Sera approached the daycare and went to knock on the door, but she hesitated.

No, this is a mistake.

"Hey Seraphina."

A shiver went through her, and she turned to see Nick behind her. "Oh, hi."

He smiled, the kind of smile that she could ease into, like perfectly warm water.

He walked around her and stopped in the entryway. "Are you coming in, or..?"

Her tail started to wag slightly, the movement catching his eyes. "I am."

He walked through, and she followed. They entered the playroom to find the kids challenging Wyn yet again, and yet again he came out on top.

"It's not fair!" Sasha exclaimed. "You're an adult!"

Wyn shrugged. "There are five of you, and I only have four arms. I'd say you guys have the advantage."

"No magic!" Jati declared.

"I don't use magic on you guys," Wyn retorted. "You guys just aren't fast enough."

"Cheater!" Brentran accused him. "You can see all over! That's what my daddy said!"

"You can see all over too if you look around," Wyn said playfully. "Now, it's time..." He looked up to see Nick and Sera.

"For a guest."

Ellia immediately ran up to Sera, her eyes big as saucers as she looked up at her. "Pretty... Can I touch your hair?"

"Uh..."

Nick knelt down and Ashley came over and sat beside him with her lunch. Sera noticed they had the same side ponytail. She knelt down as well and nodded. "Sure."

Ellia patted her long, straight hair. "It's so soft! Like Nikky's."

She blinked and glanced at him. He laughed.

"Oh, I'm sure her hair is much nicer than mine," he replied. "And you gotta eat, or I can't sing for you guys."

A gasp escaped Ellia's mouth, and she quickly grabbed her lunch and began to eat. Sera got out her own lunch and was just starting to eat when Wyn leaned in and spoke quietly.

"So, did Nick tell you about our observer?" Wyn asked.

Sera gripped her fork, dropping the food on it back into the container. "I-"

"It's been taken care of," Nick said. She looked over at him. "It was just some random girl with a crush on me. Nothing to worry about."

"Ah," Wyn said. "I had a feeling that was the case. Well, I'm glad it's taken care of." He looked at Sera. "So, what brings you here?"

She looked at Nick, who shrugged. "When Nikolaos came to me about the issue, we found we actually had a bit in common, and..." She fidgeted a bit. "I don't get a lot of down time."

"Well, you're always welcome here, prez," Wyn said. He turned around and grabbed his own lunch. "No lunch again, Nick?"

He shook his head. "I don't need it."

"I don't know how you do it," Wyn remarked as he stuffed his face.

"Ash..." Nick intoned. Ashley looked up at him, food covering her face. Sera saw the mess and cringed a little. Nick went through Ashley's backpack, then sighed. "We'll have to remember to put another bag of wipes in here."

Ashley looked back down at her food as Nick stood up and walked into the entry room. With Nick gone, Sera noticed Ashley casting furtive glances her way.

"Hi," she said as she held out her hand.

Ashley looked at her hand for a moment. "Are you Nikky's friend?"

She paused. "Sort of. We only really met yesterday."

"Hmm..." She mumbled. Nick came back with wet wipes and cleaned Ashley's face.

"Sorry."

"It's okay," Nick said. "I know it can be hard. We just gotta keep working at it, right?"

"Right," Ashley said. She set back to her food, more carefully this time.

Sera finished her lunch. "Are you two..?"

Nick looked up at her, then back at Ashley as she came near the end of her lunch. "You didn't introduce yourself?"

Ashley shook her head, then finished chewing and swallowed. "I'm Ashley Bren. Nice to meet you."

"My name is Sera Aala. It's nice to meet you too," Sera said.

Ashley finished her food and looked up at Nick, her hands on his leg. "Is it naptime now?"

Nick looked at the other kids, who were still eating. "Give it another minute or two."

He glanced at Sera. She was wearing the same silk scarf as the day before, and he could see the flesh had purpled.

"So, you've got summoning class next, right?" Sera asked.

