8. James

8

JAMES

James and Sebastian showered together once they summoned the willpower to get out of bed. James found himself in a drowsy, deeply satiated state. He couldn't stop smiling.

"I've never been this happy," he murmured into Sebastian's ear.

"Me either." Sebastian dropped his head back and James kissed down his neck, chasing the water droplets cascading down his sweet skin.

A loud bang came from somewhere in the house. They both stilled, catching each other's eye.

Sebastian frowned. "That didn't sound like someone knocking on the door."

"No." James rinsed the remaining soap from his body and they got out of the shower.

Sebastian passed him a towel. "Things have remained quiet on the shade front, right?"

"As far as I've heard, yeah." There weren't any more noises, and James wondered if they were being overly cautious. Could it have been a car backfiring or something on the neighbor's side of the building ?

They dried quickly and exited the bathroom. James needed to start keeping some clothes here. He pulled on his discarded boxer briefs as Sebastian peered out the window.

It was fully dark. James had no idea what time it was. They'd made love for what felt like hours. He wished the reality of their situation hadn't intruded so quickly. He'd wanted the rest of the night to bask in soft, tender feelings with Sebastian.

"There are shades in the town circle," Sebastian said, not looking away from the window.

James hurried up behind him. "Are there a lot?" Over Sebastian's shoulder, he could see about a dozen flying around the street and above the stone monument in the middle of the town square.

"Doesn't seem too bad." Sebastian hesitated. "Unless more are coming."

James placed a hand on the small of Sebastian's back, rubbing his thumb over the dimples he loved so much. "At least they aren't swarming the duplex. I was afraid that sound was one hitting a window."

"Me too."

A shade popped up out of nowhere, directly on the other side of the glass, and banged its fists against it, making them both jump.

"Shit." James took a deep breath as his heart pounded. It was almost like the shade had heard him and chosen that moment to pounce.

"It's the one wearing my robe." Sebastian pointed, mouth open in outrage. Sure enough, dirty purple sleeves hung around the shade's elbows, the robe half falling off its shoulders.

The shade swooped away.

Sebastian turned to face James. "What the fuck?"

He shrugged. "I have no idea."

"It's taunting me." Sebastian turned back to the window, but the shade was no longer in sight .

James bent to pick up Sebastian's underwear and handed it to him. "It would be funny that it still has your robe if we weren't having such serious shade problems."

"Yeah, hilarious. It's annoying, is what it is." Sebastian pulled his boxer briefs on. "We should probably keep an eye on them even if they aren't trying to break in."

"Good idea." James pulled on the rest of his clothes. "Why don't I go downstairs and get some food, and we can watch them out the window?"

Sebastian agreed and perched on the bed to watch the shades swooping around outside.

James brought dinner up. They turned out the lights in the bedroom and watched the shades as they ate. The beasts didn't seem to be doing anything like the dancing around the stone Sebastian had seen before the darkness from Beyond had set in, and most of the streetlights still hadn't been repaired, so even their presence in town wasn't too far out of the ordinary, given how dark it was.

The only thing James could glean from the spectacle was that shades were back in Moonlight Falls, and it hadn't taken long. Sebastian had banished almost all of them when he'd saved James and defeated the darkness. How many shades might be out on Sebastian's property streaming through the gateway right this moment? James was glad he wasn't there to find out.

The next morning, James slipped out of bed without waking Sebastian and got ready for work. He and Hazel had a lot to do. It had been hard to prioritize the electrical business over the last week with the vein problem looming over them and not knowing if Sebastian would recover. Now that they knew Sebastian was all right, they had to get going on replacing the busted lights in town.

James was downstairs making coffee when Sebastian joined him. He'd wrapped up in a hoodie and gray sweatpants, his hair tousled. He looked absolutely adorable.

Sebastian gave James a sleepy smile. "Thought I smelled coffee."

James handed him a mug. "Sorry if I woke you." They'd been up late watching the shades. It had been after midnight when the beasts had flown away. James hoped they hadn't been off to do anything destructive.

"It's fine." Sebastian spooned powdered creamer into his mug. "I'll go back to bed if I need to. I'm not too tired, or I wouldn't have gotten up."

James pulled him in for a kiss. "Okay. Good." He buried his nose in the hair behind Sebastian's ear and let himself relax, feeling nothing but love.

Someone knocked on the door.

Sebastian pulled away and went to open it. James followed, finding Eli on the doorstep holding a familiar box.

"Hey, Eli." Sebastian stepped out of the way. "Have you finished with the papers already?"

"Yeah." Eli walked past Sebastian and set the box on the table. "I texted you saying I was coming by." He looked at James.

"Must have missed it." James returned to the kitchen and grabbed a third mug from the cupboard.

Sebastian drifted toward the coffee, and Eli joined them.

"Anything catch your eye when reading?" Eli asked Sebastian.

