Chapter 3

Sebastian was staring at James. He could feel it.

The hairs on the back of James's neck prickled as he looked at the fuse box. He was used to some customers wanting to keep him within sight when he worked in their homes, but casually keeping an eye wasn't what Sebastian was doing. The two of them were outside, around the back of the house, in an alcove used to store firewood. Sebastian was watching every move James made.

The attention made James squirm. He didn't like it at all. So what if he found Sebastian attractive? He didn't want the interest returned. Sebastian wasn't the kind of guy James wanted to be involved with in any capacity. Which was just as well because he wasn't entirely sure Sebastian wasn't messing with him. If any interest on his part was feigned for a reaction.

It wasn't that James doubted Sebastian was interested in men in general. Unless Sebastian's identity had changed over the years, they were both bisexual and had each come out in high school. It was probably the only thing the two of them had in common.

But Sebastian had only started acting flirty after he'd caught James looking, and the way Sebastian was staring at him now wasn't the usual sort of looking-at-someone-you-liked behavior. It was too intense for that. He had to be messing with James.

James tried to concentrate on the disaster in front of him. "So none of the power is working?"

"Nope." Sebastian popped the P, and James imagined the shape his lips would have made doing it.

He didn't turn around and continued to picture Sebastian in his mind, conjuring up an infuriatingly innocent look that matched the man's refusal to be even remotely helpful. Couldn't he just leave James to get his work done alone?

"When was the wiring last updated?" James eyed the corroded fuses. They were old and should have been replaced with modern circuit breakers long before now.

Sebastian hummed as if he were thinking. "When the house was built?"

The nonchalant shrug James imagined accompanying Sebastian's words was as graceful as it was careless.

James turned around, pushing away fictional images of Sebastian and gaping at the man himself. "You're telling me this is original?" He was appalled.

"Yeah. That's bad, isn't it?" Sebastian seemed completely unconcerned about the state of the wiring, unlike most homeowners, who would bemoan a problem of this magnitude.

James closed the fuse box. "When was this place built exactly?"

Sebastian raised one lazy shoulder. "Nineteen forty-ish."

It was hard to believe nothing had been updated since then. James eyed Sebastian, wondering if there was something he wasn't saying. He noticed goosebumps on Sebastian's chest. So he was cold out here without a shirt or shoes.

Thinking about the goosebumps was his first mistake. From there, James couldn't help looking Sebastian over a second time. Sebastian seemed graceful even when he wasn't moving, making it hard to look away from him. The combination of his annoyingly high cheekbones, enough freckles for James to get lost in, a pointy little nose, and lips that looked tender had James admitting Sebastian had grown out of his cuteness and into something more dangerous.

Trouble, this was going to be nothing but trouble.

"Am I distracting you?" Sebastian asked, his teasing tone making a reappearance.

James's face heated. "This wiring isn't up to code."

Sebastian nodded in a way that could only be described as mock-serious. He bit his lip like he was trying not to laugh again.

James cleared his throat. "It's probably a good thing nothing's running. It could be a fire hazard."

"But you can fix it?" Sebastian asked more seriously, pulling his robe tighter around himself.

James nodded. "The whole house will need to be rewired."

"Manor."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Manor." Sebastian gestured toward the house. "This is Storm Manor."

James snorted. It was almost a laugh. "Everyone in town calls it Storm House."

"Well, everyone in town is rude." Sebastian flicked his long bangs back with a shake of his head. He looked so indignant. It was adorable.

"Right." James closed the fuse box. "The manor will need to be rewired."

"See, you said it in a snide way. That doesn't count."

James ignored that. There were so many more pressing things to discuss. "Are you staying here without power?"

Sebastian seemed to swallow whatever silly thing he'd planned to say about the house. He frowned. "Looks that way, doesn't it?"

James didn't like that. Had Sebastian been here long? Surly not, if he was so blasé about getting things fixed, writing letters, and being all mysterious about it. But then, who had been keeping the yard so tidy and feeding the cow? James shook his worry off. A gardener had probably been looking after the property. No one would be living here. "You should see if the B&B has a room free until the work is done."

"Awe." Sebastian swatted at James's shoulder. "Are you worried about me being out here in the dark?"

