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1.
There was probably a word for people who opened their window in the middle of the night because someone was knocking on it, Jamie reflected.
He suspected the word was 'idiot'.
"Good evening."
Possibly, he should add an adjective in front of that 'idiot'. Like 'suicidal'.
"It's night," he said. It was dark outside, and he got school tomorrow. No tests that he knew of, but then there was always the pop quiz and anyway, what he needed to be awake for weren't his teachers.
"Well, but nobody says 'good night' by a way of greeting, do they?"
"I had hopes you were leaving," Jamie said.
"Really? Not that glad to see me, then." Gerald's tone might indicate a certain amount of disappointment or possibly boredom. Jamie thought he could live with Gerald considering him 'boring'.
"I was sleeping." Every morning, in the shower, he looked for marks. He worried about the effect an insect-bite might have on his sanity - it would, he thought, be rather embarrassing to make Mae call her boyfriend just for an insect-bite.
"Having an interesting dream, it appears."
The first time he'd dreamt about the ... thing that got him his first mark, he'd gotten Mae to call school and pretend to be his mother. Then she'd called Alan for him.
Jamie didn't think he really wanted to find out it wasn't possibly to die of embarrassment by having his sister's boyfriend lecture him about sex, hormones and the way the male libido worked.
"Do you know what happened to the last person who came in through that window?" he asked, because he just wasn't feeling awake enough to be subtle about changing the subject, or to lie successfully.
"I'm not the first?" Gerald looked honestly surprised, just briefly enough for Jamie to believe it wasn't an act.
"Apparently, I'm pretty popular in certain circles." Like that of the magician who'd told a demon it was all right to possess him. "Imagine that." He wasn't quite able to drawl the way Nick did, but he'd been practicing. In private.
"I see." Gerald gave him a narrow-eyed look. "So that's how it is, is it?"
"Yup." Jamie hoped he sounded convincing. Even if he had no idea what of.
"Interesting." Gerald's expression relaxed slightly. "I suppose that simply means I'll have to make you an offer you can't refuse now, doesn't it?"
"Oh, don't feel like you have to go to any trouble for poor old me."
Gerald chuckled and for a moment, he was just a not-bad-looking guy being amused at something Jamie'd said. Sitting on Jamie's bed. (Not wearing a coat, Jamie noted - he wondered where it was, or if being a magician meant not needing one.)
He looked nothing like Jamie's dream-lover, but then, Jamie's dream-lover had been a creature from another plane of existence who wanted to possess his body and hadn't cared about killing him in the process.
"I'll be back," Gerald said, rising.
Jamie wanted to say something about that being the cheesiest line ever (and Gerald didn't even put the accent in) but then he felt himself being pulled closer in what definitely wasn't a hug and as lips were brushing his cheek, it seemed a really smart idea to keep his mouth shut.
*
Mae wouldn't approve, Jamie thought. She'd probably call him an idiot (which he was, of course) and use adjectives like 'suicidal' (which applied, clear enough) and then she'd call Alan. Best-case scenario. In a not-so-best case scenario, she'd try to fix things on her own, saving her stupid little brother one more time, and never mind that she might get hurt or that perhaps her stupid little brother didn't want to be saved.
She couldn't save him from himself, anyway. And it wasn't as if Gerald was trying to kill him. Yet.
"Who's sending you flowers?"
On second thought, maybe Gerald was just being clever and subtle about it, worming his way into Jamie's life only to betray him in the end. Except that somewhere on the way, he'd discover that Jamie actually really was the love of his life, inspiring him to reform and swear off his wicked ways forever, after which (five minutes before the end-credits started rolling) he'd die heroically in Jamie's defense.
End of movie, snap back to reality.
"I should know?" Jamie asked. "Maybe they're for Mum. Mum's got a new boyfriend, doesn't she? They probably just got the name wrong at the florist's."
"There isn't any name on the card," Mae said.
"There you go then." Jamie sighed in relief. "They're for Mum."
He thought he'd like for someone to send him flowers. Someone normal. Stupidly good-looking, smart, funny and sensitive would be all right, but basically, someone who wasn't a demon or a person who fed other people to demons sounded just about perfect.
