“Do you vow to enter peacefully?”
It didn’t seem like much of a safeguard. Nate exchanged looks with Reed, who shrugged, fit to fall over where he stood, shouldering most of Alden’s weight.
“Yes, we do. And I’m a Tinkerer. I’d be happy to be of service.”
The door opened slightly, and a tall, thin figure peered out at them. He wore glasses with a thin crack down one lens, and his young, pale face was mottled with scars. Dingy, long robes marked him as a Servant.
“Is everyone else healthy?” he asked, his voice softer than Nate expected. He couldn’t have been any older than Reed.
The question hit Nate like a rush of icy cold water. It seemed like a lifetime ago that he’d worried about hiding his sickness from Reed. “Yes.”
The boy gave them a wry smile. “Are you sure? You all look a bit worse for wear.”
“We could use shelter if you have any,” Reed said. “But no one is sick but him.”
“I would imagine not. All of you look very young,” he said, as if unaware of his own age. He held the door open. “I’m James, a Servant of the Old Gods. And this is Ivy House. Bring him in.”
As Sparks passed through the door, they exchanged a look that left Sparks ducking her head and smiling. Nate wondered if he imagined that James’s hand brushed against hers ever so briefly.
Reed gave James a quick handshake and introduced himself. “It’s quiet here. You didn’t have any violence?”
“There was a fire down the street last night, but fortunately none of the damage on this block was serious,” James said.
“We’re not bringing trouble,” Reed said. “You have my word.”
Juniper made a muffled sound and elbowed Brick, who held her wrists together easily with one hand. Blood oozed from the bite at her shoulder, and the stain of it ran down the front of her dress like a spill.
James arched his brow delicately. “Is she here of her own volition?”
Brick rolled her eyes and tugged the bandana out of Juniper’s mouth. “You want to run off, go ahead,” she said. “Plenty of nice people out here would welcome you right into their homes, I’m sure.”
Juniper opened her mouth, glared, and shut it again. “I’ll stay,” she mumbled.
James gave them a long look and clasped his hands together. “Well! Please shut the door behind you, and let’s take a look at your friend.”
Nate walked inside in a daze and pulled the door closed. He blinked to adjust to the dim light.
The dusty, wet smell of the apartment reminded Nate of Bernice’s. This had been one of the wealthier neighborhoods in Winter Heights half a century ago. Faded floral wallpaper clung to the walls in patches. A chipped chair rail ran the length of the long hallway. The floors were made of real wood, and they were scarred with deep gouges and scuffmarks.
Nate caught up to the others as they passed several closed doors. Someone coughed wretchedly behind one, and Sparks murmured, “Gods watch us.”
“You’re in charge here?” Brick asked, dubious.
“Tonight, I am.” He seemed to realize what she’d meant and let out a soft, awkward laugh. “I’ve been here for two years, if you’re worried about that.”
At the end of the hall, their quietly shuffling group reached an open living room. Nate hadn’t seen so much furniture since he’d left Bernice’s. The chairs and couches were decades old and drooping and frayed, but they looked impossibly comfortable. A single candle in a glass cylinder lit the room. The soft light made everything pretty. It was paradise.
Only Juniper looked unimpressed.
“We don’t have electricity at the moment,” James said. He noticed Nate’s quick glance and shook his head. “No one on the block does.”
“Is there somewhere we can put him down?” Sparks asked.
“Yes, of course.” James smiled, pushing up his glasses, and dragged a thin pallet bed from under the couch to the middle of the room. “We don’t have any other rooms free, but you may rest here for now.”
Reed and Sparks eased Alden onto the low bed. He didn’t stir. Nate sank beside him as James covered him with a dingy sheet.
Pixel climbed onto one of the couches, curling up, and closed her eyes. Nate couldn’t recall the last time he’d seen her sleep. Brick led Juniper to a chair in the corner. Juniper’s legs gave out, and Brick scooped her up and sat her down, more careful than Nate had ever seen her be with anyone but Pixel.