"Yep," Nick said. "We're supposed to get our familiar today, but..."

She tilted her head. "What?"

"Well, I don't exactly have any magic."

She blinked. "How?"

He shrugged and rubbed his arm. "Who knows. The testing crystal couldn't detect any magic. So, we'll just have to wait and see what happens, I guess."

"Huh," she muttered.

"What'd you get?" He asked.

"Oh, well... A snow tiger." She looked around the room. "Probably not the time or place to bring her in, though."

Nick softly laughed. "Yeah, probably not."

"Are you going to sing too?"

Sera looked down to see Ellia in front of her. "Oh, uh... I mean..."

"That'd be pretty cool," Nick said. He looked at her. "You've heard most of the lullabies I know by now. Which one do you want to do?"

"I, uh..." She stammered.

Nick watched her for a moment, then turned his gaze to Ellia. "Perhaps another time."

"Aw..." Ellia complained. She turned and rejoined the kids on the floor.

"So, who thinks they'll be able to stay awake this time?" Nick asked.

"I will!" Sasha proclaimed. "I'm not gonna fall asleep!"

"You're the first to fall asleep," Brentran accused.

"Am not!" Sasha retorted. "Jati is!"

Nick smiled, then let out a breath. "I've got a new one for you guys today, though Ashley knows it."

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.

You make me happy, when skies are grey.

You never know dear, how much I love you.

So Please don't take, my sunshine away."

The kids were already on the verge of sleep, and Sera could feel herself drifting.

"I'll always love you, and be there for you.

I'll protect you, from harm's way.

Cause I adore you, you're my dream come true,

You're my beautiful sunshine."

She struggled and forced herself to stay awake as he continued.

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.

You make me happy, when skies are grey.

You never know dear, how much I love you.

So Please don't take, my sunshine away."

Nick looked over the children, and even Wyn was out. He kissed Ashley's cheek before he stood up. Sera quickly scrambled to her feet and followed him out of the daycare.

"I thought you didn't have any magic?" Sera asked after Nick closed the door.

"I don't," Nick said. "That's just an innate ability."

She eyed him. "So you're part Pax Ventus."

"Probably," Nick said. "Which means one of my family members was a bastard."

"Probably," Sera agreed. "But your other ability, what is it?"

"What do you mean?" Nick asked as he put on his shoes.

She placed her hands on her hips. "You put the field back together, and you couldn't have just muscled it into place from the one spot."

"Hmm..." Nick said. "That is curious, isn't it..."

"You're not going to tell me?" She asked.

"You already know far more about me than I do you," Nick replied. "And it'd take too long to explain. I've gotta go to my summoning class."

Her disappointment was clear on her face, but she shook her head. "Alright. See you later."

"See you later," Nick replied as he walked away, but he stopped. She looked over to him. "Does it hurt?"

She blinked. "Does what hurt?"

He looked off to the side. "Your neck."

"Oh," she said quietly. "A little."

"I'm sorry for hurting you."

He didn't give Sera time to respond as he swiftly walked away. He carried on through the halls, deftly passing the other students until he reached his next class. He peeked into the room: the rest of the students were already there. There were no desks or tables, and it was quite large. It was round, with a stone fence circle in the middle. Nick walked in and examined the fence. It bore a variety of symbols, most representing doors or gateways.

Just what exactly are we summoning here? Nick thought.

"Guardian spirits."

He looked over his shoulder to see Eason in the doorway.

Was I thinking that loud? Nick wondered.

"The most common question is what are we actually summoning here," he said. "And it is an important one. Obviously we don't want to bring in any demons, so if you look there:" he pointed to a pair of runes on either side of the opening in the fence. "These keep any spirit contained inside the ring. You will not be entirely safe, however. If you sense malice, get out of the ring immediately. Now, your homeroom teacher, Mrs. Wenlow, has given you all the basics on how to summon and form a contract with your familiar, right?"

