Page 29 of Changeling (The Incubus Saga #2)

Pushing Nathan all the way back into the bathroom, Jim moved slowly and deliberately as he turned around and shut the bathroom door behind them. Nathan felt panic rise in his throat, nearly choking him. Even being reduced to a child didn't affect how Jim was changing.

“Jim,” Nathan said cautiously, even though he was still pressed back against the sink where Jim had pushed him, “what are you doing? Snap out of it. This isn’t you.

You’re Jim, you hear me. Jim .” Nathan tried to take a step forward as Jim approached him, but when Jim didn’t stop advancing or say anything in reply, when he just kept coming and reached out toward Nathan with those slit amber eyes flashing, it was too much.

Nathan swung his fist…and punched Jim clean across the jaw.

For a minute everything stopped. Jim’s face was turned to the side, hiding his eyes. Nathan didn’t know what to expect in retaliation. What he certainly didn’t expect was the wide blue eyes that turned back to him, quickly filling with tears and a look of accusation.

“Jim…?” Nathan whispered.

“Nathan?” Jim said in that small five-year-old voice. “You…you hit me? It hurts. Why did you hit me? Did I do something bad?”

Shit. Shit . “Jim, I…I didn’t mean to hit you, I…I thought you were someone else. I’m so sorry.” Nathan went forward and pulled Jim into his arms the way he used to when they were kids. It was a little harder with how much larger he was now.

“We’re too big,” Jim sniffled. “You can’t hold me anymore.”

“Sure I can,” Nathan said, hugging Jim tight. “Just coz we’re bigger doesn’t mean I can’t hold you. Still counts. Still means I love you, Jesse James.”

I love you , Nathan thought desperately. But I don’t know how to help you. I don’t know how to fix this. Any of this…

At the mention of the nickname, Jim giggled and pulled back to form his fingers into a playful gun. “Bang!” he said, and waited for Nathan to return the gesture.

Nathan’s heart ached as he complied. “Bang.”

He calmed Jim down as best he could and managed to coax him back into bed, but not without Nathan following in after him. Sasha had woken up too, worried, and was just as insistent to have Nathan in bed with them.

“I wish I could tell you more, Nathan,” Walter said, casually perched on the other bed.

“I was banished just now. I assume because Jim’s power pushed to the surface again.

If it can grip him even while cursed, then it is seeded deep within him.

If there is a way to save him from his fate, Nathan, it lies with him alone. ”

Then I know it will be okay , Nathan thought, because Jim can do anything.

The bed was a mess of long limbs and muscle, but the body heat was somewhat nice on a cold winter night. Jim and Sasha snuggled in against Nathan—Nathan being in the middle—and while it might have been awkward any other time, right now it was just what Nathan needed.

The words of the lullaby fell from his lips easily to soothe the others back to sleep, and before long, Nathan was drifting off too.

“May the road always rise to meet you…”

Shiarra showed up outside their motel room the next morning in heels, a red low-cut sweater, a black pencil skirt, and an open black pea coat. Her hair was perfectly coifed in loose curls past her shoulders, and her nails had been painted blood red to match her sweater.

Nathan gaped for maybe a minute before she pushed past him into the room.

“Where is my—”

“Aunt Shi!” came the exclamation, and then a fully grown but mentally five-year-old Sasha—wearing only the boxers he had slept in last night—bounded across the room and practically launched himself into Shiarra’s arms. There was enough force in the embrace to almost knock the succubus right on her ass.

“Goodness!” Shiarra managed, returning the hug awkwardly. “Know your own strength, darling. It’s good to see you too, but I don’t think you’ve pounced on me quite like that since you were…” Shiarra trailed as she pulled away and held Sasha out in front of her.

Nathan knew just what was going through her head as she looked into those wide, innocent blue eyes.

He hadn’t wanted to tell Shiarra what was going on over the phone, saying only that something was wrong and he needed her help.

She seemed to recognize immediately now what the ‘wrong’ revolved around.

“His…his eyes are like a child’s,” she said, brushing the hair from Sasha’s forehead. She turned to look at Nathan with sharp scrutiny. “What happened to him? And why only him?”

Valiantly, Nathan ignored the implied accusation. He shut the door and walked past Shiarra and Sasha further into the room to where Jim was sitting on one of the beds. He too was still only wearing what he had slept in.

“Not only him,” Nathan said, patting his brother’s shoulder. “Jim, this is Sasha’s aunt. Shiarra.”

Grinning goofily, Jim gave a little wave and said, “Hi. I’m Jim. Nathan’s taking good care of us. You don’t hafta worry. Sasha’s okay. He’s really nice even though he’s shy.” Jim giggled. “Shy! Like your name!”

Sasha giggled too, his head slightly bowed as he blushed.

Shiarra’s expression faded to a look that mirrored exactly how Nathan felt, like she wasn’t sure if she should be laughing or crying.

After telling the boys to brush their teeth and get dressed in the bathroom—there was a lady present now, after all—Nathan had Shiarra alone long enough to explain what had happened.

“So, what’s your plan?” Shiarra asked once she was up to date, and Jim and Sasha were both barefoot lying on the floor, coloring.