"You thought they might be for you."
"You said they were for me." He'd gotten used to Mae being 'safe' - being someone around whom he could be himself.
"I thought you weren't dating anyone right now."
"I hoped it might be a secret admirer." He fluttered his eye-lashes at her, making her laugh, then sighed. "Alas, my fond hopes were cruelly crushed."
"Well, they might be yours - no name on the card, remember? You want them?"
It would be hours before Mum came home - if she came home tonight at all. Anyone who'd send her flowers clearly didn't know her very well; she wouldn't be home long enough to enjoy them.
"No, thanks."
"Oh well. I'll just put them in some water, then."
Mae didn't need to hope for a secret admirer who sent her flowers. She prefered dictionaries, anyway.
On some days, Jamie found it really hard not to be jealous of her.
*
"Funny thing," Jamie said, before his brains caught up with his mouth, "I was just dreaming about you."
"I'm flattered." Gerald smiled slightly.
"Did you send me flowers?" Jamie asked, just to be sure (of what, he didn't quite know - it'd have been cheesy, yes, to have gotten sent red roses - 'for desire', Mae had told him - but also sort of nice. In a cheesy, if-this-is-the-best-he-can-do-then-I-sure-don't-need-to-worry-about-my-virtue-any-time-soon kind of way).
Gerald shrugged. "I might have."
"That's a 'no', right?" Jamie wasn't sure if he felt disappointed and if so, why.
"I'm a magician," Gerald said.
"Thanks for reminding me, I'd almost managed to forget that." In fact, almost any thought Jamie'd had about this whole thing ended with the fact that his visitor was a magician. Mae wouldn't trust him. Mae's boyfriend might try to kill him. Mae's boyfriend's brother would definitely try to kill him, and probably succeed, too. His mother would tell him he was too old for these kinds of games. His father would ask him if he was on drugs.
Somewhere on this world, there had to be someone Jamie could talk to about this.
"I can offer you the power to make your every dream come true. Why would I send you roses?"
And somewhere on this world, there had to be someone who'd used that first line dozens of times. While playing the role of the villain in a cheesy superhero movie.
"Because you want to pretend you want me for my body?" Jamie suggested. He thought someone should take Gerald to the movie-theater some time. Several times, actually.
"I don't."
"You did send me red roses. That means 'desire'. Because, you see, I asked if you'd sent me flowers and you asked why you'd be sending me roses, but you'd only know they were roses if you'd sent them, so I'm guessing that means you do want me for my body."
Whoa. He hadn't talked like that since Alan'd saved his life - and he'd never talked like that to anyone not Mae. Maybe he should reconsider this whole talking-to-a-dangerous-magician-while-half-asleep thing.
"Oops," Gerald said. "You caught me."
"You want me for my body." Given that he was talking to a magician, Jamie realized, gave more than one meaning to that line. "You want to - "
"You're a magician. You would be a valuable addition to my Circle. Your gift is a rare one - not just anyone can become a magician, and of those who have the gift, fewer still are truly talented. Like you are. Think about it, Jamie. Don't you want to be with people who can understand you? People who don't judge you for being who you are?"
"Magicians are people, too. I bet they're just as biased as other people."
"Not in my Circle." Gerald smiled, showing teeth.
"Oh, right. That's why I should join you, instead of some other guy."
"Join me, date me, and let me teach you. I swear you'd never regret it."
"Don't you have any lines that aren't cheesy?"
"Just some suggestions about what might happen to you or to people you care about if you turn down my last offer." Gerald made a dismissive gesture. "I'd much rather keep things pleasant, wouldn't you?"
"Absolutely."
"If you dislike the cheesy lines, I can skip them though. Save some time, eh?"
"Did I say I dislike cheesy lines? I don't dislike cheesy lines. I think cheesy lines are fantastic."
"I don't dislike you, you know," Gerald said. "I'd enjoy dating you, taking you places, showing you off a little. I simply dislike the way you seem intent on letting your abilities go to waste."
The distinction seemed somewhat unclear to Jamie - a bit like Mum saying she'd love him if only he wouldn't be dressing the way he dressed, acting the way he acted, talking to her the way he talked to her and gay.
