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It relaxed Nick He smiled at them, and the other man stepped back as well Then Nick let Jamie pull him out of the bar
He shook off Jarasp and stepped away from him as soon as they were outside
“An antiques fair,” he repeated, almost amused
“Sometimes I panic,” Jamie told him
“I’ve noticed that”
They kept walking, and Nick felt his briefwith every step They had completed a circuit around Salisbury and ended up where they had begun There had been no sign of ic from one end of the city to the other
Nick’s gloo hesitant “That was — a little scary”
“Was it?” Nick asked
“Oh, right,” said Jaet scared”
“No,” Nick said “I don’t I don’t wastescared or anxious or what the hell it is you people do You twoover the knots you’ve made of yourselves, but I’m very simple”
Jalance over at him “No, you’re not”
“Fine,” said Nick “I’m an international man of mystery Don’t fall for me I’ll only break your heart”
“Don’t worry,” Jamie murmured
Nick almost liked him for that, even if he and his sister had apparently declared every day Make Nick Talk About His Feelings Day
“I’m — I don’t mean to pester you,” Ja a lot for us—”
Nick felt obliged to correct hi for you,” he said “Alan’s the one ants to help people You’re putting er, so I don’t like either of youpersonal”
“We hadn’t endangered Alan ere at school together,” Jamie said “You avoided us then, too”
“Well,” said Nick, “that’s because you eird”
They were just off the high street and getting closer every step to the railway station when Nick saw another pub and headed wearily for it
“Sorry, I’ a moment to process,” Jamie said behind him “I’ve never been called weird by someone who summons demons before”
“That’s so I do,” Nick stated absently “That’s not what I am I have to do all this, but one day Alan and I won’t have to anymore”
They went into the pub, which was called the New Inn Nick presus, not to ed lanterns, were ironic He prowled across the floor, scanning dim corners, with Jamie still at his heels
Ja “See, that’s not entirely true I mean, I don’t want to offend you, but it’s not just that you suot ht now than a fancy restaurant has in its silverware drawer You, uh people, and you’re—”
“Quiet,” Nick said
“Yes, you’re very quiet,” Ja”
“I ”
At the left corner of the bar was aof crisps
If he had not atteuise himself, Nick would have passed him by This man had cast a few simple illusions on hie, darker than he was, and the too artistic lines of the wrinkles and too dense blackness of the hair leaped out at Nick The ician was like a man painted in oils, superimposed on a world drawn in crayon
Nick’s ed forward at once before he’d even had time to think about it The hunt was on
“Get down,” he whispered
“I’m way ahead of you,” Jamie said from the floor
A few people glanced at the suddenly prone boy, Nick noticed in his peripheral vision Fewer still, with good instincts for where the real danger was co from, looked at him He didn’t care about the as the ician went down
Only he had to bring the ht pulled him up short and he faltered, his easy movements toward the kill lost
If he had been coician, the man would never have seen hih, surely enough, to be invisible for as long as he needed to be When he faltered, the ician’s head snapped around
He dropped his crisps onto the counter and threw up a hand All Nick saas a glitter in the air, and then wind hurled sand into his eyes Nick blinked and thebehind him
p>
It relaxed Nick He smiled at them, and the other man stepped back as well Then Nick let Jamie pull him out of the bar
He shook off Jarasp and stepped away from him as soon as they were outside
“An antiques fair,” he repeated, almost amused
“Sometimes I panic,” Jamie told him
“I’ve noticed that”
They kept walking, and Nick felt his briefwith every step They had completed a circuit around Salisbury and ended up where they had begun There had been no sign of ic from one end of the city to the other
Nick’s gloo hesitant “That was — a little scary”
“Was it?” Nick asked
“Oh, right,” said Jaet scared”
“No,” Nick said “I don’t I don’t wastescared or anxious or what the hell it is you people do You twoover the knots you’ve made of yourselves, but I’m very simple”
Jalance over at him “No, you’re not”
“Fine,” said Nick “I’m an international man of mystery Don’t fall for me I’ll only break your heart”
“Don’t worry,” Jamie murmured
Nick almost liked him for that, even if he and his sister had apparently declared every day Make Nick Talk About His Feelings Day
“I’m — I don’t mean to pester you,” Ja a lot for us—”
Nick felt obliged to correct hi for you,” he said “Alan’s the one ants to help people You’re putting er, so I don’t like either of youpersonal”
“We hadn’t endangered Alan ere at school together,” Jamie said “You avoided us then, too”
“Well,” said Nick, “that’s because you eird”
They were just off the high street and getting closer every step to the railway station when Nick saw another pub and headed wearily for it