"Yes," came the collective response.

"Good. Then who's first?"

Magnus wordlessly stepped into the ring. Nick watched, and as Magnus performed the ritual he heard some of the other students talking.

"Oh? Are they that good?"

"You can't even tell it's them," came the response. "And you can do whatever you want. Nothing's off limits."

Nick glanced about; Nayeli stood off to the side, holding their arm. They caught Nick's gaze, smiled, and looked away. Nick returned his attention to Magnus as a large bird materialized in front of him. It appeared to be a golden eagle, and it landed on his arm.

"A rukh," Eason said. "Splendid. Just give him a name."

Magnus looked in the bird’s eyes, then: "Arnthor."

Blue light shone out from the pair, and once it had died out a collar was left around the bird’s neck. Magnus turned and left the summoning circle.

"Alright, who's next?"

The rest of the class went through, getting a variety of creatures until all that was left was Nick and Nayeli. Nayeli hesitantly entered the circle. A few moments passed by, and nothing happened.

"Is everything alright, Nayeli?" Eason asked.

Nayeli's jaw tightened. "Just... Give me a moment."

Still, nothing happened. They let out a sigh, disappointment written across their face as the students gathered began to whisper. Suddenly, a sickly red light and smoke filled the room, and Nayeli looked up in terror. Before Eason could move, Nick was at the circle and pulled Nayeli away. A clawed hand gripped Nayeli's ankle as Nick tried to pull them out. Nayeli screamed as the claws ripped into her flesh, and Nick struck the creature's hand. Magnus was soon beside them, and he and Arnthor attacked it as well. It finally let go, and Nick laid Nayeli down as he faced the creature. Its glowing red eyes glared at him, piercing into his soul. The light went away, as did the smoke. The being before them changed, now looking to be an angel, though its eyes remained the same.

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

"Mr. Evander?" Nick asked. "How do we get rid of it?"

Eason stirred, and he walked over to the circle. He knelt next to the protection runes and muttered, and the being started to disappear. It kept its gaze on Nick until the very end.

"What was that?" One of the students asked.

"A demon," Eason replied as he stood up.

"Why'd it go after Nayeli?" Nick asked.

"It just... Happens, sometimes," Eason said. "Demons don't really need a good reason. It could also mean that Nayeli's guardian spirits haven't come to a decision yet. While rare at this point in a person's life, it happens." He knelt beside Nayeli and healed her wound. "Well, Nick, we can wait till later to do yours."

"I'll do it now," Nick said.

"Really?" A girl asked.

What was her name again? Nick thought.

"Well, it's your choice," Eason replied. "With your magic level, it should be safe."

Nick entered the circle. Level? I don't even get a participation ribbon for where I'm at.

He focused inward, then reached out with his mind. Surprised, he felt something respond. He was suddenly face to face with an aquatic mammal. It looked at him with curious, bright blue eyes.

Looks like an otter, ferret, mink and a fish had a wild night… He thought.

"Huh..." Eason said, slight shock in his voice. "So something did respond."

"Nereus," Nick said. The creature seemed to smile, then jumped onto his shoulders and curled around him.

It's warm...

He left the circle and Eason gestured to the front of the room. A pile of books had been brought in somewhere along the way.

"Everybody grab a book and have your familiar touch it," he explained. "It'll then take you to their information."

Nick grabbed his book, then spotted Nayeli at the back of the room and sat down beside them. They looked up at him. "What're you-"

"No point in learning twice," Nick said. They blinked, then looked away and nodded as they pulled their knees up to their chest.

Nick opened the book, and Nereus touched it with the tip of his tail. The book flipped over to a page near the back.

"'The Lutrinae Vison is an uncommon familiar. Their kind has never been found in the wild. They have aquatic based abilities, generally pertaining to healing, ice, water, and underwater breathing. Often shy around new people the Lutrinae Vison will refrain from interaction, however once comfortable, they are quite playful. They are patient, loyal, and can be quite vicious when cornered, though once they feel their point is made, they calm back down almost instantly. A unique ability of the Lutrinae Vison is that it bypasses runes.'"