"No." James cleared his throat, his voice gruff. "But it's not going to be a quick job. It'll be too long to go without power."

"I'll manage." Sebastian dismissed James's concern, sounding careless.

They stared at each other for a long moment. James wanted to argue, but it wasn't really his business.

"I'm not going to be able to start today." James shifted his weight and shoved his hands in his jacket pockets. "I'll need to do a bit of planning first. I assume the interior walls here are plaster, going by the age of the building, and you probably don't want to have me ripping them off, so it's going to be fiddly work."

Sebastian's eyes glazed over. Was he even listening? "Mm-hmm," he hummed in detached agreement.

James asked the powers that be for patience. "Do you have any of the old plans for the house? It would be helpful if I could look at the schematic for the original wiring."

Sebastian frowned. "There are probably plans laying around somewhere."

"Great." James thought about smiling but couldn't be bothered dredging up his customer service skills. "We can look at those and figure out the best way forward. Hopefully, I'll be able to start disconnecting the existing wiring tomorrow."

Feeling like things were done for now, James began walking toward the front of the house. Sebastian followed. They passed a well-tended garden and greenhouse. The gardener must have a lot of work to do around here.

"So, how about that lemonade?" Sebastian offered as they reached the front porch.

"No thanks. I should get going. Gather everything I'll need so we can get working on this."

"Right, of course." Sebastian turned away.

Too late, James realized the offer had been made without snark or overdone flirtiness, as if Sebastian simply wanted James to stay and chat for a bit.

Before James could say anything, Sebastian went on, "I suppose I should walk you to the gate, or else I really will be forcing you to climb over the wall." He sounded put out but made his way down the driveway without further comment, purple robe billowing behind him.

Overall, James didn't think Sebastian liked him much. The flirting and offer of lemonade didn't necessarily mean anything, and James needed to get his wandering eyes in check before he came back here. There was no need to encourage whatever games Sebastian might be playing.

At the gate, Sebastian pulled keys out of his pocket and unlocked the chain. He eyed James's truck. "Not much has changed, has it? Different jacket, different truck, but hardly."

James didn't like the judgment in his tone. "Yeah, well, you're about as I remember too."

Sebastian opened the gate. "I thought we didn't know each other. Surprised you remember me at all."

James walked out, not particularly looking forward to coming back.

After closing Gray Electrical and wishing Hazel a good night, James walked down the block to Moonlight Diner.

The center of town was small. Main Street ran in a circle around an eight-foot-tall gray stone marking the founding of Moonlight Falls that stuck out of a landscaped patch of grass. The street was lined with shops, eateries, the library, the post office, and the town hall. Gray Electrical was located just off the town circle's north end, next to the thrift store. There were a few more businesses off the south end, but the whole place was about two blocks. It hadn't changed much since James had been born, which was one of his favorite things about the town.

James liked going to the diner for an early dinner. It gave him a chance to socialize with the staff before the place got busy.

At ten past five, the only other customers in Moonlight Diner were Mr. and Mrs. Billings, an elderly couple who lived in the neighborhood east of the town center. They waved to James, and he gave them a smile before sliding onto one of the stools at the counter.

"Always sitting by the pies." James's younger brother, Elijah, abandoned the cutlery he'd been sorting near the register and came over.

"How's things?" James asked.

Eli rolled his eyes. "Pretty much the same as they were when I saw you this morning."

"You had a good day then?" James pressed. Eli hadn't been back in town long, and even though he'd moved in with James, and they saw each other every day, James liked to check in. He wanted Eli to be happy here. Helping his brother rebuild his connection to Moonlight Falls felt key to James's happiness. Not everything had to be stained by bad memories.

"I had a great day, actually." Eli beamed, proving that James often worried unnecessarily. His brother was fine. "Parker and I went for a hike before work. I got some good data too."

Eli pulled a map from his back pocket and unfolded it on the counter. A red line ran straight through Moonlight Falls and the rock in the town center. The line stopped a little way beyond the road leading north, past the last houses out that way. Eli pointed to a new red line he'd drawn on the map. This one was smaller. "The river trail takes you across this point here. It's a straight shot to the vein in town."

Eli was studying the vein of magical power running through Moonlight Falls and working at the diner part-time. He was conducting research as a part of his master's degree and had been sent here by his supervisor to investigate the unique magical properties of Moonlight Falls. Apparently, the vein running through town was different from most other fixed veins of power around the world.

