Page 29 of Sharpen Your Claws

He understood he put his family in a position where they struggled to say no. Matilda wouldn’t speak up out of fear. Robert and Arthur thought it would be disrespectful, and thus troublesome, to say no. He hoped he didn’t make the wrong decision. This could be a test, a way to see if he could help Nicholas, if he could do anything to make the rest of his life as good as it could be.

“Of course.” Robert nodded at Nicholas. “We couldn’t possibly decline, considering all the Darkmoon family had done for Terra. Now, if you will excuse us, we should head out. William will take good care of you.”

Robert offered his hand a second time. Nicholas shook his, then Arthur’s hand, and offered Matilda a smile that she struggled to return. Matilda held William’s hand in a way that questioned why he offered while also hoping he would be alright. He kissed her knuckles reassuringly, then the family left.

“Are you truly giving me a tour?” Nicholas asked once they were out of hearing range.

“Do you want one?” he replied.

Nicholas nodded eagerly. “I want to see everything.”

“Your idea of everything would involve me tearing up the floorboards so you could count the dust bunnies between the crevices.”

“Then show me everything that does not involve tearing anything apart,” he said while tracing the line of William’s jaw like he had never seen William’s smile before.

As much as he enjoyed the attention, he stepped away. “We have attendants here, so we shouldn’t do anything like that in the open.”

Nicholas smirked. “Behind closed doors is acceptable, then?”

He didn’t warrant that with a response. “Shall we start the tour?”

“Absolutely.”

He didn’t give so much of a tour as answered the endless questions Nicholas provided. When he replied, Nicholas’ eyes brightened until they were painful to gaze upon.

He understood caring for patients, how to discover what ailed them and what to do. What could he do with Nicholas though, other than hope his every move didn’t make a shade’s condition worse? Was it right to tiptoe and see if he could do anything? By being together, by giving him what he wanted, was he leading them down a path of destruction? Perhaps the shade would be satiated for now, but would a day not come that resulted in their mutual demise, one way or the other? He couldn’t be certain, and frankly, he didn’t want to dwell on it.

Like he didn’t want to dwell on how enjoyable Nicholas was to watch. He took his time showing Nicholas his home, from the hallways to the drapes to searching for which door hinge may creak and how many steps may shriek. Nicholas was as playful as fae were, in search of trouble, albeit nothing worth worrying over. Acting like this made it seem like the real Nicholas was still in there.

After earlier, that moment where his eyes were pink, he dared to hope Nicholas could be saved. That all he had to do was hold him and the curse of a shade would disappear. Alas, Nicholas’ eyes remained violet through the rest of the day. He clung to William as if letting him go would spell disaster. Sometimes, his grip hurt. His nails pierced skin, or he’d yank William down a hall without realizing how hard he tugged. He knew the fae didn’t mean it, and he hadn’t the heart to say anything. Then they came upon William’s favorite part of the house, which he saved for last for that very reason, the library.

Nicholas laughed. “You must spend the most time here.”

“I’ve never counted, but that is likely correct,” he said.

Nicholas moved through the towering rows that reached the hall of the second floor. A spiral staircase took them up, where Nicholas found a window perch to sit. He smiled, proud of himself long before declaring, “You sit here most.”

William ran his fingers along the book spines nearby. “How are you so sure?”

“I believe you call it a gut feeling.”

Humming, he sat on the perch. “Your gut is correct. It’s quiet.”

“And isolated.” Nicholas always caught what he tried not to say. “Which I imagine isn’t what you always wanted. I bet when you were a child, you sat downstairs by the fire.”

“Another gut feeling of yours?”

“I know you.” Nicholas locked their hands together. “All the stories you shared, it makes the most sense.”

He was right again. Before he was drafted, he thrived off the attention of his family. He didn’t mind them interrupting his reading, typically because they encouraged him to share his interests. Henry entered the library with a new puzzle to try. Arthur asked William for help to find whatever he needed, though he could perfectly do it on his own. Richard dragged him outside when he spent too much time with the curtains drawn. Matilda joined to read or listen to him read aloud and Robert came in for naps, where he snored like a bear, making William laugh. They hadn’t done that in years.

“Yes, a lot has changed,” he said.

Nicholas eyed him. “Like the relationship with your father. He won’t look at you.”

“Is that so?”

“You are too observant not to have noticed. Is this a recent development? You always spoke fondly of him.”

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