Nick looked at Nereus, who stared right back into his eyes. He returned his gaze to the book. "'This is not to say they break the runes, however. They are simply unaffected by them, and can reach past them.'"

"Oh?" Nayeli mused. "So he'd make a great thief."

Nereus turned to her, as if noticing her for the first time, then rearranged himself so his head was on Nick's opposite shoulder.

"Sorry!" Nayeli said. "I didn't mean to offend."

Nereus narrowed his eyes at them for a moment, then lowered his head and rested.

"'The Lutrinae Vison has an intelligence rivalling that of most sentient creatures, and as such one must seek to care for its intellectual and emotional needs more so than many other familiars.'"

"That's it?" Nayeli asked.

Nick nodded. "It would seem so. They don't exactly have much reference to work off of."

"Alright," Eason said from the front of the room. "Next class we'll be bonding with our familiars. For now, release them, and don't summon them until next class."

The students dispelled their familiars, and Eason looked to Nick.

"Mr. Bren? Problem?"

"He won't go," Nick said.

"Huh," Eason muttered. "Let me see."

He read the entry in the book, then looked at Nick. "Oh."

The other students started to whisper.

"Well, do your best to keep him from disrupting your other classes."

Nick nodded as he reached up and scratched Nereus between his ears. "I'll do my best."

As Nick went about the rest of his day, the children played hide and seek with Wyn.

"Nikky hates hide and seek," Ashley stated firmly, her little arms and legs crossed as she looked up at Wyn.

"Why's that?"

"Nikky hates it," she repeated. "I won't play."

"Does Nikky let you have any fun?" Sasha asked.

"We have lotsa fun," Ashley retorted. "But no hide and seek."

"Well we're going to play hide and seek," Ellia said. The other children agreed.

"It's okay if you don't want to play," Wyn said. He looked at the children around him. "Alright: no leaving the daycare." He closed his eyes and counted, and noticed Jati trying to sneakily reach the door. "Jati... No going outside."

Jati wordlessly, and sheepishly, went and hid somewhere else. Wyn noted where each child hid. He furrowed his brow: Sasha was the best at hiding, but he chose to poorly conceal himself amongst some blankets. Wyn finished counting and stood up, and pretended to search around Sasha.

"You found me!" Sasha loudly proclaimed. He stood up and walked over to sit next to Ashley. Wyn smiled, then pretended to search for the other children as Ashley and Sasha sat beside one another.

"Why does Nikky hate hide and seek?" Sasha asked quietly. Wyn's ears perked up.

"Nikky doesn't want to lose me," Ashley replied. "If I hide, I might get lost."

"So Nikky doesn't hate it," Sasha said. "You don't like it?"

She silently nodded.

"I never get lost," Sasha said. "Next time you can hide with me!"

Ashley looked over at him, sizing up the value of his words. She looked down at her feet, then shook her head.

"Okay," Sasha said. "Then I'll keep getting found, and you don't have to be alone."

At the end of the day, Nick found himself more comfortable with Nereus on his shoulders than without.

He's been pretty calm. Nick thought. Just... Observing. Maybe he's just not comfortable yet... Ah well. Let's go get Ashley.

He made his way to the daycare and entered.

"I thought you're supposed to dispel your familiar until at least the first bonding class?" Wyn asked.

Nick knelt down, and Nereus jumped to the ground to inspect the children as they did him.

"We are," Nick replied. "For some reason I have no real control over that."

"Huh," Wyn muttered. "Well, so long as he's friendly..."

The kids immediately started to play with him, but Nick noticed Ashley was by herself.

"She said something a little strange today," Wyn said.

"Oh?" Nick asked.

"She didn't want to play hide and seek."

"That's pretty normal for her," Nick said. "Or so the other daycare workers have said, anyways."

