Page 126 of Incubus
That was when Nathan realized that Walter was no longer in the corner.
Jim turned slowly, making Nathan clutch at the sheets when he saw his brother’s face. Slit eyes that almost seemed to glow inthe dark stared back at him, Jim's expression eerily blank. Jim said nothing but began a slow progression forward.
"Jim?” Nathan croaked. “What's going on?"
Jim's head tilted to the side as he continued forward, almost as if he was curious, but he didn’t speak.
"Okay, now you're creeping me out," Nathan said, pushing back against the headboard. "This isn't funny, Jim.Jim."
Jim reached the bed quickly with his long strides, his face completely devoid of emotion, eyes slit andnotblue, Nathan realized, but amber, like the Messenger’s had been.
Nathan’s breath hitched when Jim leaned over him, regarding his entire figure like he didn't know him, like some inquisitive predator. "Jim, come on...snap out of it," Nathan said, pressed back so tightly into the headboard that it hurt.
Jim just leaned in closer.
“Jim, please,” Nathan tried again.
Closer.
"Jim…"
Closer.
“Jim!”
"Huh?" Sasha sputtered and coughed, stirring suddenly in his chair.
Nathan's eyes darted to the incubus and he almost cried out, but when he looked again at Jim, his brother was pulling back, blinking tirednormalblue eyes like he had no idea how or why he was even standing there.
Walter appeared again in the corner as if he had never left, looking more worried than ever.
"Did you say something, Nathan?" Sasha said groggily. "Is everything okay?"
Nathan stared, looking from Walter back to Jim, who honestly looked so confused as he scrubbed a hand down his face that Nathan almost could have believed he dreamed the whole thing.
"This is bad, Nathan," Walter said, rising from his chair and moving across the room. "I wanted to tell you right away, but I wasn’t sure how. When Jim's eyes change and he uses his powers, I've always felt a certain pressure pushing me away. In the warehouse when he killed Gabriel...I was banished. It happened again just now. I know you don't want to hear this, Nathan, but...Jim's Awakening may be closer at hand than you want to believe."
"Nate?" Sasha prompted again."I'm fine," Nathan said. "I think I was just...having a bad dream. Sorry if I woke you guys." He eyed Jim carefully, gauging his brother's reaction.
Jim blinked a few times more and then seemed to come back to himself. "Guess I heard you and got up to check even though I was still half asleep," he said, laughing lightly. "I suppose we could go to Schuester's and sleep in shifts so you're not alone."
"Someone say my name?"
Nathan's head jerked to the door, surprised to see the fae collector walking into the room when they usually only ever saw him at his home. Schuester was missing his shadow of a daughter but was carrying a card.
He flicked on the light as he entered and Nathan squinted into the brightness, glad to be rid of the dark. At least for a moment. Nathan's heart was beating so fast after what had just happened, he didn't know how he found a voice.
"Hey, Schu," Nathan said, "I didn't take you for the overly sentimental type." He indicated the card.
"I'm not, actually," Schuester said. "I was asked to bring this in by the nurse at the front desk. Apparently, it had been back there for a few days. She said she was certain it had to be a mistake, but the card seemed to have arrived before you did."
Schuester handed the card to Nathan, and he tore into it so it wouldn't look so obvious that his hands were shaking. Therewere so many eyes on him, but the weight of Walter’s gaze felt especially heavy.
A rush of anger and annoyance helped alleviate some of Nathan’s panic when he saw who the card was from.
"Minimal scarring so don't be a baby. Love,Wade," Nathan read and then tossed the card aside. "I hate psychics."
Even Schuester chuckled at the comment.