It seemed an inopportune moment to point this out though, especially since Gerald seemed to have said all he wanted to say tonight.
"Great. That's a load off my mind, that is," Jamie mumbled, after having closed the window.
2.
Mae was worried. This wouldn't have had anything to do with Nick, except that because Mae was worried, Alan was worried, too. Nick wasn't idiotic enough to worry because Alan worried, but he was willing to admit he was a little ... concerned.
He was also a lot determined not to let Alan get himself in trouble again just because Mae's little brother seemed unable to stay out of it. Which was why Alan had been dropped off in Durham to visit with his aunt and cousins, while Nick had headed for Exeter.
Nick would be surprised if Alan didn't show up in Exeter sooner or later anyway, only in taking the car, he'd at least slowed Alan down a bit - and he didn't think Alan'd find it quite so easy to say goodbye to his family either. Nick guessed that'd give him at least a few days to solve Jamie's trouble.
A few days had better be enough.
*
Given the time, seeing all the windows of the Crawford residence dark hadn't surprised Nick. That throwing a small stone against Jamie's window had actually elicited a response had. Someone had thoughtfully left a ladder leaning against the house, which made Nick wonder about the crime-rate in Exeter.
"We've really got to stop meeting like this," Jamie said, then stared. "Um. Nick. Wow. What a surprise."
From his tone, Nick gathered it wasn't an entirely pleasant surprise, although there also seemed a hint of relief in Jamie's voice, like maybe he wasn't entirely sorry his visitor had turned out to be Nick instead of whom he'd expected.
"You're meeting someone who comes climbing through your bedroom-window at night?"
"He's not a demon," Jamie said quickly. "That is to say: not literally. I mean, that would really be very, very stupid, wouldn't it?"
"Yes." Nick let his tone imply that didn't mean he'd ruled it out by default.
Jamie looked hurt. "I'm not stupid."
"I'm sure you don't think of yourself that way." Alan had told him he should be more sensitive and tactful. Nick didn't particularly care about Jamie's feelings, but he supposed things might proceed more smoothly if he managed to keep Jamie calm.
"On the other hand," Nick continued, "you did allow a demon to get in through your bedroom-window."
"I did not." Jamie looked indignant, then repeated, in a tone that was a great deal meeker: "I didn't. Did I? I don't think I did. I haven't even dreamt about that first demon for weeks."
Nick sighed. "I'm a demon." He didn't think of himself as one, most of the time. He didn't have anything in common with the creatures magicians summoned to do their dirty work - except that he was one of them. "You let me in easily enough."
"Oh." Jamie looked relieved. "Well, but you're not really a demon, are you?"
Apparently, Jamie simply thought Nick had been faking the whole thing.
"Look," Nick said, "I don't care if you've got some boyfriend you want to keep a secret. I don't care if you've got a dozen."
"And you've come here just to let me know that?" Jamie asked, offering Nick a tremulous smile. "I uh appreciate the support. Really. Nice to know you uh don't care."
Nick scowled. He'd liked it better when Jamie had been scared of him. "Mae's worried about you." Alan would have added that he was worried, too, that he cared. Nick wasn't Alan.
"Is Alan here, too, then?"
"No," Nick said curtly.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to imply I wasn't happy to see you, too. I was just curious. The two of you are very close." Jamie sounded a little wistful.
"Yes, we are." That was why Nick had dropped Alan off to go see his family. Because he trusted Alan to know his bond with Nick was stronger than his bond with some people who only happened to be related to him by blood. "Now, are we going to do this the easy way, or the hard way?"
"Um, what are we going to do, exactly?"
Nick would always be Alan's brother. "You're going to tell me what the problem is, and I'm going to solve it." Nick just hoped it didn't have anything to do with school, or something stupid that would require him to be sensitive and tactful. If that was the case, he'd have to wait for Alan after all, although at least a problem like that was unlikely to pose a threat. It would still be a nuisance.
"As easy as that?"
"As easy as I can make it," Nick said. Jamie looked dubious. "I won't tell Mae about it if you don't want me to." It was an easy enough promise to make, given that Nick had no intention of even letting Mae know he was here.
