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Alan fired again as Arthur threw the ball of light in what Nick thought was the right direction Arthur leaped sideways at the sound of the shot, and the streak of h the air at randoainst one of the paneled walls

After a ht of Arthur’s power faded into darkness, and oncefrom what Nick assumed was sheer mischief, Anzu had lowered his flaht at all Nick had excellent night vision He could not iine how little the humans could see and how afraid they must be

“Mae and Jaot down,” he let Alan know “Kill them all”

The rooicians were too powerful Sooner or later Alan would be caught, but Nick thought it wouldn’t do any haricians hear that

There was another screaht that someone had tripped over a body

In the confusion, even Nick lost track of where Alan was Then he felt a disturbance in the trap that had closed on hi presence in the icy walls around hi where there had been only silence, and the first thought that came to Nick, clear and calm, was that a human had strayed into his circle and he should kill him

“Nick,” said Alan, under his breath

He was standing close to whisper to him Nick supposed that it was easier in the darkness Alan had not even been able to look at hiht

“Don’t worry,” Alan continued, his voice rapid and soft “I’et you out”

Nick listened with detach as a whisper frorave “I’m not worried”

He could feel Alan treht that Alan was simply afraid of him Then Alan stepped in toward hiun, gentle in his hair He turned his face into the touch and Alan, as if he was leaning over Nick’s bed when Nick was very small, pressed a warm, swift kiss on Nick’s cheek

Then he was gone, and the circle was cold, silent, and still once more

“Soo see what that wretched boy’s done to the fuse box,” Arthur commanded “I’ll deal with him”

There was a ainst the open door, providing a perfect target Alan’s gun rang out again, and there was another thu in the dark

“Who was that?” Arthur de more offended than shaken, as if Alan had dropped a spoon in a restaurant rather than a person with a bullet “Was that Charles? Charles!”

“I wouldn’t bother calling,” Nick advised “My brother doesn’t miss”

There was alike scribbles of crayon over a black page Magicians were hitting each other There was ht shed by dozens of fireworks in the sky, Nick saw Mae and Jamie on the floor, Mae with her arm protectively over Jaht next to Ja on to Jamie’s shoulder

Against theat each other Magic was coiled around Arthur’s fists and arun pointed at Black Arthur’s face

Alan’s glasses reflected the h screams

“I want you to know I appreciate this, Arthur,” he said “You’ve made sure my plan worked out perfectly”

Arthur was standing very still He’d seen Alan shoot now; he wasn’t treating hihtly as he had before, as a child whose tears he could wipe ahile he laughed at hi being shot

“Oh yes,” he sneered “I’icians’ circle was your plan all along”

Alan stared at hi that soht be able to trap him in a circle for me, but she refused to try So I had to do this on my own I couldn’t let Nick know any of it — I wanted hi as he could We had hu he’dhiician could ever touch hiain I took the second deicians You took hiht him to your damned house and your damned circle I chose this!”

He took a step closer to Black Arthur, as just waiting for Alan’s attention to waver He was just one hu in on hi, triumphant look on his face

It seemed to infuriate Arthur “And ould you do that?”

“So I could do this,” Alan answered calave the name Nicholas Ryves!”

It shocked the ic stilled in their hands, and the room fell once more into relative darkness That was broken by a crackle of power and light froainst his pal bolts

“What are you doing?” he shouted at Alan “You don’t call on de their true names!”

“You’re an idiot,” Alan shouted back “You’ve worked with deured it out? Why would dee That’s not how you call them They don’t answer because they believe that’s their true name They answer because you believe it! I call on the one they called Hnikarr in the west, I call on the one I call my brother I call Nicholas Ryves!”

Alan was no dancer It should not have worked, except that Nick was already in aon and reflecting the power of the true Obsidian Circle that they had moved from Exeter to London

Just as Alan had planned

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Alan fired again as Arthur threw the ball of light in what Nick thought was the right direction Arthur leaped sideways at the sound of the shot, and the streak of h the air at randoainst one of the paneled walls

After a ht of Arthur’s power faded into darkness, and oncefrom what Nick assumed was sheer mischief, Anzu had lowered his flaht at all Nick had excellent night vision He could not iine how little the humans could see and how afraid they must be

“Mae and Jaot down,” he let Alan know “Kill them all”

The rooicians were too powerful Sooner or later Alan would be caught, but Nick thought it wouldn’t do any haricians hear that

There was another screaht that someone had tripped over a body

In the confusion, even Nick lost track of where Alan was Then he felt a disturbance in the trap that had closed on hi presence in the icy walls around hi where there had been only silence, and the first thought that came to Nick, clear and calm, was that a human had strayed into his circle and he should kill him

“Nick,” said Alan, under his breath

He was standing close to whisper to him Nick supposed that it was easier in the darkness Alan had not even been able to look at hiht

“Don’t worry,” Alan continued, his voice rapid and soft “I’et you out”

Nick listened with detach as a whisper frorave “I’m not worried”

He could feel Alan treht that Alan was simply afraid of him Then Alan stepped in toward hiun, gentle in his hair He turned his face into the touch and Alan, as if he was leaning over Nick’s bed when Nick was very small, pressed a warm, swift kiss on Nick’s cheek

Then he was gone, and the circle was cold, silent, and still once more

“Soo see what that wretched boy’s done to the fuse box,” Arthur commanded “I’ll deal with him”

There was a ainst the open door, providing a perfect target Alan’s gun rang out again, and there was another thu in the dark

“Who was that?” Arthur de more offended than shaken, as if Alan had dropped a spoon in a restaurant rather than a person with a bullet “Was that Charles? Charles!”

“I wouldn’t bother calling,” Nick advised “My brother doesn’t miss”