"No, it was about as I remembered." Sebastian poured coffee from the French press into his mug. "I've wondered if whatever happened had to do with Nelson and his quest to unlock the secrets of harnessing natural power, but there was nothing in the papers to confirm it. "

James explained to Eli who Nelson Storm was in relation to Nelson Power.

Eli's brows raised. "You think a failed experiment caused the imbalance?"

"Yeah." Sebastian shrugged. "But I have no idea what they would have done or how it broke things, if that's what happened. Selma felt Nelson owed the family when his company took off, but that could just be her expecting compensation for their suffering and not because the vein disaster had anything to do with his later inventions."

"It would make sense if whatever happened in the clearing was a failed early experiment," Eli said as he helped himself to coffee. "Maybe when Selma referenced Nelson taking something he could never replace, she meant taking something from the veins rather than from the family."

James considered Eli's words. "What can you take from a vein other than raw energy?"

"Maybe that's what he took?" Eli gave James a pointed look. "Magical power plants take energy from veins and convert it into electricity, but safely. What if the Storm brothers took energy, but doing it wrong caused an explosive imbalance?"

"And Selma's been trying to put the energy back with the curse ever since." Sebastian closed his eyes briefly. "If that's the case, it doesn't seem like the energy can be replaced permanently. No amount seems to fill the void."

There was a grim silence.

If this was the answer to what happened to the veins, James didn't see how it'd helped them fix it.

"How can taking a finite amount of energy out of a system create an infinite debt?" James scowled at the idea that natural laws could be broken like that. "It's magic, but it still needs to add up. Whatever they may have taken couldn't result in a negative larger than the original amount."

"I'd agree." Eli put a hand on James's arm, probably sensing his frustration. "But we don't understand veins as well as we understand how other magical energy exchanges work. Maybe different laws govern magic flowing between worlds. If so, we have no idea what energy getting trapped permanently in our world would result in."

James had never considered taking energy out of a vein as trapping it in this world. Vein energy constantly moved between worlds, whether through the whole vein as it did in shifting formations or at the end of fixed formations. Trapping energy in the human world and not letting it flow between could very well do more than deprive the vein of whatever amount of energy was taken.

Sebastian seemed to study Eli. "Even if they took energy, that doesn't tell us how to solve it. Putting energy back clearly isn't a permanent solution, and I don't know if Nelson Power's secret method of safely extracting energy is our answer either. If that were the case, why didn't Nelson come home and fix things permanently and free his brother?"

"Maybe we're wrong." Eli drained his coffee and set his empty mug down on the counter. "Maybe they didn't take energy. Remember, whatever's happening at the intersection is causing higher energy levels than what we're seeing in town. I'm not sure how taking energy would have that result, even if we don't know what trapping it in this world would do."

Defeat hung in the air as Eli left. He'd promised to spend the day researching all possibilities, looking for answers on what happened to veins when energy was taken or why vein energy levels might rise.

Sebastian abandoned his mostly untouched coffee. "What if we can't solve this?" James sensed the beginning of panic in his words. "What if there was never an answer, and the only way was leaving Selma's curse and the veins alone?" He gave James a hard look. "What if I ruined everything by using the veins to banish the darkness and I destroyed the precarious balance we had. What if it's all downhill from here until it ends in disaster?"

James took Sebastian's trembling hands. "You didn't ruin anything when you used the veins. You saved the town. Maybe things wouldn't have become this unstable if you hadn't beat the darkness, but not banishing it would have been worse. People would have died. We would have died. The invasion might have spread past Moonlight Falls. And for all we know, the spell the shades cast on the veins is what fucked everything up, not you using the veins' energy to save us."

"I guess it doesn't matter. It's done now, regardless." Sebastian gave a tired sigh. "We have to deal with the situation either way. I just can't get rid of my guilt."

"You have nothing to feel guilty for."

"I know. I'm trying to remember that. It's just hard." Sebastian gave James a small smile. "Your reassurance always makes me feel better."

James returned his smile. "Then it's a good thing I'm here to remind you."

"Yeah." Sebastian's attention landed on the box of old papers. "I should call my lawyer and see if I can get any useful information on Nelson Power, seeing as I own a good portion of the company, just in case Nelson held the key to stabilizing the vein after all. Who knows, Nelson might have known how to save his family and chosen not to."

"Maybe taking energy out of the vein safely will bring everything back into balance," James mused. It was a long shot, but it would be silly not to try and test it. They couldn't afford to leave any possibility unexplored.

James went to Gray Electrical to meet Hazel and get started on replacing the lights in town. They loaded everything they needed into Hazel's new van and drove the short distance to the town circle.

Hazel pulled over in front of the first broken light. "Eleanor asked if we'd have much warning before things explode, but I told her I had no idea."

James got out of the van and helped Hazel unload the new light and a ladder. "We might not have much warning, but if things get worse, like if the energy in the fuel cell drops too much or the weird sinkhole gets much bigger, maybe we should get everyone out of here."

Hazel nodded in agreement. "Better to be on the safe side."