"Well," Jamie said, "it's more or less like this ... "
*
The good news, Nick comforted himself as he climbed down the ladder, was that Jamie's problem was one Nick could do something about with a big sword. Magicians weren't people to be negotiated or talked with. The easiest thing to do would be to kill Gerald and dump his body somewhere a good distance away from Jamie's house.
Of course, that would only work if Gerald was acting on his own, without the knowledge of his Circle.
For now, Nick decided, he'd just observe, see if he could track down Gerald.
*
"Maybe he's given up." Jamie sounded like he didn't really believe that to be the case, but was willing to make an effort to do so if Nick told him to.
"Unlikely." People like Gerald didn't give up. Still, Nick hadn't been able to find any trace of Gerald's presence in Exeter.
"Maybe he's afraid to try anything with you here." That idea clearly held more appeal to Jamie.
"How would he know I was here?" It had been night when Nick'd arrived. In theory, he supposed it was possible Gerald had spotted him.
"I'm not a magician." Jamie shrugged. "Well, I am, of course," he corrected himself before Nick could, "I just don't know much about spells. Or anything, really. I can't even fly."
"Lots of people can't fly," Nick told him without much sympathy. "Including me." He'd flown once, but that hadn't really been him. Nick had never flown. He suspected he'd get sick aboard an airplane even worse than when he'd been on the ferry.
"Then how did you get up to my window?" Jamie looked confused.
"It's called a ladder," Nick said. "There's one standing to the side of your house."
"Oh." Jamie blinked. "Maybe I should put it somewhere else?" he proposed.
"Don't you think it's a little too late for that?" On the other hand, if Gerald could no longer just use the ladder, he'd have to use different methods to get inside. For a magician, getting into someone's house wasn't exactly difficult, but thus far, Gerald hadn't needed to make any effort at all. Besides, there were ways to protect a house against magical intruders.
Of course, Jamie'd have to leave the house sooner or later. That was fine with Nick, though. He didn't want to avoid a confrontation entirely. He just wanted one that took place on his terms.
"Nick? Are you all right?"
"I'm fine. We're going somewhere together this weekend."
Jamie blinked. "You're asking me out on a date?"
"No, we're just going somewhere," Nick said.
"Together," Jamie said. "To most people, that's a date, you know? Going somewhere together? But clearly," he added hastily, seeing Nick's expression, "we're not most people and so that's clearly not the case here. We'll just go on a not-date. Great. Can't wait."
Nick couldn't wait either. The sooner he got this over and done with, the happier he'd be and the smaller the chances were of Alan getting mixed up in it.
Right now, Nick reflected as he climbed down the ladder, Alan was probably still in Durham, with his Aunt Natasha and her kids. Nick should probably give him a call tomorrow or the day after, just to say hello and assure Alan he was all right.
"Oh my God. You're dating my brother?"
*
The way Nick looked at it, he could either spend a lot of time trying to convince Mae he wasn't, in fact, dating her brother, or he could spend a little time just keeping his mouth shut. He wouldn't need to do any lying, as clearly, she'd already made up her mind, and even if Nick tried, he doubted he'd be able to correct her mistake.
Besides, he'd promised Jamie he wouldn't tell Mae about Gerald. Alan might have been able to come up with a perfectly reasonable explanation for having been caught climbing out of Jamie's bedroom window, but Nick wasn't his brother.
"I don't understand why he thought he needed to hide this from me," Mae said. She'd made them both tea and they were sitting at the kitchentable.
"Brothers can be strange sometimes." Nick shrugged.
"Is Alan going to come here, too? Have you moved somewhere nearby? Mum's not going to be back until Monday, so you could both stay the weekend."
"Alan's visiting his aunt," Nick said curtly.
"Oh." Mae's expression turned strange, almost as if she was feeling sorry for him.
"You can call him, if you want. He'll probably come if you ask him to." Nick didn't really want Alan to show up in Exeter just yet, but he didn't think Mae was really going to call.
"He'd come for you, too," Mae said. "You know that, right? It's just that they're his family, too."
"And family's important."
"Hey, my parents might not be the greatest parents in the world, but they're still my parents. I'd be pretty upset if something'd happen to them."
