that quenched the windowlight. "The shadow girl," she said. The orb grew, blanketing her hand, arm, neck, torso in shadows. She allowed the darkness to swallow her whole, leaving only her eyes, cerulean lights, shining against it. "Last Christmas, my family congregated here for supper. When we took our seats at the table, my Aunt Judith, who had already been sitting, got up and moved when I sat next to her. She said, 'I will not spend my evening next to that little monster.' Do you know what the Gladstone clan's ability is?"

Levi shook his head.

"They specialize in illusions. By all means, they can make you see things that do not exist." Freddie dropped her shadow-cloak, giving Levi a small, sad smile. "They wear invisible masks because they do not even trust each other. I am thankful to at least have Irene."

"Irene?"

"Yes, you've met her— my twin sister. We had tea with her—"

"I only had tea with you."

"What?" Freddie demanded. "She sat across from you."

Levi looked sad. "There was no one there."

CHAPTER THREE

Freddie ran from the attic to her sister's bedroom, where the bed lay empty and untouched even though Irene had retired hours ago. She stood in the doorway as her lungs emptied into the abandoned room. Dust had collected on the vanity and mirror, the curtains remained drawn. Freddie took a step back, colliding with Levi, who watched her carefully as she looked around. Irene was the light to her life-long darkness. "Maybe she just went for a walk," Freddie suggested. "She should be back soon."

"No," Levi whispered.

"Yes, she does this all the time. She never slept as well as she should. She hated the dark." Freddie bit her lip. "Let me fetch my father. He can help us find her."

"There's dust on her things."

"She's a messy girl."

"Winifred."

"I will quickly return. Let me just—" She left Levi in the hall, running to her father's bedroom, where she politely knocked. Light leaked from beneath the door; he had not yet retired for the night. When he answered her calls, blearily blinking at her and scratching his head, she reached for his hand. "Father, Irene is missing, you see, she is not in her room."

He look suddenly awake, every inch of his face tightening, his shoulders stiffening. He dropped both hands to his sides. "Darling, calm down," he said tersely.

Levi came to stand behind Freddie. "You ought to tell her about Irene, sir."

"This is Levi, father, a friend of mine who said he will help me," Freddie interjected.

"Winifred, darling, I want you to listen to me," her father said. He squeezed Freddie's hand. "Irene is not here."

"I told you she is missing. Of course she is not here."

"I mean, Irene was never here. She does not exist."

Freddie felt empty, purged of blood and air and life. She stepped back, colliding with Levi, who held her as she shook her head, over and over again, refusal written in her round eyes. "Do not be ridiculous," she stuttered. "Irene is my sister." When her father looked away, she cried. "Why?" she sobbed, rending her nightdress and wringing her hands.

Her father looked older than she had ever seen him, the lines under his eyes prominent, the circles dark. "The clan is cruel; they did not accept you differences. And you, you were only a child. You were so lonely and your aunt, she stopped at nothing to isolate you. I could not bear to watch it." He rubbed his forehead. "I created Irene so you were not alone. You were so much happier having her around. I did not think—"

"I would have figured all this out sooner or later," Freddie croaked.

"I did not know what else to do."

Levi escorted Freddie to her bedroom that night, standing in the doorway as she crawled beneath her sheets, her eyes red and skin pale. He leaned against the wooden frame, arms tightly folded over his chest. Freddie watched him watching her, his face crumpled, his shoulders tight, as if he did not wish to leave her there, alone with her thoughts and the pallid moonlight. "I'll fight with you," he said, and then more quietly, "I'm sorry."

"We can be alone together," she replied, voice brittle.

Levi shoved his hands in his pockets, slowly nodding. "Yeah, we can." He turned to leave. "I'll see you in the morning, Winnie."

"Winnie?"

He looked over his shoulder. "Don't like the nickname?"

"Not particularly."

