Page 61 of Incubus
Their parents had chosen to live in a town close to the Gatehousebecauseit was a dead zone and helped protect Jim from curious fae and seals since no one would be able to sense that he was a changeling. They had been good friends with the Ferris family. Nathan still remembered many things about their visits to the Gatehouse, and about Alex. Some things he would never forget.
“We were kids, Jim,” Nathan said, unmoving in front of the bed as Jim sat and pretended to page through the book. “We didn’t know changelings could set off the Gatehouse wards stronger than other fae. It wasn’t like the power came from you. The two of you were roughhousing, the wards went off, Alex got blasted—”
“And ended up in a coma for two weeks.” Jim slammed the book shut. “You don’t roughhouse in the Gatehouse, Nathan. I knew better. Alex could have died because I was careless. Because of what I am. It’s better if I just stay away from her.”
“That was a long time ago, Jim. It wasn’t your fault.”
“Nathan—”
“Mom and Dad weren’t your fault either.”
Jim looked up with a snarl, blue eyes flashing.
Nathan knew it was a dangerous nerve to strike, but he also knew how his brother thought. As much as Nathan hated that Jim had to be a changeling, he knew Jim hated it more, regardless of Jim’s tolerance of normal fae.
“It’s not…only about that, you know,” Jim said, still angry, though his voice had fallen to a near whisper. “Alex is from a carrier family too. If we were together…it’s that much more likely a child would be like me. You’re right, Nate, we were just kids then. Just kids. We had some silly childhood crush. Why do you have to harp on it?”
Because it didn’t stay just a crush, Nathan wanted to say, but he didn’t.
“Besides, Alex was acting a little familiar with Sasha too. Seemed like there might have been something there. You think?”
Nathan would have smiled at Jim’s obvious slip of jealousy if the thought of Alex and Sasha didn’t unsettle him a little too. “Nah,” he said. “They’re just…friends.”
“Well...whatever,” Jim said. “I’m going to go through the book a while, okay?”
“Meaning you’re going to hide in here?” Nathan countered.
Jim didn’t comment.
“Fine. I’m going to check on Sasha then. I want to make sure we get whatever leads we can so we can get out of here first thing in the morning. Don’t sprain anything.”
Even as he headed for the door, Nathan watched Jim, waiting for his brother to look up and at least glare at him again, but Jim remained immersed in the book.
Chapter 23
Therewasnoanswerfrom Sasha's room when Nathan knocked on the door. The only other likely place inside the Gatehouse for him to be was the library at the end of the hall.
The Gatehouse library had always reminded Nathan of a set for Masterpiece Theater. It was disorganized and often a mess, but had been built up over time with books taken right from the Veil, and some from the normal world that couldn’t be found anywhere else. There was an honor system in place that books were not to leave the Gatehouse unless lent out by Alex herself.
Nathan found Sasha sitting on the floor amidst a small shelf that had toppled over, littering books on the carpet that Sasha was carefully retrieving, inspecting, and then placing back on the shelf.
“Good Samaritan too? No wonder Alex likes you,” Nathan said.
Sasha looked up with a smile. “People always leave this place a mess. And I figured we need to research anyway. Sealssometimes leave clues for each other in these books about big hunts. I can talk to some of the people downstairs eventually too.”
“I’ll trust your methods, I guess,” Nathan said. He sat beside Sasha on the floor and paged through a few of the books before replacing them on the shelf as well. “So I’m just checking if any pieces of paper fall out?”
“Usually,” Sasha said.
“How high-tech of you guys,” Nathan grumbled, to which Sasha chuckled lightly. “Sorry about Jim, by the way. Other than seals, I don’t really mind this place. But Jim and Alex have a bit of a history.”
“No kidding. Their feelings for each other were pretty palpable, even if I wasn’t an incubus. I always wondered who Alex was pining for. But why the unrequited love if Jim feels the same way?”
Nathan had been asking himself that for years, which usually led to similar arguments to the one he had just had. “Jim has his reasons,” he said. “All stupid ones, but he sticks to 'em. Alex got hurt on account of him when we were kids, and he never quite got over it. I blame fae for him being a changeling. He blames himself. I try not to get on his case about not being with other girls, but I always kind of figured he’d get over it one day for Alex.”
Sasha nodded as he listened, but stopped midway to reshelving another book. “Wait, so Jim’sneverbeen with another girl, and he’s been spooked about Alex since you were kids? So he’s a…” Bright blue eyes widened, scandalized.
Nathan nodded.