Alan had been upset about what had happened to the woman Nick'd thought of as 'Mum' for close to sixteen years. Nick suspected Alan felt responsible in some way, because he hadn't been able to do much of anything except stand by and watch her burn to death.
She hadn't liked Nick much and the feeling had been mutual, but in doing what she'd done, she might well have saved Alan's life. Nick thought he could feel grateful to her for that, at least.
He knew Alan'd hoped for more than a bit of gratefulness.
"Oh," Mae said softly, clearly misunderstanding Nick's silence. "I'm sorry. I just - it's really late and I'm half-asleep and ... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to remind you."
"It's all right. Time I went back to get some sleep myself." Nick didn't mention he'd only go back as far as his car. Jamie'd suggested he use the guestroom, which had been a ridiculous suggestion while the plan had been to keep Mae in the dark about Nick's presence.
Nick didn't want to sleep in Mae and Jamie's house as if they were family. He might trust them not to try to murder him in his sleep or turn him over to the magicians, but he wasn't about to get them even more involved in his and Alan's lives than they already were - and the last thing he wanted was for Alan to get any ideas in that direction.
The car wasn't the most comfortable place to sleep in, but it wasn't too bad. Nick had brought blankets.
*
If Jamie didn't relax and started acting a bit more like they were just two friends going to see a movie, Nick was going to have to do something. The problem with that resolution was that Nick had absolutely no idea what, exactly, he'd be going to do. Still, he had to come up with some reason not to shove Jamie against the nearest wall and try to shake some relaxation into him right now.
Nick didn't think the whole threatening-someone-to-get-them-to-relax thing would really work, anyway.
"People are noticing us," Jamie said. "Are people supposed to be noticing us?"
"I have that effect on people sometimes." Normally, the looks Nick'd be getting from women would be appreciative. Now, they were more along the lines of regretful.
Oh well. Nick wasn't here to pick up girls.
"They're all going to think you're like me." Jamie sounded like he'd only realized this just now. Nick had thought it rather obvious. He couldn't say it particularly bothered him.
"So?" Unlike Jamie, Nick wasn't afraid of a little trouble. It helped that he didn't plan on showing his face in this town again any time soon. Even if he drew attention, it wouldn't matter, because he'd be gone soon. Jamie and Mae'd still be here, of course, but the magicians already knew that much.
"You said this wasn't a date."
"I don't have a problem with other people thinking it is," Nick said. "Obviously, you're not included in that category," he added, hoping that would settle the whole date thing once and for all.
"See, I can't help but feel that's just a little bit weird. I mean, most people would definitely be uncomfortable - and you didn't exactly seem very happy when I mistook you and Alan for something other than brothers. I simply don't understand you at all."
Nick was tempted to reply the feeling was mutual. "Alan and me are brothers."
"You don't like that he's dating Mae, do you?"
"I'm happy as long as Alan's happy." That was the way it worked. Nick was pretty much okay with anything that made Alan happy, as long as Alan told him about it. He knew it bothered Alan sometimes that Nick didn't really seem to be able to connect to anyone else.
"Then I guess Alan isn't happy very often," Jamie said. Nick glowered at him. "Or maybe you're just really good at hiding your feelings of happiness," he added quickly. "That's it, isn't it? On the inside, you're all rainbows and sunshine."
"I said 'happy' not 'idiotic'."
"So it doesn't have anything to do with, you know, you and Mae? Because I could be mistaken, but the two of you seemed to get along pretty well for a while there."
"I'm not interested in dating Mae," Nick said. "Can we talk about something else now?"
"Sure. What would you like to talk about?" Jamie seemed slightly relieved, although Nick had no idea why. He also didn't have a clue how to answer Jamie's question. He just wanted Gerald to stop pussyfooting around and make his move so that Nick could kill him.
"Anything."
He'd liked Mae, yes, but he'd never imagined building a future with her. That was Alan's fantasy, and since there were plenty of other girls for Nick to date, Nick didn't see why he should have a problem with Alan dating this particular one. Other than the fact that she was a nuisance.
