Derek grinned. “Yes.”
“Isn’t he amazing? So tough. But I can tell he’s kind as well.”
Julian could do nothing but listen. But as he did, he felt lighter, almost fond of the voice coming from his mouth.
“Can Julian read your thoughts?” Derek asked.
He frowned. “I don’t think so. But he hears my words. I try not to talk so much because he was hurt, you know. Verybadly. He needs his rest. Master Anu always said I have a tendency to talk sooo much. There is simply so much to say. And to see.” Julian looked around the bar, seeing it through Nigel’s eyes. No longer the dim and dingy bar with sketchy drinkers, it was magical. A place full of life and laughter where everyone seemed happy. “You see, I haven’t been out of the hotel for a long time. It was scary to leave. Too scary, but Julian will protect me. I know it. He’s so strong and smart.”
“So you definitely don’t want to hurt him. Put him in danger, take control?”
“I… I would never hurt him. I can’t imagine it.” Nigel’s gaze dropped to the table to where Derek’s and Julian’s hands were clasped. “If he means to eject me, I suppose I would go. Though I have no place. Back to the hotel maybe?”
Julian’s eyes watered, his breath caught on the lump in his throat. He wanted to rush into the conversation, to say no. No. Jesus. He was such an asshole. This poor guy. What was wrong with him?
Derek squeezed his hand. “You realize that when you get overcome with emotions, Nigel, so does Julian. And I don’t know him well, but I don’t think he’s much used to that. So maybe you could be calm? To not get too excited?”
Julian felt himself bobbing his head like an idiot. “Oh yes. Of course. I just got so… yes, of course. That makes sense. I’m sorry, Julian.”
“Do you think, if you really needed to… that you could leave his body? Just temporarily?”
“That would besoscary. I mean, where would I go?”
“I think it would take practice. I have seen it before with spiritual entities. They have a certain freedom that the physical body does not. So you could, for example, leave here, just for a moment, and buzz downstairs to see what’s happening down there and come right back to safety.”
Nigel frowned. “I don’t know.”
“I promise. Julian and I will be right here.”
“Really? You won’t leave me?” Nigel’s plaintive tone was hard to resist. Julian wanted to shake his head but couldn’t. His muscles tightened, as though getting ready to jump out of a plane or something.
“Right. Okay.”
Julian’s breath came out in a whoosh. He felt empty. Tired. His chest burned where the bullet entered. So fierce he got a little dizzy with it. There was a sudden lack of… something. He wanted to sink to the floor.
“How do you feel?” Derek asked.
“I feel like shit,” he said. He did. He could feel every bruise and scrape, every stitch. His eyes and mouth were dustbowls. “Why do I feel this bad?”
“Because Nigel’s spirit gives you a sort of extra energy. All entities have energy, and Nigel shares his with you, so when he goes, you are just you, a human. An injured one at that. This is how you would feel without him.” Derek’s eyes closed for half a second. “He’s coming back. Ready?”
He barely got the wordyesout when Nigel slammed into him. Gasping in surprise, Julian flattened against the back of the booth. He took a breath, then another, instantly feeling better, almost more like himself.
That was so exciting! But scary too. Oh my, the green circle of power, the old wizard. And Abraham! Oh my, his eyes all aglow.
Nigel chattered in Julian’s head for a bit. Julian let go of Derek’s hand. “He’s back, nattering away about circles and wizards and shit.” He looked at Derek. “What’s in the basement?”
Derek shrugged. “What I’m here for.” He knocked on the table and slid out of the booth. “Good luck, Julian. Nigel, so nice to meet you.”
He slipped into the crowd of people heading toward the back hallway.
Wasn’t he pretty, Julian? But I wouldn’t want to be too close to him.
“For once, we agree on that, bud,” Julian grumbled under his breath.
He spotted Pery coming from the back, followed by a young woman. She nodded at Julian and draped a hanging bag over the back of his booth before joining Pery at the bar. Then Regge slid into the seat across from him.
He grinned as he pulled a folder of documents from his bag. “I left the cuff links in the safe. When they look, it won’t seem as though someone ransacked the place. Your passport’s in the satchel.” He nodded to the floor. Julian looked down to see his leather satchel next to him. He picked it up as Regge said, “Hunter got some of your disks?”