“Well, we thought the fae responsible would show itself, but nothing happened. The only lead I have is the last living relative of the curator, who lives outside of town. Jim and Sasha had some notes on him—a guy named Henry Faust.”

“Faust?” Shiarra repeated with a slight smirk.

“Yeah. Why?”

“The famous story about selling one’s soul to the Devil? Surely you know it.”

Nathan swallowed. He did know it, actually. Too well. “Yeah, who could forget?”

“Nathan,” Jim called up at him, “we’re bored. Play something with us.”

“Yeah, play something with us, Nathan!” echoed Sasha.

It tore Nathan up a little to look down at the pair, finding them so innocent and oblivious, and just wanting his attention, but he had to concentrate on the mission. “Sorry, guys, but I can’t right now. We’re working on getting you two back to normal, remember?”

They immediately sat up on the carpet, wearing matching puppy pouts.

“Hey...look,” Nathan said, crouching down in front of them, “Shiarra and I are gonna have to go out to solve this, okay? But I asked Ula to check in on you. You like her, remember? She actually said she’d be ‘pleased as punch’ to keep an eye on you two for a few hours.”

She had used that exact phrase, too— pleased as punch .

“You’ll be fine. I promise,” Nathan assured them. “When you guys are back to normal, I’ll play with you whatever you want.”

Jim’s bottom lip looked way too big to be natural. “That’s silly. We’ll be grown up. We won’t wanna play anymore.”

“Dude,” Nathan couldn’t help laughing, “trust me, we play. It’s just…a different kind of playing. Adult playing.”

“Isn’t that an inappropriate thing to say to a five-year old?" Shiarra commented. "Especially considering you’re sleeping with my—”

“Hey!” Nathan cut in, standing swiftly and grabbing Shiarra’s arm so he could pull her in close and whisper more discretely, “Ix-nay on the ex-say in front of the ids-kay, will ya?”

Shiarra blinked. “Did you just speak pig Latin to me?”

Nathan held back a laugh at her tone and expression, but he had to think seriously right now. “Let's just get going, okay?”

“Good luck, Nathan!” Jim called from behind him, and suddenly there was a large body right there and long arms wrapping around Nathan’s waist.

After catching his breath, Nathan carefully turned within Jim’s tight hold to make the hug more proper.

It was getting to be a bit much for him, all this open affection, but he could allow and enjoy it right now because he knew how much Jim needed it.

“It’s gonna be okay, buddy,” Nathan said, sensing Jim’s anxiety.

“Big brother Nathan to the rescue, right?”

Jim giggled shakily and hugged Nathan harder, pushing his face against Nathan’s neck. “Nah-uh, Nate. I’m the oldest.”

“And I never forget it.”

When they pulled apart Nathan saw how Sasha was hovering close by. He knew the redhead was looking for that same kind of reassurance, so he stepped up to Sasha and pulled him close for a quick hug too, holding the back of Sasha’s neck and breathing in that familiar Sasha scent.

“Shi and I got this covered, so just sit tight and have a good time with Jim and Ula.” Nathan felt Sasha nod and then heard a breathy whisper against his ear.

“I wanna be grown up for you, Nathan.”

An ache tore at Nathan’s heart to hear that. He couldn’t even be sure if Sasha understood the full weight of saying those words, but God, Nathan wanted that too. Feeding time for the incubus was so much more than just a mutual agreement between friends.

After that Nathan couldn’t get out of the room fast enough.

“So, your wife got in this morning?” Ula asked warmly when Nathan and Shiarra stopped by the front desk. “That’s wonderful. You two have…some kind of serious business in town today?”

“Something like that,” Nathan said. “Ula, this is Shiarra. She’s actually Sasha’s…sister.” Nathan was glad he caught himself because ‘aunt’ would not make sense. “It’s how we met, taking care of our boys. Right, sweetheart?”

Shiarra just laughed politely, but Nathan could have sworn there was a hidden threat in the sound somewhere.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Shiarra said, and Nathan was immediately taken aback by how young she sounded.

“Nathan said you were really good with the boys before. I hope we’re not putting you out. ”

“Oh, of course not. I’ve babysat for years. Oh,” Ula brought a hand up to her mouth, “I probably shouldn’t call it that. Adult sitting maybe? I know they’re not children. I’m sorry.”

There was no end to how much Nathan wanted to tell Ula the truth right then if only to stop her from getting so flustered. “I told you,” Nathan smiled, “they’re like five-year-olds. You’re not going to offend anyone for thinking that way too, especially not us. But…we better go. Thanks again.”

Ula was all beaming smiles, her face only slightly flushed like maybe she couldn’t help it half the time. “Don’t worry about a thing,” she said. “Have fun!”

Right , Nathan thought. Fun .

He had sent Walter to the Animus House again, if only to be sure they covered all of their bases before going after this Faust guy, and he had told his Spirit Guide to meet them there once he was finished scouring the ruins one final time.

Nathan just hoped they got a lead somewhere, because if he didn’t discover something soon, there might not be anything left to find.