Page 190 of The Bone Season

She looked away, grasping her own arms. This was the first time I had ever seen her confront Jaxon.

‘Again,’ Jaxon said.

‘He’s in pain,’ Nadine said hotly. ‘Jax, look at him. He can’t take this!’

‘I am in pain, Nadine. Agonised by your lack of ambition,’ came the soft reply. ‘Don’t make me get up. Do it again, and do not stop until he breaks.’

‘Jaxon, I can’t watch this,’ Nick said. ‘I’m an oracle, but I’m also a medic, and—’

‘If you so enjoy your sterile life, kindly return to it for good,’ Jaxon said icily. ‘Perhaps I am tired of your moonlighting, Dr Nygård. Scion takes the bulk of your time, while I receive scraps of it.’

‘Stop it. You can snap at the others, but you don’t scare me, Jax. I’ve known you too long.’

‘Far too long,’ Jaxon said pettily.

Nadine held on to Zeke, her hair tumbling over her brow. It was dark brown now, and shorter. It attracted less interest without the dye, but she hated the change, like she hated the citadel. Most of all, she hated us.

When Jaxon looked expectant, Eliza called one of her spirit aides: John Donne, a famous muse, won at auction for the same cost as one of her forgeries. Since he was a writer, not an artist, he was usually good enough not to possess her at random.

‘Let me try John,’ she said reluctantly. ‘If an Elizabethan spirit doesn’t work, I don’t think anything will.’

‘The obvious answer would be a poltergeist,’ Jaxon said, perfectly serious.

‘Jaxon,’ I whispered.

‘We are not,’ Nadine gritted out, ‘using a fucking poltergeist on my brother.’

‘I will make that decision, Nadine.’

‘You’ll have to come through me.’

‘I am quivering with terror.’ Jaxon carried on smoking. ‘Have it your way first, Eliza.’

Zeke couldn’t take the suspense. His fevered eyes were on the spirit.

‘He needs rest,’ Nadine said to Eliza. ‘You set that muse on him and I’ll—’

‘You’ll what, play me an angry tune?’ Jaxon said, smoke curling from his mouth. ‘Please, be my guest. I do enjoy music from the soul.’

Her chin puckered, but she knew the punishment for disobeying Jaxon. She had nowhere else to go, nowhere else to take her brother. Zeke shivered against her, as if he were the younger sibling, not the older.

Eliza glanced at Nadine, then at Jaxon. On her silent command, John whipped forward. I didn’t see the impact, but I felt it – and from his cry of distress, so did Zeke. His head slammed back against Nadine, his neck cording. Nadine tightened her arms around his shoulders.

‘I’m sorry.’ She dropped her chin on his head, eyes shut. ‘I’m so sorry, Zeke.’

Old and determined, John was naturally obstinate. He thought Zeke was going to hurt Eliza, and fully intended to stop that from happening. Zeke’s face shone with sweat and tears. He was almost choking.

‘Please,’ he said. ‘No more—’

‘Jaxon, stop it,’ I snapped. ‘Don’t you think he’s had enough?’

His eyebrows leapt for his hairline. ‘Are you questioning me, darling?’

My courage faded. ‘No.’

‘Oh, the mouse squeaks at last,’ Nadine said bitterly. ‘You’re pathetic, Paige. Always the last to object when he acts like a fucking—’

‘Paige is your mollisher,’ Jaxon reminded her sharply. ‘As such, she is an extension of me. Not only that, but she is a dreamwalker. What are you?’

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