*
Of all places Gerald could have chosen for a confrontation, he chose a small lunchroom near the movie-theater. Clearly, Nick reflected with some regret, he wanted to talk - and with Jamie to keep an eye on, Nick didn't like his chances of following Gerald afterwards to a place where they might enjoy a bit more privacy.
"Well, isn't this an amazing coincidence!" Gerald beamed at Jamie, who smiled back nervously. Nick wanted to kick him, except that he was afraid that wouldn't help.
"Considering you've been following us for close to three hours, I'd hardly call it a 'coincidence'," Nick replied. "And who said you could sit down there?"
"Oh, I'm sorry." Gerald actually got up again. Nick scowled. "How unforgivably impolite of me. Is it all right with you if I sit down here, Jamie?"
"Yes?" Jamie looked at Nick. Nick looked at Gerald.
Gerald looked at them both and smiled as he sat down again. "They do serve excellent tea here, you know. I've been here many times."
"How utterly interesting." Nick wondered if Gerald was merely making small talk or if there was some sort of hidding meaning to his words. Even if there were other magicians with him, Nick couldn't imagine them doing anything in a public place like this one. "Do go on. I'm not quite asleep yet."
Of course, he didn't know everything there was to know about magicians.
"So, Jamie, did you like the movie?" Gerald poured some milk into his tea.
"Yes?" Jamie answered, again in that hesitant tone of voice that grated on Nick's nerves.
Nick thought the movie had been rather boring. He'd have prefered something with a bit more action, even if they usually screwed up the details, like how sword-fighting really worked. Alan maintained a light-saber wasn't like a sword and so wasn't subject to the same rules, but Nick felt a sword was a sword, even if it consisted of flashy light-effects.
"Really, there's no need to look so nervous." Gerald smiled again, reminding Nick of a fox.
"I could kill you in less time than it would take you to reach for that cup of tea," Nick said.
Gerald ignored him, remaining focused on Jamie. "I told you I like you."
"That wasn't the only thing you told me," Jamie said, showing some spine for the first time since Gerald had sat down. "I think you also threatened to murder my sister and my friends."
"And you do have a lot of those, don't you?" Gerald asked. Jamie flushed.
Nick was getting rather fed up with being treated as part of the furniture. "He's got me."
Somewhat to his surprise, Gerald actually glanced at him this time. "Yes." Gerald sighed. "It seems you pulled the wool right over my eyes, Jamie - making me believe you'd been contacted by a rivalling Circle when, in fact, no such thing was going on."
Jamie looked extremely uncomfortable.
"A pity," Gerald continued, sipping his tea, "but as they say: you win some and you lose some. It seems I've quite definitely lost this one. Congratulations and I'd like to wish you all the best for the future, provided, of course that you have no intention of going up against me and mine."
"Yes?" Jamie said. "I mean, no? I mean - "
"He means he - we don't trust you," Nick cut in.
"I'm sorry to hear that." Gerald's expression was utterly sincere. "May I ask why not? Have I, for example, given you the impression I want to kill myself?"
"K-kill yourself?" Jamie echoed.
Gerald finished his tea. "You're probably the only magician in the world who's controlling a demon who doesn't require you to find it human bodies and which has a power that is next to unlimited. Quite a feat, especially considering your age. Of course," Gerald added, "it might help your sister is dating what it thinks of as its brother, but even so. You've become quite formidable. A bit too formidable for me to take on, truth be told - and as to you joining my Circle, well, I dare say you're not really interested."
"And even if he were, you wouldn't want him to anymore, because he's more powerful than you are." That would be the way Gerald's - or any other magician's - mind worked, Nick knew.
"But - " Jamie began, no doubt to explain that he was no more 'controlling' Nick than Gerald was. Nick kicked him under the table.
"That's the way of it, I'm afraid. And so I must say I sincerely hope we will never meet again."
Nick actually wanted to see Gerald one more time, but he supposed now was hardly the right moment to say so. Nick rather liked having the element of surprise on his side, anyway.
Gerald reached into a pocket of his coat and Nick tensed, but all that came out of the pocket was a wallet. Nick absently noted there were no pictures in it - just a few cards and money.
