Page 79 of Black to Light

They actually had a decent bottle squirreled away back there.

He’d drank down half of his second glass when sirens screamed down the road outside. Jem tracked them with his eyes, but didn’t think much of it consciously at first. Not until they pulled up in front of the doors to the expensive apartment complex across the road.

It had to be a coincidence.

Watching cops pour out of patrol cars and armored vans as the ambulance screeched to a hard stop in front of the doormen, Dalejem knew, somehow, it wasn’t.

It wasn’t a coincidence.

“Fuck,” he muttered.

He slid off the barstool, landing lightly on expensive Italian shoes.

He left enough cash to pay for the two bourbons and one more, and began making his way with long strides for the revolving glass doors that led out to the street.

“Why have you been dodging my calls?” Black’s voice was a growl, his light chaotic and swirling with emotion as soon as Jem heard him pick up on the other end. “What the hell is going on with you right now, Jem? Is it Nick?”

Black seemed to re-think that line of questioning as soon as it left his lips.

“Never mind,” he grumbled. “If it’s Nick, I don’t want to know.”

His voice grew harder, more warning.

“…But if it’s anythingelse,Dalejem, I need you to tell me. Now. I sent you out there for a fucking job. Hell, youvolunteered.Whatever is going on with you, if it’s interfering with what you––”

“Nothing is interfering with anything,” Jem said, irritated. “And nothing is wrong with me. I didn’t have anything to report until now. Both times you called, I was talking to someone, or in a place I couldn’t pick up––”

“Bullshit.” The more emotional yet strangely lighter tone dropped from Black’s voice. He sounded deadly serious now, and borderline dangerous. “Don’t make the mistake of thinking I’m an idiot, Jem.”

“Fine.” Jem exhaled through his nose. “I didn’t want to talk to you.”

He stared out over Fifth Avenue, only halfway paying attention to where he was walking, but knowing it was in the broad direction of Central Park. It was still strange as fuck to be here, even after all this time.

This wasn’t the New York he knew.

The New York Jem knew existed on a different version of Earth.

“You’re right,” he said, exhaling. “It’s Nick. I offered to come on this because we needed some space from one another…” Jem let his words trail, feeling subtly for the other seer’s reaction, then cleared his throat. “It’s nothing serious,” he added, gruff. “Just… you know… mate shit. I’m sorting it out––”

“I didn’t ask,” Black grumbled.

“You sort of did.”

“Well, I’m not askingnow,”Black warned.

His voice and light had calmed, though.

Jem could feel the difference tangibly.

Black cleared his throat. “What about Frasier? Have you managed to make contact with him or Ungerman?”

Jem exhaled. He shoved his hands into his pockets as he walked up the sidewalk. He avoided the stares he got, from both male and female humans.

“Yeah,” he said, frustration reaching his voice. “About that.”

“What?” Black picked up on his tone at once. “What the fuck happened? Were you blown?”

“No.” Jem rolled his eyes. “I wasn’tblown,Quentin.Gaos,give me some credit.” He paused. “Have you seen the news yet this morning? Or last night?”

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