Page 14 of Sidhe
Nathan held up a hand for Jim to stop. “But he does. That’s the whole point.” He turned to leave the bar.
“Nate!” Jim called after him.
“Nathan, please!” Sasha cried, his voice choking on unshed tears. “You know it’s not that cut and dry. You still get to choose!”
That stopped Nathan. He glared over his shoulder. “I made my choice.” He made it that night in Wales when he was first marked by the Messenger, and again when he gave in to Jim, even if it was really Malak, even if it was the Veil. “And you made yours.”
Nathan could still see his black eyes reflected in the mirror above the jukebox playing Sinatra. He didn’t bother figuring out how to get his green eyes back. He just turned and left the room.
Nathansathuddledbeneaththe lone window by his bed. It was ironic that he was doing this, what he had done so often in the house Jim kept him in while he was in the Veil.
It was foolish to isolate himself, to think it could help. It couldn’t help. But how could he face them now? He had already known he wasn’t the same Nathan as the one that left them, now he knew for certain. A Shadow Immortal wasn’t even really alive, cursed with immortality but only to blindly serve. Was Malak merely toying with him, and would soon come to have him turn against those he loved? Or would it be Jim…?
A soft buzzing jolted Nathan out of his musing. His phone was on the windowsill charging. He’d almost forgotten it existed. Slowly, he plucked it up as it continued to vibrate. He didn’t recognize the number, and he didn’t really want to talk to anyone, but he found himself answering anyway.
“Hello?”
“Nathan? Oh my God, are you okay?”
Lead hardened in Nathan’s stomach—Leven. “I…”
“Wade told me something major happened, but she wouldn’t tell me what. Said I needed to wait things out until you contactedus, but we haven’t heard from you in forever, and Cam’s not telling me anything, and you missed the musical—”
“Leven,” Nathan interrupted harsher than he intended. “Just…breathe, kid, okay? I’m fine. I just…I was away for a while.”
“But you’re back now? And everything’s okay?” The kid sounded as boisterous and full of life as ever.
Nathan closed his eyes tight and clenched the hand not holding his phone. “Yep. Never better. We’ll come see you guys soon, okay? Soon. We just…have some things to take care of, ya know?”
“Sure, sure,” Leven said jovially, though concern still touched his tone, “it’s not like I want to hog all your time. I know you guys have better things to do than hang with some teenager. But…Wade got so quiet. She had this glassy look in her eyes, and that always means she’s seen something terrible, and I just…” Leven paused. Took a breath. “Sorry. She really freaked me out, is all. Cam too. I was worried. I got your number off Wade’s phone. Are you sure you’re okay?”
Leven’s voice brought an unbidden flash from the Veil—of Nathan stabbing a knife clean through the kid’s chest, because Jim would have made him suffer if he didn’t.
Nathan choked back a sob and clenched his eyes tighter. “I’m sure. I’m sorry we missed the show. I’m sure you were awesome. If you got a recording, you can totally subject us to it when we come visit, okay?”
“You better believe it!” Leven said, a smile clear in his voice.
“Look…I gotta go. You be good. We’ll check in soon.”
“Promise?”
Nathan fought to keep his hand from shaking.
I promise it’ll be quick…
It hadn’t been.
“Absolutely.”
He clicked the phone closed before saying goodbye. He only opened his eyes so he could turn the phone off. He was shaking anyway.
Nathan expected the knock when it finally came. He had expected it sooner, but Jim and Sasha had surprised him by offering him a few minutes peace, even after he’d chucked his phone across the room.
Now, the door opened without waiting for his leave. The first image Nathan saw when he looked up from his low position was a cruelly grinning, red-eyed and monstrous Sasha. But the Sasha that entered, the Sasha that was really there was just a man—more or less—in a black T-shirt and jeans with kind blue eyes, and slow, fluid steps.
“Nathan?” Sasha looked around the room, unable to spot him at first.
“Here,” Nathan said weakly, not moving.