Jamie stared wide-eyed as Gerald counted out enough money to pay for both his tea and Jamie and Nick's sandwiches before he rose and calmly walked towards the exit.
"Well, that went pretty well, don't you think?" Nick asked, once Gerald was gone.
"Whatever 'that' was. Because I, for one, haven't got a clue what just happened." Jamie shook his head.
"Now you know how I feel," Mae's voice said, coming from a table Nick could have sworn had been unoccupied one minute ago. "Or used to feel, anyway, before Alan clued me in."
*
The four of them went back to Mae and Jamie's house, with Nick driving and fuming in silence.
He wasn't quite sure what kind of arrangements Alan had made with Gerald and his Circle, but Nick knew he didn't like the part where he didn't get to kill Gerald or where Alan refused to go into details.
And then there was the part where he was supposed to go on more not-dates with Jamie.
"The magicians want me and Nick to date?" Jamie asked, looking as bewildered as Nick felt - or close to it, at any rate, if Nick had been inclined towards strong, dramatic emotions.
"We've told them that the two of you are close," Alan explained. Nick noticed the 'we' and decided he didn't like that any more than the rest of this situation. "And you seem to get along well enough. That's not going to be a problem, is it?" he asked, giving Jamie a look Nick had seen him use countless times, and always to the same effect. So much for Jamie backing him up on telling Alan what a stupid idea this was.
"Of course not," Jamie said. Nick scowled.
"Did you even really go to that Walsh woman, or was that a lie, too?"
Mae flinched, as if he'd been asking the question of her, instead of Alan. Who'd kept things from him. Again.
"I did visit Aunt Natasha," Alan said calmly. "I didn't stay the night though."
"Well, that makes it all right then, doesn't it?" Nick snapped.
Jamie edged towards the door to the kitchen. Mae was less subtle.
"Why don't I make some tea?" she asked, not waiting for Nick to tell her he had absolutely no interest in tea, or anything else to drink for that matter. What Nick wanted were honest answers.
"Good idea!" Jamie said. "I'll help." He was practically running, leaving Nick alone with Alan.
3.
On second thought, maybe retreating to the kitchen with his sister hadn't been such a great idea after all, Jamie realized, a little too late.
"How long have you and Nick been dating and why didn't you tell me?"
Jamie took a deep breath. "First of all," he started, "we're not dating." With Gerald safely out of the picture, at least for the moment, Jamie supposed it was safe enough to come out with the truth.
Safe enough for Mae, that was. He himself might need to worry a bit.
"He's just using you for sex?" Mae asked, a little too wide-eyed.
"I wish." Jamie blinked as he realized he'd actually said that out loud, instead of only thinking it. "I mean no, of course not!" It was true that Nick was stupidly good-looking. He was also a little scary and he didn't talk a lot, and when he did open his mouth, it was more often than not to say something sarcastic. Something Jamie might think, but never would be brave enough to say out loud.
Mae looked at him pensively. Jamie flushed.
"I didn't really think tall, dark and handsome was your type," she said at last.
Jamie considered telling her Nick reminded him of the demon who'd first marked him. He didn't think that would go over too well, though. The thing was that even if Nick reminded him of that demon, Jamie was also very much aware of the difference between the two of them.
"I didn't really think it was yours either." That wasn't really fair, considering that she was dating Alan, not Nick, but all the same, Jamie knew she'd liked Nick. Presumably, she still did - just not that way.
Or maybe she did, and she simply wasn't showing it because of Alan.
"Yes," Mae said. "Well."
"Anyway, I don't even think he likes me." Jamie tried to sound cheerful. He thought he succeeded pretty well. It wasn't as if it was anything new for him to like someone who'd never, in a million years, like him back. Now Mae would say something about how a lot of people were stupid and narrow-minded and how Jamie shouldn't let it get him down, because she was sure that somewhere out there was someone perfect for him.
"Of course he likes you!"
"He does?" Mae looked at him as if he was stupid. "He does. Okay. He likes me. Weren't we going to make some tea?"
Mae got the kettle and started filling it with water. "He came all this way to protect you, didn't he?"
"I think that was because you're dating Alan and I'm your brother. I mean, he likes girls, doesn't he?"