James wasn't up on all the current research that had been done on natural magical forces. He'd always enjoyed the practical side of magic more. He had a stronger-than-average magical ability, while his brother had none. Not that Eli seemed bothered about his inability to practice magic. He loved studying it.

James looked up from the map. "How far do you think the vein goes in a straight line?" He knew straight lines were rare but couldn't quite remember why.

Magical energy flowed through the earth, but the intricacies of how it worked were complicated. James had a better grasp on the straightforward principles governing human use of magical power. All magic required a transfer of energy. With the right spell, you could expend your energy to harness magical forces and manipulate the physical world around you.

James tried to remember how strong Sebastian's magical ability was, but he wasn't sure. Maybe moderate? Surely, Sebastian wouldn't stay in a house without power if his magic was faint. Either way, it wasn't James's problem, and he shouldn't worry about it. He'd be back to start rewiring the house—manor—tomorrow. He had no obligation to Sebastian other than that. He could take care of himself.

"I'd love to keep following the line and see how far it goes. I have no idea how long it stays straight." Eli looked at the map longingly. "But the paths up there don't align very well, and Parker doesn't want me traipsing around off-trail."

"You could get lost. Or twist your ankle and fall down a ravine. No one would ever find you again," Parker called from the kitchen.

Eli huffed and folded the map. James had to agree with Parker, not that he said so aloud.

Parker Hayes was the head chef at the diner and had been a good friend of James's over the past several years. His family had owned the diner for decades, and he'd taken over most of the daily operations from his mother. Parker was also Eli's boyfriend. James couldn't have chosen a better match if he'd tried. Unlike James, Eli seemed to have no trouble with attachments and was already swept up in planning a future with Parker.

Eli turned toward the kitchen as Parker set the Billings' order on the passthrough. The food smelled delicious, making James's stomach growl.

Parker came out from the kitchen as Eli took the meals to his customers. "Those lights out back and in the park have been good."

James nodded. "Glad to hear it."

The number of shades appearing in Moonlight Falls had recently increased, which was becoming a problem. Their mischievousness seemed to be shifting from annoying antics toward more aggressive behavior. As a result, the mayor had ordered more lights installed to keep the shades away from populated areas at night.

There had been an incident a month ago that had actually turned dangerous. Luckily, Parker had handled it, and it had been late enough that no one was around the diner. Just Eli leaving work.

James's gut pinched at the memory. If anything ever happened to Eli, he didn't know what he'd do. He couldn't even think about losing his brother and suspected it would be the death that did him in. He couldn't lose anyone else he loved.

Not that anything bad was going to happen. James had gotten a handle on his fear of unexpected disasters and lived his life happily, for the most part. Surely, the Grays had experienced enough tragedy and everything would be good for him and his brother going forward.

Still, James didn't like to take risks and didn't particularly relish the idea of getting emotionally attached to more people than he currently had in his life. Eli, Hazel, and Parker were all he ever needed, and he hoped like hell he'd never lose any of them.

"Do you know much about Storm House?" James asked. There weren't many people who knew more about what went on in Moonlight Falls than Parker.

The cook paused, scratching his chin. He was taller and broader than James—who had the build of a lifelong swimmer—and seemed intimidating to anyone who didn't know him. "Sure. What do you want to know?"

"Sebastian sent me a letter." James paused, trying to figure out if he wanted more information on the house or the man staying there.

Parker nodded knowingly. "I see."

"What do you mean, you see?" James narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"Oh, I've had a few letters from Sebastian too."

Eli appeared at Parker's elbow. "What about Sebastian's letters?"

Parker raised his dark brows. "He's written to your brother."

"Right." Eli sounded nonplussed.

James pushed aside a prickle of annoyance. It wasn't like he'd thought Sebastian's letter to him was special. He didn't want it to be anything like that. He was just surprised. Writing to people wasn't common in this day and age.

"So you knew Sebastian was back in Moonlight Falls?" James asked the two of them.

Parker shrugged. "Sure. Guy's been back for years. He came into the diner a few times when he first turned up but hasn't been back for a meal since. I'm thinking that house has got a hold of him. He's turned into a total recluse. Not that it's so much of a surprise. He was always a bit like that—off on his own, avoiding people."

