“You seem to expect things from him that he can’t possibly give you,” he observed. “That’s almost cruel.”
“Yes,” said Alan. “I know.”
Mae sat down, leaning her elbow against the table and her chin against her fist and training her gaze on Gerald. She’d noticed that her mother’s clients often found a direct unblinking stare very disconcerting.
Gerald looked back at her, eyes bright blue and tranquil.
“Do you love him?”
“Who?” Mae demanded, then closed her eyes and cursed herself as she realized that Gerald had of course been talking to Alan.
When she opened them, Gerald looked a little amused. Alan seemed not to have noticed.
“Alan,” said Gerald, “do you love him?”
“It’s none of your business,” Alan replied. “But as a matter of fact, I do.”
Gerald tilted his head, giving Alan what seemed to be a genuinely sympathetic look. “That must be terribly difficult.”
“Don’t you love your family?” Alan asked mildly.
Gerald actually flinched. “No, I don’t,” he said. “But that’s not important.”
“Oh,” said Alan, soft, making it clear he knew he’d scored a point.
“What’s important is your demon,” Gerald told him, his eyes narrowing. “And what he’ll do.”
He clicked his fingers, and light came streaming in from unexpected places, under the back door when there was no daylight left outside, filtering like steam from the kettle.
“He never does anything like this,” Gerald murmured, “does he? His magic’s not for anything beautiful or kind. Do you know that storm he created in Durham killed two people?”
Alan was leaning against Mae’s chair, because it always took him a moment to stand up, and with a magician in the room they might not have a moment. She felt the single tremor run all along his body.
“Alan didn’t kill them,” Mae snapped. “And how many innocent people have you killed?”
Gerald nodded and smiled in her direction. Magic light touched his face softly, the rays gentle and playful as if they were the fingers of someone who loved him.
“People die so I can have my magic. People die so you can have your brother,” Gerald said. “We’re the same, Alan Ryves.”
“Are we?” Alan murmured.
When the light glanced off Gerald’s eyes, they turned a brilliant, dazzling blue. “I think so,” he murmured back. “We’re both willing to sell our souls for a price. And neither of us is stupid.”
“Who would you consider stupid?” Alan asked.
Gerald answered, “Arthur.” His mouth twisted. “My former ever-so-fearless leader. The one who put a demon in a child and then managed to lose it. He was stupid enough to unleash a demon on this world and never care about the consequences, but you’re not. Don’t tell me you haven’t had doubts.”
“Don’t waste your time telling me how I feel,” said Alan. “Get to the point.”
“I am not Black Arthur. I’m the one who has to deal with the mess he made. And I need you to help me.”
“To deal with Nick?” Mae demanded.
“I told you I’m not stupid,” Gerald said. “I can see Nick is trying. He owes you, doesn’t he? I can see he’s well- disposed toward you, and you.” He glanced at Mae. “And Jamie,” he said, his voice changing a little on the name. “That doesn’t change the fact that he calls down storms whenever he gets angry, and the death of half a world would not disturb him. How can you justify setting him free?”
“I can’t justify it,” Alan answered.
Gerald smiled. “You did it because you loved him, and you wanted to save him from Arthur. I can understand that. He couldn’t, though. If you told him how you felt, he wouldn’t even know what you meant. He’s not human.”
“I know that,” Alan said between his teeth.
“He’s a danger to all of us.”
“I know that.”
“He killed a couple of people by mistake. It’s only a matter of time before something worse happens, and it will be your fault.”
“I know that!” Alan shouted at him.
Gerald leaned back, loose and easy, still smiling.
“Then please,” he said, “let me help. I have a plan to save us all. Including Nick.”
Alan moved then, his warm weight against Mae’s side gone. He took the chair in between Mae and Gerald, his shoulder blocking Mae’s view of half of Gerald’s face. She could make out only one eye and the end of a smile.
“I’m listening,” said Alan.
“I could do it,” Gerald said. “I could call up another demon and bind Nick’s powers. I could make him as human as he can be, and you can keep your brother. Only he’d never agree to having his power stolen from him, would he?