"Did they say why?" Wyn asked.

He shook his head. "No. She never told them."

"She's afraid of getting lost," Wyn said.

"That so?" Nick asked. "I guess she's young enough to have those kinds of fears."

"Well, not exactly," Wyn said. "She says it's because you don't want to lose her."

Wyn's words gave Nick pause, and he looked down at Ashley by herself. "She still remembers..."

"What was that?" Wyn asked.

"Nothing," Nick said. He sighed slightly and sat down beside her. "You okay, kiddo?"

She looked up at him. "Sasha said you aren't any fun."

Nick let out a breath and leaned into the wall. "Sometimes I'm not. Every now and again, I say things without realizing what they can mean to other people."

She climbed onto his lap and looked up at him. "What do you mean?"

"Well," he began as he crossed his arms behind her to keep her from falling. "Like how I never want to lose you."

Her eyes lit up. "So I do my best to never get lost!"

Nick smiled. "And I appreciate that. It's always good to know where you are, and be aware, especially when you're playing." He tilted his head a little. "But, that shouldn't stop you from playing games, especially safe ones here with Wyn and the others, or at your own school, which you'll be attending next month. Okay?"

She looked down for a moment, then hugged him. "Okay Nikky."

He smiled and returned the embrace.

Later that evening, Sera was in her room at home. She examined the bruise on her neck, and she reached up and tenderly touched the purpled flesh. She saw a slender, middle-aged looking beauty with long, straight blond hair in the doorway. "Why are you here?"

"To remind you of our deal," her grandmother replied. "And that you may find that there's been a complication in it."

"Complication?" Sera asked. "We had a deal!"

Oelya looked back at her, eyes narrow. "I'm more than aware, and this complication isn't my fault. Killian got into a vehicular accident."

Sera blinked. "What? Will he be able to do the shows?"

"He had some serious damage to his vocal cords, and is in a medically induced coma right now," Oelya said. "No healer can work that fast without putting their own lives at risk."

Sera grit her teeth. "Then what are we going to do?"

"Cancel the shows, of course," Oelya said. "You can't do a duet show with only one singer." She sighed. "Unless you can find another willing and able singer on short notice."

Sera ran a hand through her hair as she placed the other on her hip. "I don't-"

Oelya noticed her pause. "Do you have someone in mind?"

Sera nodded. "I think I might."

"Good," she replied. "Bring him to the rehearsal tomorrow. We will not tell anybody about the accident until after the theater is packed, then bring you two out. He better be good."

"He is," Sera said.

"I hope so," Oelya said. "For your sake." She stopped and her eyes fell on the bruise. "Did you and that Daid boy finally consummate?"

She looked up sharply. "What? No, grandma. Why would you even say that?"

"You seem more relaxed," Oelya noted as she gently touched the bruised flesh.

Sera blinked, her face turning crimson. "No, we did not."

"Pity," Oelya intoned, her disappointment laid bare. "But considering, it's probably for the best. What happened?"

"A misunderstanding," she replied.

"I see," she said absentmindedly, as though she hadn't asked. "Well, it's a boon nonetheless."

"Why?"

Oelya stopped at the door of her room and glanced back, her eyes cold, but glinting with humor. "You can practice applying makeup to cover it up." She turned back to the door and opened it. "Noble boys often like it rough." She closed the door behind her, but her words stayed in the room. Sera sat down at her armoir and reached up to touch the bruise, a slight electric excitement shooting through her.

The next day Nick was on his way to the daycare with Ashley when he saw Nayeli down the hall. They talked with a couple of students, then entered the room in front of them. Nick watched for a moment longer, until Ashley tugged on his hand. "Let's go!"

Nick smiled down at her. "Alright, alright."

Later, as Nick took his seat in his homeroom, he noticed the guys that had been with Nayeli, though the cupid themselves was nowhere to be seen.

"Ah, that was great," one of the students whispered to the other.

