A few weeks later, Nick stood behind the restored bar of Caballus, as night began to fall beyond the big glass window. Sunday meant the saloon stayed closed, and he’d spent the afternoon and evening alone with his thoughts.

Nick ran a damp rag across the plank. Maybe he ought to consider investing in a real bar some time. Though it would just be one more thing to replace if the coppers decided to pay him another visit. That didn’t seem likely at the moment—the Dangerous Familiars Squad was in utter disgrace, and rumor had it they’d be disbanded altogether. But the Pemberton Act was still on the books. Whatever time they’d gained by defeating Ingram and the Wraith, it was only a temporary reprieve.

In the meanwhile, Nick was back behind the bar. And Jamie was back with the MWP.

Nick had done his best not to think of the witch since he’d last seen him, shortly after the battle at the Gate House. Despite his foray into law enforcement, Nick had always known it would never last. He’d turned in his familiar’s badge and returned to the bar. Where he could look after the feral community, as best he could.

Or maybe, given the rescue they’d mounted for him, where they could look after each other.

Still, Jamie’s absence in his life left behind a hole that felt as though it could never be filled. Nick’s heart ached with a pain no hex could ease. He wanted Jamie more than he would have thought possible: in his bed, in his bar, in his life.

Even though the case had ended rather decisively, Nick hadn’t been able to bring himself to visit the hexbreaker. The bond, his last link with the witch he loved, still burned behind his heart.

Someday it would vanish. Jamie would go to Halloran, and that would be that. He’d move on, find another familiar, and Nick…

Would survive. Somehow.

The bell above the door rang, but the figure in the doorway didn’t come in. “Stop letting in the cold air,” Nick said. “Do you think coal grows on…”

He trailed off. In the doorway stood Jamie, watching him with hopeful eyes. “I wasn’t sure if I should come in,” Jamie said, indicating the Familiars Only sign.

Nick nodded mutely. When Jamie frowned in confusion, he said. “Come in. God, Jamie. You’re always welcome here.”

He met Jamie halfway across the room. Jamie’s arms locked around him, and Nick crushed the smaller man to his chest. Jamie smelled of cold air and smoke, of sandalwood and warmth.

He smelled like coming home.

“Missed you too,” Jamie said, when Nick finally let him go. His eyes went to the wall behind the bar, and he grinned. “Nice headline.”

Nick flushed. But when some of his regulars had tacked up the front page of the Herald, the morning after they’d killed the chimera, he’d grumbled…but left it up.

HEROIC HORSE SAVES CITY

MWP’S NEWEST DETECTIVES STOP POISON PLOT

“Just doing our job,” says Witch Detective MacDougal

“I didn’t put that there,” Nick said.

Jamie rolled his eyes. “Oh aye, it was the faeries as did it.”

Nick swatted him on the rear. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”

Jamie sobered. “I meant to come sooner. But I had things to deal with…arrangements to make…”

Nick winced. He let go of Jamie and retreated behind the bar. Pulling out two glasses, he poured a generous measure of whiskey into each.

“I’m sorry about your uncle,” he said.

Between the case he and Jamie had built, and what O’Malley had confessed, there had been no question as to what Ingram had planned for the city. It had broken the influence of the Heirs of Adam, and even though some of Ingram’s parishioners continued to congregate in his church, the newspapers had turned against them. The links between the Dangerous Familiars Squad, the Menagerie, the butchery in the church basement, and the murderous Wraith were undeniable. Once the municipal witches had the information they needed, they’d been able to confirm the alterations to the Great Hex—as well as set about restoring it back to its original purpose.

O’Malley had confessed to everything he could, even though it put him behind bars for his involvement. But it seemed he’d still feared the powerful men he’d warned Jamie about. The ones who had sought out the hexes the Wraith had used, who had killed Eddie.

Nick was certain Pemberton was involved up to his neck. Lund too, for that matter. But O’Malley had refused to say anything. Perhaps he would have changed his mind eventually, but he’d been found hanging in his cell last week.

“I got your letter,” Jamie said. “It meant the world to me. I just didn’t have time to write back for a few days, and then I decided I’d rather talk to you face to face anyway.” He took a sip of his whiskey. “Muriel thinks Uncle Hurley was murdered.”

“But you don’t?” Nick asked, surprised.

Jamie shook his head. “Nay. He wanted to keep us safe, above all else. He kept his mouth shut on certain matters long enough to reassure anyone watching that he hadn’t told us what he knew. Then he killed himself, so no one could use Muriel and me against him, or him against us.”

Nick wasn’t particularly sorry to see the end of O’Malley, but he hated the sadness in Jamie’s eyes. “I’m sorry,” he said again, and put his hand on Jamie’s.

Jamie turned his palm up, and their fingers curled together. “Aye. So am I.”

They sat in silence for a long moment. “So what’s next for you?” Nick asked at last. “I suppose you wanted to talk about breaking the bond?”

The words scraped coming out of his throat. But Jamie needed to get on with his life. It was the only way.

“Not exactly.” Jamie swallowed nervously. “Actually, I wondered if you…if you had any interest in leaving it intact?”

“I want to.” Nick stared down at their joined hands. “But I can’t go back to the MWP. The feral community, the work I do here…it has to come first, Jamie.”

“I know. That’s why I quit the force.”

Nick looked up in shock, met Jamie’s particolored gaze. “You…you quit?”

“Aye. Turned in my badge yesterday. Then spent last night trying to work up the courage to come see you.” Jamie smiled ruefully.

“But…why?” Nick asked. “I thought the Police Board had been forced to reinstate Ferguson. That’s what Rook said, anyway. Things ought to get better at the MWP, at least for a while. Why not stay?”

“Because you were right,” Jamie said with a shrug. “About everything. About how society treats familiars like they ain’t people. Like they’ve got nothing better to do than work for some witch, or be harassed by the coppers, or locked up in jail even when they ain’t done anything but try to live free.”

“I…I’m glad.”

“You were wrong about one thing, though,” Jamie added.

Nick arched a brow. “Oh? And what was that?”

Jamie’s expression softened. “You don’t have to do this alone. I want to stay with you, Nick. I want to help you, any way I can. Whether that’s behind the bar, or doing your books, or helping out with magic here and there. Even if you decide you’d rather break the bond, I still want to stay with you, as your lover if not your witch.”

Nick stared at him, unable to get the words past the fullness of his heart. He swallowed hard, twice. “I’d rather you were both.”

Jamie’s grin almost blinded with its brightness. “Then that’s what I’ll be.”

Nick didn’t want to say anything to spoil the moment. But this would never work without honesty between them. “It won’t be easy. Pemberton managed to stay free of the scandal. The Dangerous Familiars Squad is out of favor, but the Act is still in place. They’ll start trying to enforce it again soon enough.”

“Don’t forget about all the ancient hexes Pemberton, or someone like him, seems intent on digging up,” Jamie said.

“I couldn’t if I tried,” Nick muttered. “This work…it’s a hard road to walk even when you don’t have blood hexes and religious lunatics in the mix. Whoever is ultimately behind all this, be it Pemberton or someone else, they’re not going to just go away.”

“I know.” Jamie’s particolored eyes softened. “But we’re not alone, Nick. Rook and Dominic, Quigley, Isaac, Cicero, and all the rest are on the lookout now. Thanks to Wyatt, we know there’s something big happening. And when the time comes, we’ll fight it. Together.”

Nick put aside his whiskey and drew Jamie to him. “I like the sound of that.”

Jamie arched a brow. “Fighting?”

“No,” Nick said, and kissed him softly. “Together.”