The next day, Freddie slept late into the morning, waking only when her maid knocked on the door, announcing that breakfast would be served within the hour. She scrambled from her bed, stumbling and flailing when her legs tangled with the sheets. She stood just as the door opened, forcing a smile as she attempted to smooth her hair. "I will be down in just a moment," she said quickly. Her maid dipped her head, mumbling an apology before backing out, carefully closing the door. Once Freddie was sure she was alone, she sat on the edge of her bed, tracing the floorboard's wood-grain. Yesterday, she would have met Irene in the hall, laughing because they had both overslept. They would both eat waffles for breakfast and lounge around the house, refusing to change if they had nowhere to be. Freddie gripped her mattress, wrinkling the sheets between her fingers. The weight of her father's words settled in her chest as if her blood was made of lead and it had hardened in her heart. She did not bother to change or tie her hair.

Levi sat at the table, wearing the same clothes he had worn the day before. His hair was tousled from sleep, sticking out at all angles, and he had shadows around his eyes. He looked up when he noticed her in the doorway. "Winnie," he exclaimed, brandishing a smile like a sunrise before his expression faltered. "How are you?"

She took her seat, smoothing her nightdress and giving him a stony stare. "I am just fine, thank you for asking. And how are you?"

He started to speak, opening and closing his mouth several times before sighing. "You don't have to be fine, you know."

"You said you would teach me to fight Beyond the Boundary, correct?" She twirled her fork against the tablecloth. "I would very much like to start today."

"But—"

"I do not wish to speak of it," Freddie murmured. "I am trying to forget. I suggest you do the same." She set her fork down, meeting Levi's leaf-green gaze. "Will you please begin teaching me today?"

Levi looked down. "Yes."

CHAPTER FOUR

He did not take training easy on Freddie, constantly shifting shape, growing larger, smaller, ducking and dodging her shadow scythe. She shied away at first, startled by his grotesque power, how it shook him to the core every time he shifted. "Does it hurt?" she had asked him, and he had given her a short nod, lips pressed thin. She offered an alternative, where he did not have to shift, but he held up one hand, refusing her before she could finish speaking. And so she rushed to him, scythe outstretched and dulled. She stepped right, swung left, and managed to hit his shoulder, knocking him sideways. When he fell, he rolled to one side, contorting his bones as Freddie thrust her scythe forward again and again.

After three hours, Levi raised his white flag, shaking his head and slowly clapping as Freddie turned her scythe back into her parasol. "We've established you can fight. But Beyond the Boundary will create hallucinations, dimensions even, to avoid being subdued."

"How am I supposed to train for that?" she demanded.

He scuffed his foot on the floor.

"Do not tell me you wish for me to train with my father?" She narrowed her eyes. "I will not, not after what he did."

"He did create Irene to keep you from—"

"Do not say her name!"

Levi stepped back. Shadows collected around Freddie's feet, coiling around her body. His forehead creased as his hands fell to his sides. "She was meant to keep you from being lonely, Winnie. Don't remember her with such an angry face."

"I miss her."

He tilted his head. "That will ease with time. Until then, do your best to remember her happily."

The shadows wrapped tight around Freddie, conforming to her curves, encasing her in darkness. "I am alone."

Levi held out one hand. "No, you're not."

She saw Levi then, truly and wholly, in all his steady presence. He arrived without warning, clapping his hand on her shoulder and proclaiming his mission to her, spilling his knowledge into her hands and leaving her to decide what to do with it. He returned, lived down the hall, held her when she cried. Although Freddie had not known him long, she could see loneliness in his garden eyes, shadows she simultaneously felt stinging her every nerve. To her, he was a rock, falling fast upon her, unmoving in his landing. She took his hand, releasing her shadows, watching them dissipate in fine mist. "You have impeccable timing."

They approached her father, who ordered Levi to address him as Algernon, at the dining table. Supper was served, steak and potatoes, and Freddie waited until all the maids had left before setting her fork on her plate. "Father, I wish for your assistance with a project I am working on."

Algernon looked up from his meal, lowering his fork and glancing at Levi. "Whatever would you need me for?"

"Beyond the Boundary has appeared over London," she announced.

Her father paled, dabbing his mustache and beard with his napkin. "Darling, do not think you can fight such a beast. Beyond the Boundary is infamous for—"

Freddie leaned forward. "I know quite well what Beyond the Boundary is capable of. You see, Levi has kindly offered to train me to the fullest extent. However, physical stamina is not enough, I must be mentally prepared to fight the youmu. And you are a very accomplished illusionist."

Algernon hastily shook his head. "That is absolutely out of the question."

