The Demon's Covenant Read Online Free PDF Page A

a sudden hush.
    She remembered Nick’s voice sounding like this one night when he’d whirled and hit his brother. And she remembered Alan coolly pulling a gun.
    Alan’s voice cut Nick off.
    â€œNo, Nick. You can’t.” He turned away from his brother and focused on Mae. “Mae, come here—thank you—and tell me what exactly is going on with Jamie. What magician is he mixed up with? What’s going on?”
    And Mae found herself sitting in the armchair across from Alan, her hand curled, as if still around the glass Alan was now holding, and feeling at a loss and almost annoyed. That was the thing about these two. It wasn’t that she didn’t like them. She did, but she didn’t feel in control around them. She wanted to feel in control.
    â€œGerald, of course,” she almost snapped. “He said he’d come back for us and he has. Only I didn’t know he’d come back, and it’s—it’s pretty clear that Jamie’s been meeting him and not telling me. I saw them, and they seemed like they were
friends
. His damned Obsidian Circle tried to kill Jamie a month ago! I don’t know what he’s doing, what kind of hold he might have over Jamie, and I don’t understand anything.”
    So she’d gone running to them. Again.
    Mae clenched her hands into fists and looked away from them both into the empty grate. She hated feeling so useless.
    She wasn’t looking when the door burst open and Jamie’s voice rang out, saying, “Mae, are you really sick—oh.”
    Mae twisted around and saw Jamie held still by surprise in the open door, one hand clinging to the door frame. His expression of concern was fixed on his face, as if he’d absentmindedly left it there even though he was done with it, and Mae felt suddenly and unexpectedly angry with him.
    He was much more scared to see Nick than he’d been to see Gerald. And no matter what Nick was, he’d done nothing but help them.
    â€œHey, Alan,” Jamie said, a real smile touching his lips but not staying long. “Nick. Wh-what’s going on?”
    You’re busted, that’s what
, Mae thought, feeling about eight years old and meanly pleased to see her little brother introuble. She turned to Nick, to tell him—to show him—that she knew what they owed to him, that
she
wasn’t scared.
    When she looked at Nick, she saw him draw his sword.
    It was so bizarre that for a moment Mae forgot to be angry. This was her home: The shiny cold floors, high ceilings, and white walls that looked like blank pages were no setting for swords and sorcery.
    Despite everything she knew, Nick still looked like part of the normal world. He was wearing jeans and a T-shirt. He shouldn’t have been wielding a sword, but he was. The blade was bright and steady in his hands, held with casual expertise, and he walked forward softly as a stalking cat and lifted his sword with each step until the edge was held against Jamie’s throat. For an instant Mae thought that Nick wouldn’t stop.
    He did stop.
    â€œIn trouble again, Jamie?” Nick asked. “Seems to be a hobby of yours. And I’m getting pretty tired of cleaning up your messes. I think last time was enough, don’t you?”
    Jamie swallowed, his Adam’s apple brushing the sword edge.
    â€œI can see the magic all around you,” Nick continued, his voice sinking further. “Who gave that to you? Or should I be asking what you did to get it? Mae’s been telling us all about the company you’re keeping these days. Maybe I should have saved myself some bother and let the magicians cut your throat when I had the chance. They would have done it, you know.”
    Jamie tried to speak and had to clear his throat before he could. “I know. And I’m not—”
    â€œ
Don’t
lie to me,” Nick snarled. “I don’t like it.”
    Nick took a step forward, just