Page 82 of Changeling
The lackeys took off immediately, leaving the leader to stagger after them.
“Are you all right?” Nathan heard Jim ask Leven. Nathan came back to himself with a jolt when he picked up on Jim’s gentler tone.
This wasn’t his battle he had been fighting, this was someone else’s. Which was exactly what Sasha had done to him.
Nathan turned around and saw that Jim had Leven carefully leaned back against the building and was checking him over for injuries. It looked like they had stumbled upon the fight before anything too serious had happened, but Nathan could still see at least one bruise forming on Leven’s chin, and there were probably a few others where Nathan couldn’t see them underneath Leven’s clothes and jacket.
“Are you sure?” Jim asked after Leven nodded with a pretty weak attempt at his usual flash of a smile.
“Y-Yeah…nothing worse than usual,” Leven shrugged.
“Usual?” Jim grimaced.
“Hey, kid,” Nathan said as he approached them. He caught Leven’s big brown eyes as soon as they turned to him. “Look, I’m…I’m sorry if I was outta line with all that. We all got our own battles to fight. I just don’t like seeing someone messing with the odds is all. I’m sure if it was just the dickhead I made pee in his pants back there, you definitely could have taken him.”
A choked laugh left Leven’s lips and he returned Nathan’s worried look with an expression that was entirely grateful. “Well, I guess I gotta be a little pissed at you what with stripping me of my manhood and all, but…” He shrugged. “Since I don’t got any broken ribs or anything…we might be able to call it even.” A grin stretched across his face, making the bruise lose all of its harshness. “Thanks,” he said, and then nodded his head at Jim. “I’m guessing this is the brother you mentioned?”
“Yep,” Nathan replied. “See? Told ya I was prettier.”
Leven barked out a good laugh, completely real despite how worn he looked. “Aww, I don’t know. Still hot enough for me. What was your name again?”
The other Grier brother was busy blinking in confusion but finally said, “Uh, Jim.” Then it seemed to dawn on him why this all should make more sense and he pointed a knowing finger at the kid. “Leven.” He shook his head at himself for being so slow. “Right. Well, glad we were able to get here in time. Those guys bug you often?”
“I don’t think they’ll be bugging me anymore,” Leven smirked. “Shoulda known they’d figure out my trick of sneaking out the choir room door. I was heading for my car. Gotta stop home for a bit before practice.” Leven nodded towards the parking lot where Jim and Nathan had come from. They started heading that way. Leven moved a little slow, but more from the blow to his stomach and probable nausea than any heavy injuries.
“We’re going to be meeting with you later again with your sister, right?” Jim asked.
Leven nodded. “Wouldn’t miss it.”
“Good. Well—”
Nathan’s phone started to go off. “We’ll see you later, kid,” he said as he pulled out his phone and saw that Sasha was calling him. He didn’t get the chance to actually see Leven off before he picked up the phone. “What’s up?”
“Nathan, you and Jim better get in here,” Sasha said anxiously over the line. “I was right. Cam was in here waiting for us. Just in time to find out there’s been another death. Nate…” he trailed, finally finishing with a shuddery sigh, “…it’s Andy.”
Chapter 33
CamledNathan,Sasha,and Jim into the main area of the club. Nathan hadn’t caught the name of the place—they hadn’t even known Wadehada night job before now, though psychic readings wasn’t always enough to pay the bills—but there were only a handful of people inside, mostly at the bar.
Cam hurried them through the club clear to the other side and to another door. There was a short hallway,anotherdoor, and then finally they were inside an employee lounge where Wade sat waiting with a bag of food on the table in front of her.
She smiled, her lips painted purple to match the streak in her dark hair. Nathan imagined that Leven’s teal hair was probably just as dark normally, and the siblings had the same large brown eyes and exotic look to their features. Now that Nathan had met Leven, he could see their resemblance despite their varied statures, with Wade shorter and sporting tempting curves, while Leven was tall and willowy. She was wearing black leather pants and a Slayer tank top with several pieces of silver jewelry. Hermakeup was rocker chick chic to match, with dark smoky eye makeup.
“Hello, boys. I took the liberty of picking up dinner for everyone,” she said, pushing the bag of food toward them. “You’re welcome.”
Nathan would have commented on how she knew what to order, but then of course sheknew. She always knew. “The standard smug expression is a little less smug today, Wade. They stop carrying your favorite eyeliner?” Nathan commented as he walked right up to the bag of food and dug inside for what was his. Each sandwich had one of their names written on it. He frowned when he looked up and saw that Wade’s expression had turned blank.
“I’m more concerned with you yahoos keeping my little brother kicking long enough to finish his senior musical than I am about reminding you of what an asshat you can be,Nathan. I don’t like how little I can read about what’s been happening. Nice to finally meet you in person, by the way,” she turned her attention on Sasha with a warmer smile.
Sasha gratefully accepted the sandwich Nathan handed him, then shook Wade’s hand with a returned smile before sitting down. “Same to you. Seems I owe you a lot actually. I might not have met these two if it weren’t for your premonition.”
“I’ll take what you owe me in the form of keeping Evelyn safe. Manage that and we can call it even,” Wade said, smirking more like her usual self, but still with a sense of seriousness.
Before Cam claimed his sandwich, he slipped behind Wade’s chair and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, kissing her temple with a tender sort of intimacy. Wade leaned back against him and sighed. Nathan wasn’t used to this side of the psychic, and decided to keep his mouth shut for once. Sasha looked fairly surprised by the interaction as well.
“We’re not positive of anything quite yet,” Jim said, as he unwrapped his own sandwich and everyone began eating, “but we do have a list of five people who are the best candidates for being a dark fae.”
Those five were four other students who had talked to Andy before her death and the janitor who found the body. Leven was also technically on the list but they’d agreed that didn’t need mentioning at the moment.