"For what it is worth, you owe me." Freddie's words hovered heavy in the air, across the table, and her father visibly slouched. "Levi tells me that Beyond the Boundary is capable of illusions and producing hallucinations, even going as far as creating alternate dimensions to avoid being subdued by a spirit hunter. If I am to combat such a thing, I must discern what is and is not real." She folded her hands in her lap, casting a sidelong glance at Levi, who nodded.

"The same goes for me," Levi added.

Algernon buried his face in his hands, dragging his fingers over his eyes. "Very well," he resigned. He straightened, eyebrows knit. "We shall begin tomorrow."

CHAPTER FIVE

The next day, Freddie woke first. She sat on her bed, hands clasped in her lap, watching her window as the sun rose. As the fire-burning rays crested London's silhouette, Levi knocked on Freddie's door, asking if she was decent. She flopped back, pulling her blankets to her chin. "Yes, come in," she yawned.

Levi's hair was disheveled, and he had red marks on his cheek from where he had lain on his pillow hem. He blearily smiled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Has anyone else ever called you Winnie?"

"Excuse me?"

He sat on her vanity. "You heard me."

Freddie sat up, narrowing her eyes. "No, I have never been called such a girlish name, except by you. Why do you ask?"

"I think it's cute," he said, crossing his legs and resting his hands on his knees.

She rolled her eyes, kicking her sheets aside and standing. "You would be alone thinking that," she dismissed, stretching her arms over her head. Standing at the window, she pressed one hand to the glass, and the pane fogged up. Flurries fell from gray clouds, sticking to the grass, encrusting Freddie's backyard in white. Irene always loved to build snowmen. "Are you ready to battle my father's illusions?"

Levi combed his fingers through his hair. "It can't be that hard."

Freddie crossed the room, opening her armoire and thumbing through her dresses. She glanced over her shoulder. "Do not underestimate the power of illusions. I lived twenty years with Irene none the wiser," she quietly reminded him. Plucking a loose-fitting emerald dress from its hanger, she turned. "Now leave. I must change, and so must you."

They reconvened in the kitchen after Freddie had changed and powdered her nose. She wore her hair down, wishing not to be bothered by falling clips and ties. Levi cleaned himself up, combing his hair and changing into a tunic and pants he borrowed from Algernon. Freddie's maid announced that Algernon would be waiting for them in the training room, which was really just a regular room without furniture to inhibit movement. They quickly ate breakfast before being escorted to where Algernon waited, hands clasped behind his back.

Levi insisted ladies first, backing against the wall. Freddie stepped forward, lifting her chin, clutching her parasol in one shaking hand. Algernon made the first move and suddenly the room darkened, pitch-black, and Freddie could hear muted shuffles, crawling noises, invisible things moving closer. She felt them as they wrapped tentacles around her ankles, pulling her down. She fell to her knees, swatting at them, screaming when she could see one clearly, its face grotesquely twisted, oozing blood and slime. Scrambling backward, she bent shadows in vectors, pointing to the creature latched to her leg. The thing froze, eyeing each vector with unfocused, bulging eyes before suddenly lurching forward, biting down on Freddie's hand. She dropped her parasol, kicking, panting, panicking. She shrieked, flung her head back, when the creature bit holes in her skin, crunching her bones. Vaguely, she heard Levi repeatedly calling her name, before managing to kick the thing away, standing and reaching for her parasol.

The creature hit the wall, she heard the thump, and when it started moving again, she braced herself for its ugly face and horrible sounds, but her heart stopped when Irene stepped from the shadows. She stood there as if glowing, her skin luminescent, her eyes bright. She smiled the way she always used to smile at Freddie, the corners of her eyes crinkling. When she spoke, Freddie started backing away. "You are not real," she muttered. "You are not there."

Irene looked hurt, frowning. "Why would you say that? I am your sister, Freddie."

She pressed her hands to her ears, shaking her head. "No, you do not exist." She stiffened when

Irene leaned forward, stroking her forearm. "I love you, Freddie." Her face suddenly twisted, and her soft hand closed around Freddie's throat, fingers digging into her skin, choking her.

Freddie grappled at her sister's hands, feeling her lungs begin to burn, her skin bruises beneath Irene's hand. "No," she gasped, knees collapsing beneath her.

