Page 41 of Incubus
Nathan moved stealthily across the backyard as the three of them parted ways. Walter had yet to vanish from Nathan’s side, and would constantly teleport right in front of him whenever Nathan got too far ahead.
Another such appearance had Nathan nearly jumping out of his skin when he reached the detached garage on the other side of the house to find Walter waiting for him.
“Stop that!” Nathan hissed. “How am I supposed to be sneaky when you’re making me jump at shadows?”
“Something is wrong, Nathan,” Walter said. “Sasha and Jim cannot sense anything here. Neither can I. That either means that the woman you mean to watch is not fae at all, or one so powerful she can keep herself veiled. You might need me.”
What Nathan needed was to move closer to the front of the house so he could actually see inside. There were no windows with clear views from his vantage point.
“Nathan—”
“If you’re so worried then why don’t you try being useful?” Nathan snapped. “I’m going to try and get a good view from out here. You wanna help, Walt? Go in there and tell me what you see.”
Walter took a breath, or at least gave the appearance of doing so since he didn’t actually breathe. He always looked the same physically, same age, same somewhat tussled blonde hair and simple black slacks and white button-down shirt. Walter’s expressions were the only things about him that ever changed. It bothered Nathan that even after so many years he still wasn’t always able to read them.
“As you wish,” Walter said, and vanished on the spot.
Nathan sighed. It was completely dark outside now with the sun long set. The small residential area they were in had only one street light on either end of the block, but Nathan still felt exposed when he started to move from the garage to the side of the house so he could creep closer to the front windows and look inside.
Peering around the corner, even from a strained angle, Nathan could finally see the woman they believed to be their quarry.
She was sitting in an armchair, her long dark hair loose around her shoulders, and wearing jewel tone colors that made her skin seem to glow. It looked as if she was talking to someone, but Nathan couldn’t see the full extent of the living room to tell who else might be inside.
A few minutes passed of a conversation Nathan was unable to hear, and then the woman got up and left the room.
Nathan crouched low, debating whether or not he should sneak closer around the front to keep the woman in his sights, or simply trust that Sasha and Jim would pick up the slack.
“Nathan!”
Walter’s voice had Nathan whipping around, shocked when he discovered the dark haired woman standing barely a foot from him. He had seen her inside the house only moments before, but somehow she had managed to sneak up on him.
Walter was visible next to her, but he was flickering, staring with wide, horrified eyes at both of them. Then he was gone.
"Who are you?" the woman asked in a surprisingly calm voice for finding a stranger on her property in the middle of the night. She really was radiant up close in a way that only fae could manage.
"Uhh..." Nathan leaned away from her, itching to reach for a gun or his ankle blade. He considered making a break for it, just turning and running to avoid confrontation, but when he glanced over his shoulder to see if the way was clear, he saw the same dark haired woman approaching him.
Nathan jerked back against the house. The original woman had not moved. She was still standing in front of him.
There weretwo of them.
Pivoting back and forth between the women, Nathan knew he was in serious trouble, especially if Walter was unable to appear before him. Adult twins did not dress alike—he and Jim certainly didn't—but these women were identical in every way even down to their jewelry.
They closed in on Nathan, smiling at him in a perfect reflection of each other.
"Oh…we know you," said the second woman.
"Yes, now I see. You're Nathan Grier," said the first.
"The one with the prized bounty on his head—"
"—for stealing away his big brother."
"What do you want with us?" they spoke together.
Nathan pressed himself tighter to the side of the house. These women were sidhe. They had to be. But the truth of just how bad the situation really was appeared before Nathan as athirdidentical woman joined the other two.
"Shit. Weird Sisters."
