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He was much more scared to see Nick than he’d been to see Gerald And nobut help them
“Hey, Alan,” Ja “Nick Wh-what’s going on?”
You’re busted, that’s what, Mae thought, feeling about eight years old and meanly pleased to see her little brother in trouble She turned to Nick, to tell him—to show him—that she knehat they owed to him, that she wasn’t scared
When she looked at Nick, she saw him draw his sword
It was so bizarre that for a ry This was her hos, and white walls that looked like blank pages were no setting for swords and sorcery
Despite everything she knew, Nick still looked like part of the nor jeans and a T-shirt He shouldn’t have been wielding a sword, but he was The blade was bright and steady in his hands, held with casual expertise, and he walked forward softly as a stalking cat and lifted his sith each step until the edge was held against Jaht that Nick wouldn’t stop
He did stop
“In trouble again, Jaetting pretty tired of cleaning up your h, don’t you?”
Jae
“I can see thefurther “Who gave that to you? Or should I be asking what you did to get it? Mae’s been telling us all about the co these days Maybe I should have saved icians cut your throat when I had the chance They would have done it, you know”
Jamie tried to speak and had to clear his throat before he could “I know And I’m not—”
“Don’t lie to me,” Nick snarled “I don’t like it”
Nick took a step forward, just slowly enough for Jaainst the door, and Nick had him trapped
“That’s enough!” said Mae, ju up, but before she could ed
Jamie suddenly didn’t look scared, didn’t look uncertain He tilted his head and fixed Nick with a long, calently between his palms Mae looked at the back of Nick’s head and wished for a frantic moment that she could see his face, until she remembered that even if he was about to slice Jamie’s hands open, his expression would not show one trace of emotion
Nick’s body was held taut, either to attack or defend
Jamie closed his eyes
Between his hands the sword flew apart like a dandelion clock that had been blown on It dissolved into a hundred glittering points of steel that fell in the air around both boys, fading as they fell until they were nothing ht from the bay s
“I’ician,” Jamie whispered “I’m not I knohat I owe you all I know that both of you could have let ician for h for me I didn’t want to be a burden anymore I wanted to be able to handle this myself!”
“Let hio, Nick”
Mae looked back instinctively at the sound Alan was leaning forward in his chair; he hadn’t et up She looked at him and realized his body had been held in the same taut lines as his brother’s
He had not spoken in that tone of low coician
Nick gave no sign that he’d heard Alan The hilt of his vanished sas still in his hand, and he tossed it high up into the air like a toy
The day was so bright that the light of the chandelier seeht the sword hilt with a sudden particular gleaht that looked alht had become steel The shole
“Do you think I need a sword to kill you?” Nick asked softly
“No,” said Jamie in a shaky voice “But you didn’t have to threaten me”
“Let hio now,” Mae ordered
Nick didn’t pay any more attention to her than he had to Alan
“I wasn’t threatening you I wasyou You threaten people ords,” Nick said “I prefer swords”
He stepped back then, sliding his restored blade into the sheath he kept strapped to his spine, under his T-shirt
“And that one isaway fro for the“Don’t ain”
He braced hi up on theseat and his face turned a little away froill-advised
“You and swords,” he re?”
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He was much more scared to see Nick than he’d been to see Gerald And nobut help them
“Hey, Alan,” Ja “Nick Wh-what’s going on?”
You’re busted, that’s what, Mae thought, feeling about eight years old and meanly pleased to see her little brother in trouble She turned to Nick, to tell him—to show him—that she knehat they owed to him, that she wasn’t scared
When she looked at Nick, she saw him draw his sword
It was so bizarre that for a ry This was her hos, and white walls that looked like blank pages were no setting for swords and sorcery
Despite everything she knew, Nick still looked like part of the nor jeans and a T-shirt He shouldn’t have been wielding a sword, but he was The blade was bright and steady in his hands, held with casual expertise, and he walked forward softly as a stalking cat and lifted his sith each step until the edge was held against Jaht that Nick wouldn’t stop
He did stop
“In trouble again, Jaetting pretty tired of cleaning up your h, don’t you?”
Jae
“I can see thefurther “Who gave that to you? Or should I be asking what you did to get it? Mae’s been telling us all about the co these days Maybe I should have saved icians cut your throat when I had the chance They would have done it, you know”
Jamie tried to speak and had to clear his throat before he could “I know And I’m not—”
“Don’t lie to me,” Nick snarled “I don’t like it”
Nick took a step forward, just slowly enough for Jaainst the door, and Nick had him trapped
“That’s enough!” said Mae, ju up, but before she could ed
Jamie suddenly didn’t look scared, didn’t look uncertain He tilted his head and fixed Nick with a long, calently between his palms Mae looked at the back of Nick’s head and wished for a frantic moment that she could see his face, until she remembered that even if he was about to slice Jamie’s hands open, his expression would not show one trace of emotion
Nick’s body was held taut, either to attack or defend
Jamie closed his eyes
Between his hands the sword flew apart like a dandelion clock that had been blown on It dissolved into a hundred glittering points of steel that fell in the air around both boys, fading as they fell until they were nothing ht from the bay s