Levi's voice cut the darkness. "Freddie," he shouted, sounding close and desperate and scared. "What are you doing to her? Freddie, it's not real!"

It felt real. She felt her heart slow, her vision darkening, all of it, she could feel it. Freddie furiously tugged at Irene's hands, reminding herself again and again that Levi was right there, whether she could see him or not, that he was right, Irene was not real. Irene had never been real.

She kicked forward, and Irene stumbled back. Freddie pointed her parasol, watching shadows devour the black lace, morphing it into a scythe. She rushed forward, feeling all at once scared and sad and angry. The blade of her spear split Irene in half, and her sister fell in two pieces, shock embedded into her beautiful blue eyes. The darkness lifted after that, revealing the training room and Levi standing beside her, his forehead creased. Freddie faced her father, glaring. "What on earth were you thinking?"

Algernon looked pained, his wrinkled face pallid. "Beyond the Boundary will not hesitate to delve into your worst nightmares."

Freddie took a step back, bumping into Levi, who watched her still, searching her face as if looking to find wounds there. She absently patted his shoulder, refusing to look him in the eye. "You are next," she mumbled.

When her father and Levi began, Freddie saw no difference in the room and realized her father created one-sided illusions. She sat against the wall with her knees to her chest, setting her parasol beside her. Watching him react to invisible threats, she felt an odd stirring in her chest, a skip of her pulse, and she held one hand to her collarbone. He stiffened, backing up, holding one hand out, eyes wide. His chest quickly rose and fell, his lips slightly parted as he whispered incoherently. She frowned, wondering if she should get up or say something, but contented herself with gripping her sleeves and biting her lip. When he fell, screaming, clutching his chest as if holding himself together, she lurched forward, reaching to him with one hand. "Levi," she whispered, looking away when she saw tears in his eyes.

"Winnie!" he rasped, rolling over, stretching toward the wall. He dragged himself to where he thought she was, holding one hand to empty hair, patting it, pressing his ear against a nonexistent chest. "Wake up," he begged.

"I'm here," she called, standing and stepping forward. Her father shook his head, narrowing his eyes, warning her to stay back. She faltered, wishing to hold him, console him. "Levi, I'm right here," she repeated.

When he managed to get to his feet, he stood, holding his arms out to either side with a terribly determined and agonized expression. "Don't touch her," he growled, then gasped, collapsing to his knees then falling to one side as if someone had stabbed him, impaled him. He pressed both hands to his stomach.

Freddie ran to him, ignoring her father's sharp warnings, kneeling beside him and leaning to whisper in his ear. "You know this is not real. Stand up, Levi. You will be alright."

Recognition flashed in his eyes and he stiffened, pushing himself up, glancing over his shoulder, face crumpling before he looked away. He stood and began growing, twisting, disforming his body, throwing one unnaturally long arm forward and using bones protruding from his fingertips to stab whatever enemy lay in front of him. His eyes suddenly widened, his form returned to normal, and he turned, facing Freddie, lips parted although no words escaped them. He looked as if he wanted to jump or explode or implode on himself. She smiled and nodded.

That night, after Freddie retired, she sat on her windowsill instead of curling beneath her blankets. She braided, unbraided, then re-braided her hair, watching Beyond the Boundary's starry spots melt into marbled smears. When someone knocked on the door, she stifled laughter. "Come in, Levi."

He peered into the room before slipping inside and shutting the door. "How are you feeling?" he asked, walking to stand beside her, squinting at the youmu.

"I am alright," she replied, resting her hands in her lap. Frowning, she rubbed her thumbs together. "And you?"

Levi nodded, swiftly glancing at her before looking away, clearing his throat. "What— What did you see?"

Freddie took a deep breath. "I saw Irene. She meant to kill me, I think." She did not look at Levi when she added, "I am not sure what you saw, but you should not worry. I am not going anywhere."

"I said your name, didn't I?"

"Cried for me like a baby would, yes."

Levi's cheeks flushed. "I did not cry."

"Sure you did," Freddie laughed, cuffing his shoulder. "But I think I understand." She smiled. "Are you ready to fight Beyond the Boundary? We succeeded today."

"Only after breaking each other's illusions."

"Be that as it may," Freddie said. "We will have each other while fighting. I believe we are as prepared as we will ever be."

