Flicker by Kaye Thornbrugh Read Free Book Online Page B

sensitive, too quick to form bonds — and he was looking at the girl with big doe eyes , which Filo considered a bad sign . Still …
    “Are you saying she has magic?”
    “It’s possible, but I could be mist aken. She’s already got revel magic clinging to her. That could’ve set me off. But she was painting. Pretty well, too.”
    A thought struck Filo. “What exactly did you offer?”
    “I really don’t think it’s a big deal,” Nasser said, flushing a soft pink.
    “Nasser … ”
    “I traded a book of magic ,” Nasser assured him, and Filo suspected that he was lying, at least in part. Nasser was a terrible liar. “ A spell book. That’s all . Happy?”
    “I’m never happy.” Grimacing, Filo pinched his own arm . The brief, sharp pain focused him. “I can’t believe you did this.”
    “What should I have done ?” Nasser’s tone was defensive now . “ What would you have done?”
    Filo raised his voice to match Nasser. “Minded my own business, like a no rmal person.”
    “Normal?” Nasser scoffed. “Where do you get off calling yourself that?”
    “Where do you get off dragging me into this mess ?” Filo snapped. “It’s not my fault you’re such an idiot.”
    “And it’s not my fault you’re such a frigid bastard,” Nasser countered.
    Filo shook his head. “You talk big,” he said, “but I bet it took all the guts you have to show up here after what you did.”
    “It’s been two years, Filo. You’re six teen now. I thought you’d grown up enough to understand .” Nasser shook his head. “You haven’t changed at all. You’re still just a scared kid.”
    Filo punched Nasser in the face.
    It wasn’t the most powerful punch he’d ever thrown. Far from it. He’d gotten into more serious squabbles with Jason over nothing at all. B ut Filo thought it got his point across.
    Nasser stepped backward, one hand reaching up to touch his che ek with a sigh . Then he balled his hand into a fist and punched Filo back, just once, hard enough for the whole left side of Filo’s face to go momentarily numb with surprise before pain exploded behind his eyes.
    Before he could recover, Nasser seized Filo by the shoulders, dragged him into the hall and shoved him against the wall directly across from the still-open door.
    Filo reached dazedly up to touch his own cheek, which was tingling painfully. He’d known Nasser since Filo was nine years old, and Nasser was twelve. Even then, the older boy had been remarkably even-tempered and gentle. Nasser had never laid a hand on him before.
    Though his mouth was set into a thin line, the expression in Nasser’s eyes was like it had been when twelve-year-old Filo had dislocated his own shoulder, and Nasser had to pop it back into place: sympathetic and concerned, brotherly. This is going to hurt, Filo, but just for a second. It’s for your own good. You’ll be fine. I promise.
    “Do you hate me?” Filo asked quietly. Nasser’s grip on him loosened.
    “No. Of course not. Just like you don’t hate me. ”
    “ You don’t know that ,” Filo muttered.
    “If you did , you would’ve used magic just now . You would’ve hurt me.”
    Filo didn’t answer. He stared at the floor.
    “ I didn’t start this,” Nasser said softly . Filo thought suddenly of how Nasser had never caused him pain if he didn’t think it was for Filo’s own good . “ I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. You know that.”
    Filo looked over Nasser’s shoulder and through the open door. The sunlight spilling through the window made everything look washed-out . He leaned against the wall, suddenly exhausted . Filo sank slowly to the floor, staring blankly at his hands.
    “I don’t want fight with you,” Nasser said, and for a moment, Filo believed him. “I shouldn’t have come to you . Neman and Morgan won’t be happy if they come back and she’s here.” He sighed. “Just forget about it. I’ll figure something else out.”
    In all these years, Nasser had