“I don’t!”

He stood at the table, both elegant and derisive. “Then start acting like a demon, itchy witch.”

“I’m not a demon,” I said, glancing at the clock. Crap, it was after six. Nick.

“You could have fooled me.” Al’s white glove vanished, and he examined his hand, the thick knuckles going white as he flexed his fingers. “This entire situation is so … banal.” The glove misted back into existence, and his attention landed on me. “You must do better, love, if you expect anyone to take you seriously.”

“Is there a point to this?” My arms were over my chest again, and I forced them down.

“I bloody well hope so,” Pierce grumbled as he set a cup beside the chugging pot.

“The point is, you could excel if you would simply exert yourself!” Al complained.

My head shifted back and forth. “I don’t want to be a demon. I just want my name back so my life can go back to chaotic and weird instead of chaotic and desperate.”

Al took a breath to say something, and when he held it, head cocked, my face went cold. Dragonfly wings. A slow smile spread across Al’s face as he locked gazes with me.

“Jax?” I called, not seeing him but knowing the pixy was here. “I didn’t call him. I didn’t call him, Jax! You’ve got to believe me!”

In a sprinkling of falling green dust, a pixy darted into the kitchen. Jax stared at us with his mouth hanging open. His hand was over his bleep, almost hiding a new tear in his shirt.

“I didn’t call him,” I pleaded, and the young pixy’s wings hit a new high, his mouth moving, but nothing coming out. “Jax, tell Nick not to come in!”

Jax darted to whatever pixy hole he’d come through. But it was too late, and I heard the knob turn. “Nick! No!” I shouted, running for the door.

I gasped as I ran right into Al, suddenly before me. It was like running into a tree. “Nick!” I shouted. “Don’t come in! Nick! Get out!”

But with a thump of furious music from downstairs and the smell of Chinese takeout, Nick came into the shadowy apartment. Jax was a streak of silver, his voice high and unrecognizable as he panicked. “Get out!” I shouted, stumbling when Al vanished, reappearing behind Nick in the open doorway. Oh God. Can this get any worse?

Al shoved the door shut with one foot. “Hi, Nicky.”

Yup, it can.

Nick spun, eyes wide. Dropping the takeout boxes, he scrabbled frantically for the slab circle in the corner. He didn’t have a chance.

Al reached a white-gloved hand out and snagged him like an errant kitten, holding him up by the scruff of his neck and giving him a shake. “Got you, you little wizard.”