Levi's forehead creased and he looked up, tracing the youmu's dome. "You want to go after it tomorrow, then?"

Freddie nodded, standing. She silenced the thunder in her ears with a deep breath.

CHAPTER SIX

Levi brought Freddie to meet the youmu who raised him, a young woman named Charlotte, who dressed as an old woman would, keeping her hair neatly tied in a bun. She greeted Freddie with a warm smile and soft handshake, ushering her inside, where Freddie could smell apple scented candles. According to Levi, Charlotte knew how to approach Beyond the Boundary; she had lived long enough to retain such valuable knowledge.

Charlotte sat on a plush, red chair, crossing one leg over the other and smoking a cigarette. "You will need a youmu stone. You see, Beyond the Boundary swallows lesser youmu to gain power. Holding one will force it to try swallowing you as well, giving you weightlessness. Once you're close enough, you can strike." She handed Levi a metallic blue-and-green stone. "This is strong enough to carry both of you, so long as you hold hands while ascending." She narrowed her eyes. "Do not do anything rash. I would not like to see my son taken out by such a nuisance."

Levi turned the stone over in his hands. "I'm not really your son."

Charlotte breathed smoke from her nostrils. "You're as good as." Smiling, she turned to Freddie. "Youmu cannot reproduce. Levi here is the closest I will get to a real family."

Levi pressed his hands against the table, standing. "We should go."

Freddie looked between Levi and Charlotte, holding a hand to her smile. "I think that is very sweet."

"It's not sweet. It's just the way things are," he grumbled.

They walked in step with one another to the heart of London, standing between a café and stationary shop, watching the sky-bound youmu as it produced thunderous groans and gusts of wind. Waiting for the last storefront's lights to go out and the last shopkeeper to return home, they stared at the ground, eyebrows knit, faces pale. When the time came to attack, Levi gripped Freddie's hand, squeezing until her bones creaked. She held fast to him, digging her fingernails into his skin. She did not wish to imagine what could happen if she fell. Nodding when Levi glanced at her, her pulse quickened as he lifted the blue-and-green stone to the sky, and they began hovering, gently at first, before rocketing to the clouds.

Levi pulled Freddie close to him, tucking her in the crook of his arm, neck veins bulging with effort. "Get ready to strike," he managed, grip tightening.

Freddie generated shadows in the shape of a scythe, similar to the one she used around her parasol. She pressed her lips together, squinting against the wind, wishing she could block out Beyond the Boundary's groans. When she nodded, Levi flung her ahead of him, and she raised her scythe. Every muscle screamed and she grimaced, holding her weapon with white knuckles, preparing to strike. She swung, slicing the air, burying her blade deep in the youmu. For a moment, she and Levi hung suspended in time, hovering as the world silenced, the wind ceased. And then Beyond the Boundary erupted in fire, exploding outward, and Freddie felt a terrible pain in her chest, a burning that spread through every nerve and every limb. She attempted opening her eyes against the violent light and saw an endless stream of marbled, star-stuff pouring into her ribcage. Then she saw darkness.

She woke in her bedroom, buried beneath layers of blankets with a bouquet of slightly wilted flowers on her bedside table. Her body ached, and she gasped as she shifted, joints stiff. Her curtains had been drawn and the lamps unplugged, leaving her engulfed in velvet blackness until the door opened, and Levi stood, silhouetted, with all the light behind him. He seemed momentarily frozen, eyes wide and jaw slack. Freddie smiled, her lips cracking. "We did it," she tried to say, but her voice failed her. She tried again without success.

Levi crossed the room and handed her a glass of water from her bedside table. "Drink this," he ordered, sitting down on the edge of her bed.

Freddie drained the glass, thirstier than she had thought, taking a deep breath once she had finished. "We did it," she said again, voice emerging as a raspy whisper. When Levi looked away, wringing his hands in his lap, she narrowed her eyes. "Did we not? I struck it, I felt it disintegrate. Levi, tell me we subdued it."

"Winnie," he began, pausing and tangling his fingers in his hair, which he had not bothered to comb. There were shadows beneath his eyes. "Please," he begged.

"Tell me what happened."

