Magic to the Bone by Devon Monk Read Free Book Online

Rocking made him happy.
     
     
    He rocked for a long time, but the man did not go away. Pretty soon, Cody couldn’t help himself. He peeked at the man and saw the man’s quiet outside and his twisting, angry inside. The angry thing inside the man looked back at him. It scared him and he didn’t even know what it was.
     
     
    A snake, the older, smarter part of him said.
     
     
    Cody smiled. He liked it when the older, smarter part of him talked because he was always right. The man was a snake inside. Snake man. Snake man. Snake man. Cody sang it inside his head and he was so happy, he sang it with his mouth too.
     
     
    ‘‘Snake man, Snake man, bake a cake man.’’
     
     
    But that was a bad idea because the Snake man heard him. And the Snake man moved.
     
     
    Cody rocked harder, faster. He rocked even though it made his back hurt and he hit his head on the wall behind him and he had to breathe with his mouth open. He rocked faster so he could get away. Get away from the Snake man who was walking now, walking toward him, walking with soft, slow steps, bending down so he could see all the way into his eyes, so close, the Snake man could bite him. The Snake man was angry. But Cody had been really good. He hadn’t told anyone about the Snake man. He had kept all the secrets.
     
     
    The Snake man reached out and put his hand on Cody’s shoulder. His fingers squeezed.
     
     
    Cody didn’t want to stop rocking. He liked the heat, he liked the wind. He didn’t want to stop and have to just be here, in the room that didn’t have a sky. But the Snake man’s hand made him stop rocking. It made him stop breathing hard. It made him stop everything.
     
     
    Don’t look, the older, smarter part of him said.
     
     
    But Cody had to look. The Snake man made him look, all the way into his snake eyes. All the way into the twisting, burning magic under his skin. And he could not look away.
     
     
    ‘‘Hello, Cody. Do you remember me?’’
     
     
    Cody did remember him. He remembered everything about him. He nodded.
     
     
    ‘‘Good.’’ The Snake man smiled, but only on his outside. On his inside he twisted and burned.
     
     
    ‘‘You did such a good job keeping our secret. Now I have a surprise for you.’’
     
     
    He reached into his pocket and pulled out a very small, gray kitten.
     
     
    ‘‘Oh,’’ Cody said, happy now, happier than he ever had been his whole life. He unlocked his hands from around his knees.
     
     
    Don’t, said the older, smarter part of him.
     
     
    ‘‘Go ahead,’’ Snake man said. ‘‘She’s yours. A friend.’’ Snake man held the kitten out a little more and Cody touched the soft gray fur on her head.
     
     
    The kitten mewed and Cody pulled away.
     
     
    The Snake man’s voice got silky. ‘‘See how happy she is to meet you? She said hello. You are going to be best friends.’’
     
     
    ‘‘Friends?’’ Cody asked. He remembered his friends back home, and he missed them. Missed them maybe more than the sun. Yes, more than the sun.
     
     
    ‘‘Of course she’s your friend. Your new friend. Your best friend. Do you want to hold her?’’
     
     
    No, said the older, smarter part of him. No. Rock. Just rock.
     
     
    But Cody did want to hold her. He wanted very much to hold her. He wanted to hold her more than he wanted to rock.
     
     
    He nodded. ‘‘Good boy,’’ the Snake man said. And then he put the kitten in Cody’s hands. The kitten mewed again.
     
     
    Cody smiled and drew the kitten close to his chest. He bent his head over her to keep her warm and to keep her safe. ‘‘Hello,’’ Cody said. ‘‘Hello.’’ The kitten’s fur was softer than the bunny they had for a little while at the home. It made him happy to have a friend again.
     
     
    ‘‘You did a good job keeping our secret, Cody,’’ the Snake man said. ‘‘I’m proud of you. And because you’ve been so good I’m going to let you keep the