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They all went out afterward, hung around a chip shop with a couple of girls Sadly, neither of the girls was pretty blond Cassie
Nick got ho sorted He thought again that Dad would’ve been proud
He found Alan in their tiny sitting room, on the floor by the coffee table The coffee table was covered with papers, and Alan’s head was in his hands
“Alan,” Nick said, in a coht
Alan lifted his head “Hi,” he said, and tried for a smile “I didn’t — I didn’t hear you come in”
“What’s going on?” Nick barked at hi you?”
The contented feeling of a job well done evaporated Nick abruptly wanted to hit so
Alan sighed “No”
The answer ca in Of course it was all Mum’s fault
“It’s that stupid er and what she said to you”
“I’ to come up with a plan,” Alan told him
He sounded worn and frayed as an old shirt Nick hated it; his desire to hit so increased He walked over to the table instead, to where Alan sat looking tired and rather small
The papers on the table had s of demons’ circles and protective a handwriting, and then papers with single lines written on them, which had obviously been tossed aside
“I like this plan,” Nick told hi one of the papers with just one line on it
The paper read, in large, al letters: Kill them all
“It’s a lovely plan, but it wouldn’t work,” Alan said, his voice alh his hair “I need to talk to Merris I’ve got the numbers of about a dozen people ork for her, and none of theh”
“Can she help?” Nick asked
“I don’t know,” Alan said, a note of bleakness creeping in “God, I hope so We ht have to wait until the Goblin Market; we’ll see her then”
Nick nodded, and then hesitated He couldn’t think of a way to say what he wanted to, and for a o, but he looked down at Alan’s bowed head and tried all the same
“Don’t—” he said, and stopped “You’ve got a demon’s ht of Muirl in the picture “Don’t worry about anyone else If it bothers you soabout Mum I’ll find a way to help her Whatever you need, I’ll do it Just ht Nobody else matters”
Alan looked up at him with dark troubled eyes, blue under shadows
“I know she isn’t good to you, but you’ve lived with her all your life Does the idea of her dying—” He sed “Do you care at all?”
Nick wondered why Alan was looking at hi eyes Nick had said he would help already
“You care,” he said “That’s enough I’ll help her even if I don’t care What does it matter?”
Alan looked down at his crumpled papers
“We’ll go to the Goblin Market and get everything sorted out,” Nick said forcefully “I told you Don’t worry about anything but yourself”
At a new school the teachers always took a while to go over Nick’s reading probleirls At ho for their weapons at every noise, waiting for the icians to do what they had promised and come after Alan Given that he and Alan had to find new jobs, too, for the first week in London, Nick had no ti about Alan’s mark or his secret
He thought about both, whether he had ti Alan in case he decided to bolt It came as an enormous relief when Alan informed him that the next Goblin Market would be held near Tiverton in a few days’ time
“It’s the closest place to Exeter they could have chosen,” Alan said “We can pick up Mae and Jamie on the way”
Nick rolled his eyes “Thrill me, why don’t you”
Perhaps he would find Mae’s hidden picture next He scowled at the thought, and Alan caught his expression
“You don’t have to dance, you know,” he said
“I told you,” Nick answered, still frowning “I want to”
He would deal with the mark and the threat to Mum, and find out about Marie His brother would be safe Everything would be like it was before
Alan went off to call Jamie
They arranged to meet Mae and Jamie outside Northernhay Gardens in Exeter, around back of the old wall It was quiet and already growing dark by the tihts of the car were bright enough for them to see Mae’s outfit quite clearly
“Oh my God,” said Nick, and shut his eyes
Jah
“What?” Mae demanded “Alan told us that ere supposed to dress as we truly are!”
p>
They all went out afterward, hung around a chip shop with a couple of girls Sadly, neither of the girls was pretty blond Cassie
Nick got ho sorted He thought again that Dad would’ve been proud
He found Alan in their tiny sitting room, on the floor by the coffee table The coffee table was covered with papers, and Alan’s head was in his hands
“Alan,” Nick said, in a coht
Alan lifted his head “Hi,” he said, and tried for a smile “I didn’t — I didn’t hear you come in”
“What’s going on?” Nick barked at hi you?”
The contented feeling of a job well done evaporated Nick abruptly wanted to hit so
Alan sighed “No”
The answer ca in Of course it was all Mum’s fault
“It’s that stupid er and what she said to you”
“I’ to come up with a plan,” Alan told him
He sounded worn and frayed as an old shirt Nick hated it; his desire to hit so increased He walked over to the table instead, to where Alan sat looking tired and rather small
The papers on the table had s of demons’ circles and protective a handwriting, and then papers with single lines written on them, which had obviously been tossed aside
“I like this plan,” Nick told hi one of the papers with just one line on it
The paper read, in large, al letters: Kill them all
“It’s a lovely plan, but it wouldn’t work,” Alan said, his voice alh his hair “I need to talk to Merris I’ve got the numbers of about a dozen people ork for her, and none of theh”
“Can she help?” Nick asked
“I don’t know,” Alan said, a note of bleakness creeping in “God, I hope so We ht have to wait until the Goblin Market; we’ll see her then”
Nick nodded, and then hesitated He couldn’t think of a way to say what he wanted to, and for a o, but he looked down at Alan’s bowed head and tried all the same
“Don’t—” he said, and stopped “You’ve got a demon’s ht of Muirl in the picture “Don’t worry about anyone else If it bothers you soabout Mum I’ll find a way to help her Whatever you need, I’ll do it Just ht Nobody else matters”