He deflated, looking around the room as if trying to find an excuse or distraction. "When you struck Beyond the Boundary, it grew desperate. It could not survive on its own." He reached for Freddie's hand. "It went inside you, Winnie, to avoid death."

She shook her head, suddenly numb. "No, that is impossible. I saw it explode." She remembered, then, the stars burying themselves in her, cramming into her chest. She remembered feeling as if she would burst with the weight of them. "Oh my goodness," she whispered. "Is it— is it inside me now?"

Levi slowly nodded. "Winnie, you've been unconscious for two months."

She inhaled sharply. "Excuse me?"

"After you stabbed the youmu, it exploded, literally. You were the closest to it, you absorbed everything, and then you fell. I tried to catch you, but you fell faster than me. You were glowing, your skin was all speckled and marbled like Beyond the Boundary. When you opened your eyes, they were black and yellow. I had to subdue you."

"Am I a youmu?" Freddie held her breath.

"You are Winnie Gladstone, the same as before," he replied. "You host Beyond the Boundary inside of you, but it is a separate entity." He smiled crookedly. "We are searching for a way to remove it, but we've got nothing so far."

She shook her head. "No, if we remove it, we release it to the world once more. I believe we've worked too hard for that to happen." She clutched her nightdress, sure of two things: she did not want this entity inside of her, and releasing it would bring them to square one. She would rather keep the latter from happening.

"We don't know of the long-term effects—"

Freddie held up a hand. "If I can keep Beyond the Boundary under control, we've as good as imprisoned it."

Levi's expression fell, full of sadness, grief, as if Freddie were withering before him, vanishing like mist under morning sun. "You're dangerous, you know. By hosting Beyond the Boundary, you risk losing control. Its power combined with yours could destroy cities at a time. The society has decreed your execution upon the time you wake. But if we could remove it, you could—"

Freddie sat back against her pillows, choking on Levi's words. Execution? She had given them the greatest sacrifice, and they wanted to kill her for it. She balled her hands to fists. "I could what? Live?" She lifted her gaze, stonily meeting Levi's. "At what expense?" She took a deep breath, resting her hands in her lap, turning to face the window. "I have made my decision. Please alert the society, tell them I am awake, and that I am waiting."

The society returned Algernon's telegram, agreeing to arrive the next day. Levi waited at Freddie's bedside as she slept off her exhaustion. She periodically woke, stroking Levi's tousled hair until he woke, too, looking up with heavy lidded eyes. She would smile but he would not smile back, his green eyes glazed over.

"Don't to this to me," he whispered, ducking his head, pressing his lips against her hand.

"I am tired of being the shadow girl," she replied wistfully. "I want to be remembered as something better. I shall haply be remembered with pride." She squeezed his palm.

He tore his hand from hers, standing and backing up, shaking his head, eyes wet. "Don't say that!" he shouted. "You'll be remembered well by those who matter." He covered his face with his hands. "Don't I matter?" he cried, muffled. "Don't leave me, Winnie."

Freddie's pulse quickened and she sat straight, clutching her blankets, trying to swallow a lump that had suddenly formed in her throat. She realized, then, why her father's illusion had destroyed him, remembering how he had stood in front of her invisible body, arms out to his sides, giving what he imagined to be his last for her. Freddie ducked her head, chin to her chest, squeezing her eyes shut. She had already agreed; the society was on their way. She realized, too late, that once upon a time, she may have had another option. "Levi, come here." She held out her arms, embraced him, took him in, burying her head in the crook of his neck. "There is nothing we can do."

"We could run," he said, and she felt his lips brand the words on her skin.

She pulled away, staring into his garden-green eyes, finding home there, wishing she could escape the fate she faced. He desperately wanted to take her away; she saw the glimmer in his eyes, the hope for a happier future. She thought of all she was supposedly capable of, the destruction she could cause. She imagined the world, falling at her hands, and he standing there, blaming himself for being selfish. She would not leave such responsibility on his shoulders. "Alright," she said. "You ought to pack your things now."

