The tingling in my palms rose to become an itch. “I’m sorry,” I said. “I didn’t know you could feel all this. Is this why you haven’t been sleeping? Have I been waking you up?”

“No. Don’t worry about it.”

My heel started tapping, the jolts going up my calves feeling like fire. “We have to break the charm,” I said, jittery. “How can you stand this?”

“Shut up, Rachel. I’m trying to concentrate.”

“Sorry.”

His breath slipped from him in a slow sound, and I wasn’t surprised when he jumped, mirroring the sudden cutoff of ever-after energy I could feel running through him. Through us.

“Circle’s up,” he said breathlessly, and I resisted the urge to look at it. I didn’t want to insult him, and having felt its construction, I knew it was good. “I’m not sure, but I think because I’m carrying some of your aura, you can break the circle, too.”

“I’ll be careful,” I said, suddenly a lot more nervous. “So what happens now?” I questioned, looking at the candle on the footstool.

“Now I invite him over.”

I stifled a shudder as Latin flowed from Nick. My lips curved down at the alienness of it. As he spoke, Nick seemed to take on a different cast, shadows under his eyes growing, to make him look ill. Even his voice changed, more resonant and somehow echoing in my head. Again there was a slow buildup of ever-after energy, rising until it was almost intolerable. I was antsy and nervous, almost relieved when Nick said Algaliarept’s name with a drawn-out, careful precision.

Nick sagged, taking a clean breath. I could smell his sweat over his deodorant in the close confines. His fingers slipped into my hand, giving me a quick squeeze before dropping it. The clock ticked from the living room, and the sound of the traffic past the window was hushed. Nothing happened.

“Is something supposed to happen?” I asked, starting to feel silly, standing in Nick’s closet.

“It might take a while. Like I said, it’s a trial membership, not the real thing.”

I took three slow breaths, listening. “How long?”

“Since I’ve been putting myself in the circle instead of him? Five, ten minutes.”

Nick’s mood was easing, and I could feel the heat from our shoulders almost touching. An ambulance sounded faint in the distance, disappearing.

I eyed the burning candle. “What if it doesn’t show?” I asked. “How long do we have to wait before we can get out of the closet?”

Nick gave me a noncommittal, stranger-in-the-elevator smile. “Uh, I wouldn’t step out of the circle until sunup. Until he appears and we can banish him properly back to the ever-after, he can show up anytime between now and then.”

“You mean if it doesn’t show, we’re stuck in this closet until morning?”