They fixed the lights on the diner side of the circle, and Parker came out periodically to ward them. Around midday, Sebastian met them for lunch in the park, and they all dug into Parker's club sandwiches, Sebastian with a vegetarian version.

James wanted to enjoy the moment. He had his friends and the man he loved. He wanted to daydream about last night and get caught up in picturing his future and all the ways he and Sebastian's love for each other could grow.

But he couldn't. The uncertainty of the veins hung over everything like a dark cloud. James had never been so scared the future he wanted would be taken from him. It was the same old fear that had always plagued him, causing him to shy away and detach himself, but he wouldn't stay that way this time. He wanted to fight. He wouldn't let anything come between him and Sebastian. He just wished he knew how to save them.

As they finished eating, James spotted William exiting town hall. He crossed the street, heading toward them, glaring.

"Great, just what we need," he grumbled, and Hazel grunted in agreement.

William fixed his attention on Sebastian as he reached the picnic table. "You should have stayed at your haunted house. "

Sebastian's eyes widened in shock.

"Excuse me?" James snapped. That comment was unnecessarily aggressive, even for William, who was always antagonistic. Why did he care that Sebastian lived in town these days?

William ignored James, continuing to glare at Sebastian like he couldn't stand to be near him. "You Storms have ruined this town. Put all of us at risk."

James froze. At risk? Wait, what? Did William know something? How? Eleanor never would have told him about the veins.

Sebastian's hand shook where it rested on James's knee. "What are you talking about?"

William huffed. "I know there's a ticking timebomb on your property, and we all might die now that you've abandoned your post and come into town." He eyed them all smugly as if he'd just proven his anger was beyond reproach.

James stood from the table. He was reeling, wondering how , but the need to defend Sebastian was stronger. William knew something, but he had it all wrong. "That isn't true. Sebastian being in town hasn't put anyone at risk."

"No? I heard you all talking to Eleanor." William turned away from Sebastian to sneer at James. "You're always turning up, poking your noses into official business you have no right to. I figured I'd see what you were up to this time. Turns out it was worse than I thought. Eleanor is trying to cover up your mistakes. She's been sneaking around frantically trying to access all kinds of things she should need extra approval for."

"You listened at her office door?" Hazel asked, her disgust clear.

"I shouldn't have had to. It was lucky I saw you three creeping into town hall." William stood up straighter, crossing his arms. "Eleanor can't seriously believe it isn't the Storms' fault we all might blow up. Of course you'd frame it like you were a victim, Sebastian, to take the heat off you. Only someone gullible would take your word for it. Eleanor knew the rest of the city council wouldn't stand for your nonsense, so she's keeping us in the dark. Instead of taking charge, she's helping you. Covering her ass as well as yours." He jabbed a pointed finger at Sebastian.

Sebastian's cheeks turned red. "Didn't you hear me warning Eleanor? There's a good reason she isn't telling anyone, and it has nothing to do with sneaking around or covering anything up. This isn't just about the unstable veins on my property. There's a curse?—"

"As if hearing something could trap me," William scoffed. "What a pathetic excuse. I bet you made that up to try and keep what you've done from getting out."

James took a step toward William. Of course he didn't believe the warning. Shit . Had he not stuck around to hear Eleanor's failed attempt to report the veins to the officials? "You haven't told anyone else, have you?"

William turned up his nose. "People have a right to know."

James's heart sank.

"For fuck's sake, William," Parker growled. "You're a fool. You've trapped anyone you've told."

"No." William spat back, full of aggression, even though his confident expression wavered. "That's ridiculous. If anyone's trapping people, it's him." He pointed at Sebastian again.

Hazel got up from the bench and pulled out her phone. She walked across the street, making a call before James could ask if she was going to find Eleanor.

"Since no one is doing anything about this disaster, I've called a meeting," William went on. "You Storms need to be dealt with."

Sebastian looked stunned, blinking like he didn't know how to respond. James went to his side, resting a hand on his shoulder. They didn't need this. It was bad enough stressing about finding a solution without ignorant pain-in-the-asses causing even more problems.

Parker rounded the table and grabbed William by the arm. "Don't tell anyone else. Do you hear me? This isn't ridiculous. It's dead serious." He used every bit of his stature and thundering voice to their full, intimidating potential, looming over William with anger in his eyes.

"Get off me." William pulled away, but worry finally broke through his arrogant expression. He hesitated, opened his mouth as if to say something, then turned and walked away without another word.

"Think he's off to test whether he's trapped?" Sebastian asked in a subdued voice.

"Why don't I go see?" Parker walked after the man. He turned and called over his shoulder, "I'll follow him and make sure he doesn't spread the secret to anyone else."

"And the people he's already told about Storm House?" James asked, even though he didn't expect Parker to know what to do about them.

Parker only grimaced before hurrying to follow William.

"This is bad," Sebastian whispered.

He could say that again. The people William had told wouldn't have any inkling that learning about the potentially explosive veins had consequences. Who knew how much further the Storm House secret had spread or how many people were now trapped.