She watched his face brighten, his eyes light up as he smiled, quickly kissing the back of her hand and running from the room, light on his feet, probably lighter in his heart. She waited until the door closed before summoning shadows to her fingertips, forming them into miniature spears, testing their sharpness on her arm, pressing down until blood beaded there. She inhaled sharply, fear like acid in her veins. She forced her racing heart to calm, pacing each breath, counting the seconds between, listening for the shuffle of Levi's shoulders outside her door. Once she was sure he had gone, had truly left to pack, that no one lingered there, she pressed the spears against her chest, grinding her teeth together and squeezing her eyes shut. It's for the better, she reminded herself, before pushing each spear through her flesh, between her ribs, into her heart. She filled herself with shadows, from the inside out, choking on them, swallowing darkness with her last breath.

El fin.

BONUS: SNOW ANGELS

Freddie sipped green tea, eyeing the cucumber sandwiches, wondering if she would be able to get away with taking just one more. Across the room, Levi fixed the fireplace, adjusting the logs so the flames would sooner catch than die. While he was not looking, she plucked another sandwich from the tray and nearly inhaled it, quickly chewing, swallowing, and chasing it with an unladylike gulp of tea. He turned around only after she finished, and she smiled, proud of her accomplishment and thankful he had not finished earlier. He smiled back, dazzling and crooked, eyes gleaming, none the wiser. Freddie set down her cup, looking out the window at the snow, falling thick and fluffy, inches of it having already accumulated. She stood, smoothing her skirts. "Are you up for making snow angels?" she asked.

Levi glanced between the window and Freddie, eyebrows raised. "You want to go outside?"

"I want to make snow angels," she corrected him. "My father has a snowsuit you can borrow."

After changing, they met in the foyer, bundled in layers and gloves and scarves. Freddie wore a hat and frowned as she unsuccessfully adjusted it, gloves pulling the fabric to one side. After a few attempts, she gave up, allowing it to lay lopsided. She led the way to the backyard, where the Gladstone estate boasted a broad courtyard that Freddie swore looked like an Eden in the summer. She ran ahead of Levi, tipping her head back, catching snowflakes on her tongue and raising her hands, encrusting her black gloves in white. She turned to face Levi, flashing a smile, before flopping onto her back, feeling the snow dampen her hair, slip down her collar, melt beneath her shirt. She moved her arms and legs back and forth, hoping her snow angel looked picturesque, like the kind she saw drawn in Christmas shopping advertisements.

When she stood, boots pressing against already-flattened snow, she looked around for a way to step around her angel without ruining the lines. Eyebrows knit, she tapped one gloved hand to her chin, measuring the distance it would take for her to jump. She bent her knees, preparing to leap as far as she could, but stopped when Levi held one arm across her chest.

"Slow down, there," he laughed. He wedged his hands beneath her armpits, lifting her like a child and setting her down in front of him. Regarding her angel with a crooked smile, his gaze shifted to Freddie, garden eyes tracing her silhouette. His cheeks turned pink and he rubbed his nose, gesturing to her snow angel. "It's pretty."

Freddie poked his chest. "You make one." She watched him dither, thinking it over, looking around him and patting his hands against his thighs. When he turned to walk closer to the tree-line, she shook her head. "No, make yours next to mine, so we can compare height differences."

Levi half-turned, raising an eyebrow. "With your hat and boots, your angel will be taller than you. That's cheating."

She waved her hands. "I could use a few inches, anyway. Go on!"

He rolled his eyes and sat down, knees bent to his chest, before falling back, stretching out in the shape of an 'x' and waving his arms and legs. When he stood, he easily stepped from his angel without blurring the silhouette, stumbling in a slightly deeper section of snow. Coming to stand beside Freddie, he faced the two angels, stifling laughter. "Even with the height boost, you're short," he commented.

"I am still stronger than you," she muttered.

Levi knocked her hat from her head, broadly grinning and dancing backward as she lunged, one gloved hand outstretched. "I'm faster," he teased. He ran when she chased him and despite his boasts, she managed to catch him, closing one hand around his hood and tackling him from behind, knocking him face-first to the snow.

She sat on his back and folded her arms over her chest. "Apparently you are not."

"Let me up," he said, voice muffled.

"Not until you admit that I am stronger and faster," she argued.

He took a deep breath before mumbling, "Fine." Rolling over when Freddie jumped to her feet, he looked up at her. Her hair had crusted in snow and her cheeks and nose had turned cherry red. "You win," he said.

She held out one hand, pulling him to his feet.