"Really?" His friend whispered back. "What can you do to it?"

"About anything you want," he replied.

Nick's phone vibrated, and he pulled it out and looked down at it. His jaw tightened, and he rose up and left the room. He bumped into Mrs. Wenlow on the way out.

"Nick! What's the rush?"

"A problem with Ashley," he said. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Okay," Mrs. Wenlow said. "Take your time."

Nick walked through the building until he arrived at a storage room door. He knocked on it, and Nayeli's weak voice came from within.

"Come in."

He opened the door, and he paused as he saw the mess that Nayeli had become. Their uniform was torn, covered in blood and fluids. Skin broken and bruised, Nayeli painfully smiled up at him.

"Thanks, Nick. Could you get me to the showers? Then... The medical room?"

Nick grabbed a blanket from the shelf and wrapped Nayeli in it. He covered their head and walked through the halls towards the change rooms. He paused once he reached the doors, and looked between the two.

"It doesn't matter," Nayeli said quietly. He opened the men's change room and looked inside; it was empty. He carried Nayeli in and put them down beside the showers. He turned it on, ensuring the water was on the cooler side of room temperature.

"I'll give you some privacy," he said.

Nayeli grabbed his pant leg and looked up at him. "I need your help."

He stood still for a moment, meeting their gaze. "Alright."

He helped Nayeli undress, then took off his own jacket and rolled up his sleeves to hold them up as Nayeli showered. After their body was cleaned enough, he gently lowered them to the tiled floor and helped clean out their hair.

"You're really good at this," Nayeli remarked.

He carefully ran his fingers through their hair, untangling the knots. "I raised two children from newborn on, so I've had a lot of practice."

He finally turned off the water then helped them towel off. He looked at their uniform, and instead went to his locker. He took out his track suit and helped Nayeli into it: it was clearly too big for them. Nick packed Nayeli's things into his gym bag and threw it over his shoulder before he picked them up and walked to the infirmary. He put them down on a bed and buzzed for a healer before he sat down on the chair beside them.

"It's not normally this bad."

Nick was silent, understanding the situation.

Nayeli eyed Nick. "Why have you never asked me for anything?"

Nick stirred. "Hmm?"

Nayeli tried to sit up. "I can do whatever you want me to."

"No."

Nayeli changed into a slender, provocative woman, their wet hair down to their hips. "You sure? I can be anyone you want me to be."

"Does it help?" He asked.

Nayeli blinked. "Help what?"

"The hollow pit in your chest?"

Nayeli's eyes widened, and Nick stared at them expectantly. Nayeli was the first to look away, tears burning their eyes. "Nobody wants to spend time with me. What else am I supposed to do?"

"If all you want is someone to spend time with," Nick said. "Then you can hang out with me, so long as you're you when you do." Nayeli stared off to the side. "And what I can say is that this isn't you." Nick patted Nayeli’s ankle. "Need any more help?"

They shook their head.

"Alright," Nick said as he stood up. He gently squeezed their shoulder and left.

Later, at lunch, Sera approached the daycare, lost in thought as people whispered about her. Keep it simple. I just need his voice, and the ability to dance a little... Wait, can he dance at all? Has he sung in front of a crowd before? What if he says no? Or if he- her thoughts were interrupted by her bumping into someone. She looked down to find it was Nick, and he turned around to look up at her.

"Good afternoon to you too."

Her face went red, and she turned away. "Good afternoon."

He smiled, a little bitterly, and turned back to the daycare. They entered together.

"You're later than normal," Wyn remarked as they came in. Sera noticed the kids had already finished eating, and had prepped for naptime.

"I got held up by some other students," Nick said. Sera paused and subtly sniffed the air: he smelled of blood.

Nick went ahead and sang a lullaby to the children, all falling fast asleep. Nick's phone started to vibrate, so he stood up and walked into the other room as Wyn looked at Sera, who was still nervous about asking Nick. "Keep your chin up."