"Not that I've really noticed." Mae snorted. "Sure, he does through the motions, but he's never dated anyone for longer than a few weeks. He doesn't keep any pictures or letters or anything."
"Don't you ritually burn those at the next full moon after the break-up or something? I seem to remember something like that."
"I'm a girl," Mae said.
"No!" Jamie gasped. "And here I was all this time, thinking I had a brother who likes to dye his hair pink."
"Seriously, I think he might like you."
"Seriously, I think you're nuts. I mean, nothing terrible ever happened to any of your ex-boyfriends, did it? In fact, didn't that one guy's family win the lottery the day after you put a curse on him?"
Mae scowled. "That was years ago."
"I'm your little brother. I'm entitled to remind you of things like that for the rest of your life."
*
"My brother thinks it's a good idea if I spend some more time with you." Nick's expression and tone made it very clear he didn't quite agree.
"Don't you think that maybe he meant during the day, like normal people? Not, of course," Jamie added hastily, "that I'm saying you're not normal, or that I'm not delighted to see you again. Climbing through my window. Um."
"I'm not exactly normal," Nick said dryly.
"Well, neither am I. In fact, there's probably lots of people who aren't. A good many, anyway."
Nick gave him a long look. "I make you nervous," he said, tone carefully neutral. Jamie opened his mouth to reply. "Probably, there's lots of people making you nervous."
Jamie closed his mouth and considered. That had, in fact, been what he'd been going to say. It wasn't a lie, either. "I try not to let it show."
"Really."
"Yes, really," Jamie snapped. "Because most of the people who make me nervous rather enjoy seeing me nervous, and the last thing I want to do is make it more fun for them to harass me."
"I don't enjoy seeing you nervous."
"You don't enjoy seeing me not nervous either," Jamie said. "You simply don't care at all."
Nick sighed. "It just doesn't make any sense to me. So what if I don't care? It's not like I'm going to hurt you. So why would you need to be nervous around me?"
"Maybe it's got something to do with the fact that you could kill me with your pinkie." Nick lips curled in what might become a smile. "Or just with a bloody big sword or whatever you're carrying around right now."
"I could tell you, but I don't think you really want to know."
"No, I don't think so either."
"So uh how's school?"
Jamie blinked. "You come climbing through my bedroom-window in the middle of the night to talk about school?" Nick scowled. "It's fine, I guess. You?"
"All schools pretty much seem the same to me," Nick said.
"Okay. Can I go back to sleep now, or do we need to have some more small talk? Which, you know, would be absolutely fine with me, not a problem at all."
"You're cranky when you're sleepy."
"So sue me."
"I like it better when you're cranky than when you're being nervous."
"Oh, now you're only trying to sweet-talk me. Just so you know, I'm keeping my window shut tomorrow."
*
Nick might never get nervous, but there were definitely people who were able to make him a little uncomfortable, at least. Such as his brother.
"You've got to be kidding me."
"It's a very practical solution for several problems," Alan said, sipping his coffee. "I've already filled out all the paperwork. You can start right away."
"Don't I get a say in this?" Nick sounded put upon but not, Jamie noticed, as if he really expected to be able to change Alan's mind. "Haven't I got any rights at all?"
"You have the right to go to school." Alan smiled. "Enjoy."
"It'll be fun," Mae said.
"I'm not talking to you."
"As you can see, they've already got you another one of their uniforms, too," Alan continued.
"Just how far in advance did you plan this?" Nick asked.
Alan shrugged. "I like it in Exeter. I thought you liked it here, too."
"Past tense. And you only like it here because of her." Nick gestured at Mae in a way that suggested she wasn't so much a person as an object.
"Methinks the lad doth protest too much," Mae said. Jamie was surprised she wasn't biting Nick's head off. Maybe she liked the idea of Alan wanting to live nearby - although Jamie rather imagined Alan had told her about it before he'd told Nick.
"I'll be near Mae and you'll be near Jamie," Alan said.
Jamie tried to hide behind his bowl of cereals as Nick glowered at him.
"Fine. You want me to be a bodyguard, I can do that."
"Great," Alan said. "That's settled, then."