James frowned. "Sebastian has been in Moonlight Falls for years? Living at Storm House?"

"Yeah, so?" Parker didn't seem fazed, but then, he'd never left Moonlight Falls and didn't often bat an eye at anything that happened here. He was as much a part of the town as the stone in the center of Main Street.

"So…" James's concern for Sebastian returned. "He's got no power out there, and it didn't look like a new problem. He can't have been living in that house for years."

"Well, he has been." Parker took the lid off one of the pie stands to better arrange the pieces on display. "I don't know anything about the power, but the diner's been delivering bulk groceries out there for fucking ages."

"Yeah, I do the delivery now," Eli added, eyeing the apple pie.

James's frown turned into a scowl. "You never told me that."

"Why would I? I don't tell you every little thing I do at work." Eli poked Parker in the side and leaned his head against the other man's shoulder.

Parker gave Eli an affectionate grin and put a piece of pie on a plate for him. "Sebastian likes my pies too. Always orders one to go with his deliveries."

"So he wants you to fix his electricity?" Eli asked around a mouthful of flaky pastry.

James nodded. Hearing that Sebastian didn't come into town wasn't totally surprising. Parker was right. Sebastian had always been a loner, but surely he could have found a better place to hold up and avoid the world than a house with such an unsettling atmosphere.

And what about all his flirty comments that afternoon? Sebastian had seemed to want James's attention during most of their encounter. That wasn't the behavior of a recluse. Was it?

"Sebastian's hard to get a read on." Eli licked his fork. "Last time I was there, he asked me to come in and have a drink. As if I wasn't working and might want to check out the house. It was a total personality switch after he'd been rude to me the first time I went out there. He was super interested in Gray Electrical though."

"I bet."

James could understand not wanting to go grocery shopping, but Sebastian seemed to have taken avoiding human contact to the extreme. Why hadn't he hired someone to fix his house before now? Was he that averse to dealing with people? It hadn't seemed that way today, but according to Parker, Sebastian had been avoiding town for years, so he must not like being around anyone. But again, if that was true, why had he invited Eli in for a drink? From where James was sitting, Sebastian's behavior seemed all over the place, to a much greater degree than what James remembered of Sebastian when they were kids.

James experienced another pang of worry. Was Sebastian all right? Maybe he'd have to stay and talk next time to get a better idea of what was up. Being alone at that creepy house for so long couldn't be good for anyone.

James tried not to feel guilty for turning down Sebastian's lemonade offer.

"Sebastian seemed interested in you the last time he was in the diner," Parker said, pulling James from his thoughts. "He couldn't stop staring at your picture."

James groaned and glanced at the wall he had his back to.

The diner was decorated with photographs. They ranged throughout the town's history but were mostly focused on the diner and familiar faces. There was a picture of James above one of the booths. He hated it, but Parker refused to take it down, saying everyone would miss seeing such a key local achievement celebrated.

It was a picture of James from high school. The closest one was down in Apple Valley, Moonlight Falls nearest neighbor. James had been on the swim team and won a lot of races. Apparently, that meant the diner needed a blown-up picture of him in his letterman jacket holding a medal with an old swim team T-shirt bearing his name displayed in a matching frame beside it.

It was ridiculous.

James tried to ignore the display and mostly succeeded. The thing had been there for ten damn years, but it was always embarrassing when someone drew attention to it. And what? Sebastian had been staring at the picture? Why? He hadn't been on the swim team with James. There was no reason for him to care about an old state championship race.

"I think the passing of the ten-year anniversary is a good time to take that shit down," James grumbled, turning back to Parker and Eli, who were grinning like devils.

"Not a chance." Parker inched back toward the kitchen. James suspected he liked keeping it up simply because James hated it. Their friendship was like that.

"Yeah, we can't get rid of it." Eli put his empty pie plate on the passthrough. "Remember how proud Grandma was every time we came in here after they put it up?"

Ah, damn. James couldn't argue with that. Their grandmother had died at the start of Eli's last year of high school. It had been hard on both of them, especially because their parents had died in a car accident eight years before and their grandfather shortly after. There was no way James could moan about the photo now, not if having it there gave Eli good memories of their family.