Chapter 1

1

Nathan heard Sasha call out, “I’m supposed to save him! I can save him!” but maybe this time Wade had been wrong.

Further protests swirled around him, but he couldn’t really make sense of them. He felt Sasha and Jim’s hands leave his body. Pain surged through him, but he seemed to float, suspended in a void of sound and light and sudden cold. For the briefest moment he thought he saw Walter looking on sadly from too far away.

Nathan tried to move, managing only to bring a hand to his chest where he clutched his father’s wedding ring tight.

The only thing he could be certain of was the rush of darkness that filled him when a hand—Malak’s hand—touched his shoulder. If he fell, felt another sting of pain, felt burned or ripped from his body, screamed even, he couldn’t be sure. There was only darkness, the empty echo of Jim and Sasha shouting his name, and remnants of the lullaby calling cruelly after him into the dark.

“And until we meet again…”

“Okay, Jim. Okay…”

Pain struck Nathan like a knife to the gut. He was freezing, air rushed into his lungs like they hadn’t breathed in days, and his entire body throbbed as if he actually had space left for new wounds. He wasn’t alone. He was never alone. Never free.

It had been so long since he dared pull a weapon, but it was too much. He didn’t care about consequences. It was supposed to be over. He had promised him. Hepromised

“Nathan, wait! Stop!”

LikeHell

His ankle blade was right where it should be, tucked neatly under his pillow—a bad habit he had never been able to break. His vision blurred in front of him as he swayed on his feet, having leapt from the bed. The room could spin all it wanted; he knew where to point the blade.

“W-Why…?” His teeth chattered as he spoke. “Y-You…p-promised. W-What did you…d-do to me?” Nathan felt awful, sick, like he might throw up. Everything ached. His body didn’t feel like his own. “You s-said you’d…take it away. I gave you what you w-wanted. You said you’d take it away!” he shouted finally at the indistinct figure…of his brother. Sasha was there too, wearing his human guise. That almost made Nathan falter, but he knew it was a lie.

“Nathan, please!” Jim said.

“It’s okay! You’re okay!” Sasha called.

“S-Stay away from me.” Nathan backed toward the corner of the room, knife brandished shakily. “Why? Why are you…d-doing this? I did what you wanted. I did everything you wanted…”

“Nathan, it’s us,” Sasha tried to say calmly, inching closer with hands held up in seeming surrender. Jim did the same.

Nathan knew he had to be a pitiable sight with that weakly held knife, but he’d use it, damn it, he would. Somehow he’d use it.

His back hit the corner of the room.

“Playing that game?” Nathan scoffed. “I know better. You haven’t beenthemin…in so long, I…I don’t even remember. I don’t remember…”

“Nathan,” Jim pleaded, moving closer with one hand outstretched. He looked so strange to Nathan, almost believable with those dark blue eyes so caring, so concerned. “I can’t imagine what it must have been like, but it’s over. You’re not in the Veil anymore. We got you out. You’re safe. With us.”

“Please believe us, Nathan,” Sasha said. “Just look at us.” He gestured to himself; to Jim. Sasha too looked so normal, so honest and how Nathan remembered him. “It’s really us. You’re safe, Nathan. Please recognize us…”

He recognized them. But it had to be a trick. Another damn trick like all the others.

“I gave you what you wanted,” Nathan said again. He was so cold. Nothing looked right. Nothing felt right. He couldn’t understand why this was happening when he had finally given in.

“Nathan, it’sus,” Sasha said more firmly, like maybe Nathan just couldn’t hear them.

“Malak took you and we’re so sorry,” Jim said. “We wish we could have gotten you out sooner, but you have to know us. Please tell me you still know us…”

“Malak…?” Nathan glared at the false images before him, knife still held firm, warning them not to get closer. “It had nothing to do with that, you know that, youknow. I didn’t…I didn’t go to the Veil.”

Jim and Sasha stopped their progression toward him, their eyes wide and disbelieving. They shared a pained look, not knowing what to say until finally Jim spoke, slow and gentle.

“Nathan, don’t you remember? Malak said killing the spriggan instead of banishing it broke the deal. That’s why we couldn’t win, why we couldn’t save you. You went to the Veil, Nathan. You’vebeenin the Veil. But you’re out now. I don’t know what Malak did to you there, but we got you out.”

It almost made sense, as if a second reality were trying to push into Nathan’s mind: memories of what Jim was saying, memories he knew weren’t fabrications, and yet…how could he remember things happening two different ways?

The Veil? Had that been the Veil? To him it had felt likelife

“Malak touched my shoulder…” Nathan looked up, seeing Jim and Sasha’s faces the way they were meant to be. It didn’t feel like a trick.Oh God, let it not be a trick.