She blinked. "Uh, okay?"

"I, for one, don't believe the rumors," he said in a hushed voice.

"Rumors?" She asked. "What rumors?"

Wyn furrowed his brow. "About you and Mr. Guinness."

Sera stared blankly at him.

"Huh," he said. "I thought you'd have heard it by now."

She shook her head. "I've been a little preoccupied."

"Okay, well, all the better, I guess," Wyn said. He looked up as Nick came back in.

Nick picked up his bag. "I’m going to head out."

"I'll go with you," Sera said as she rose to her feet. She left the room with him, and once they were in the hallway she touched his shoulder. He turned and looked back at her. "What's up?"

"I was wondering if you were free tonight."

He shook his head. "Mom's not back yet, so I've got to look after Ashley."

"She can come along," Sera said.

Nick raised an eyebrow. "What exactly are we doing?"

"Um... The thing is..." Her hands clenched. "It's... A bit of a story."

He looked down at his phone, then back up at her. "I've got time."

She swallowed. "Have you heard the names Sirene Winters and Killian Daid?"

Nick stared blankly at her for a moment, then he slowly nodded. "Sirene is a popular singer, as is Killian. They're supposed to do some kind of joint show soon, I think."

"Are you a fan?" She asked.

He shook his head. "I don't really keep up with all that stuff. It's just hard to miss the massive billboards and stuff around town. I have heard both their music. He's not bad, but not someone whose music I'd buy. He also seems like he's a closet asshole; like all the charm and everything just feels so forced. Usually the mask people wear is the opposite of reality."

"And Sirene?" She asked.

He smiled, as though he were listening to it there. "She's got a lovely voice, but the only song of hers I have is 'Hearts Apart'. The rest, I dunno, didn't hit right for her..." He paused. "Huh. I guess I am a fan, in a way. Anyways, why are you asking?"

She smiled. "I like 'Hearts Apart' the most too. I actually got to write that one."

Nick tilted his head slightly. "You wrote it?"

She nodded. "Sirene Winters is my stage name, and... I need your help."

Sirene is... Incredibly feminine, and foxy. Sera's… He thought.

He let out a breath and smiled. "Very funny. Now, I've got-"

"It's not a joke," Sera said quickly. "You are totally right about Killian: as soon as the cameras are off, he's an absolute jerk."

He raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't really-"

She sang the first refrain of 'Down in the Valley', the first song she'd heard him sing. Nick rubbed the back of his head. "So that's why you didn't sing with me."

She nodded.

"So, what do you want from me?"

"Killian got in an accident," she said as she twirled some of her hair with her finger. "And won't be able to perform... Well, any of the shows."

"So you want me to..?"

"Take his place," she said.

He smiled. "I'm flattered, but I don't really do stuff like that."

"I never thought I'd be doing it either," she said. "But, I've gotten used to performing for people. Also, it's just for these shows. Then I'm back to normal concerts."

"I'd have to find somebody to watch Ashley," Nick said.

"She's getting along with Sasha," Sera said. "I'm sure Mrs. Wenlow wouldn't mind them doing a playdate."

"No," Nick said firmly, a touch of anger in his voice.

"Okay," she said. "Then there are people who can stay with her while we rehearse, and maybe you can find someone to watch her during the shows themselves? They'd be more than welcome to attend them with her, free tickets and all."

Nick hesitated, then finally spoke. "Alright, I'll try to work something out."

"Thank you so much!" Sera said excitedly. "I look forward to working with you."

"When's the next rehearsal?" He asked.

"Tonight," she said. "And since you're starting from scratch, every night until the shows start."

Nick blinked, then scratched his head. "Alright."

What have I gotten myself into?

"Oh, and please keep all of this to yourself," Sera added. "And you may want to come up with a stage name, too."

Nick waved at her over his shoulder as he walked away. "Alright. I'll come to your office at the end of the day."

She let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding, and smiled.