"Mary-Lynnette," called Thalia from downstairs. "There's a guy here to see you."

"Did he give a name?" Mary-Lynnette called back. She couldn't think of any guys who would be dropping by now that exams were over and all her study groups dissolved. Most of her friends had already left town.

Thalia met her halfway down the stairs. She was twisting her hair around her finger, in the way she usually did when something was worrying her. "He said he was your boyfriend."

Mary-Lynnette's heart thudded in her chest. "Blond? Kind of tallish?" Even before Thalia nodded, she was shutting the lid of her laptop and bounding down the stairs.

Ash was standing on the stoop, arms crossed. He seemed bored, but Mary-Lynnette knew better than to take his moods at face value.

"Ash, what are you doing here?" she blurted out.

He cocked his head. "I wanted to see you."

She closed the door behind her. "Let's go for a walk."

"You know it's a myth about needing to invite us in, right?" said Ash, smirking.

"My roommates," she explained. "They're nosy."

"Ashamed to be seen with me?" he suggested nonchalantly.

"They don't know about you."

Ash shoved his hands in his pockets. "I see."

Mary-Lynnette felt like a jerk. "I don't mean it like that, it's just... how do I even explain you to them?"

He shrugged. "Don't worry about it."

"If you'd told me you were coming--" she added defensively.

He was looking at something on the far side of the street. "I thought it would be a surprise."

She let out a frustrated sigh. "This is stupid. We're supposed to be perfect for each other but whenever we're together we end up arguing." They emailed each other occasionally and that seemed to go well, but the few times they'd seen each other in the flesh had been excruciating.

"I was hoping you'd come stay with me this summer," said Ash, still not looking at her. "At Thierry's place in Vegas."

Mary-Lynnette gave a huff of surprised laughter. "I was going to ask you to come back to Oregon. You probably want to catch up with your sisters, right?"

"We could do both," he suggested.

They both fell silent. Well, thought Mary-Lynnette. This is awkward.

Ash removed his hand from his pocket and slipped it into Mary-Lynnette's, not nearly as smoothly as he was probably hoping. She felt profoundly conscious of their joined fingers.

They rounded the corner and started circling back towards Mary-Lynnette's house.

"Did you really want to come in? My roommates are probably going to give you the third degree. They're worse than Mark." She paused. "And I think one of them is a witch."

His expression sharpened. "Really."

"She has a ring with a black flower on it," said Mary-Lynnette. "And sometimes she says things that sound odd."

"Compelling evidence," said Ash lightly, and Mary-Lynnette rolled her eyes. "I think I'll stay away for now." He scuffed a foot on the ground. "Would you... we could meet up tomorrow, though. If you liked."

As they reached the gate, she found herself loathe to let go of his hand. "I'd like that," she said.

They stared at each other for a long moment. His eyes are the same, she thought. Still haven't decided what colour they want to be.

Ash cleared his throat.

He wants to kiss me, she realised suddenly. Hell, I want to kiss him.

The front door opened, and they both jumped. "Mary-Lynnette, are you coming in?"

Ash stepped away. "I'll call you," he said.

Thalia cornered Mary-Lynnette almost the second she entered the house.

"Mary-Lynnette, you have to stop seeing that guy."

Mary-Lynnette stared at her. "Excuse me?"

"You don't know what he is," said Thalia, her hands clenched tightly together.

"Thalia, it's okay. I know."

"You don't understand! He's not a good person."

"I do understand," said Mary-Lynnette. "I know he's done some things he's not proud of, but..." If Thalia thought that Ash had told Mary-Lynnette about the Night World she could have them both killed. Mary-Lynnette bit her lip. "You just have to trust that I know what I'm doing."

"But you don't--"

"Believe her," came a voice from the doorway. "She knows."

Of course Ash hadn't left immediately. He'd probably been able to hear Thalia from halfway down the street.

Thalia's mouth dropped open. "You mean--"

Ash rolled his eyes. "Let's spell it out in small words, shall we? Mary-Lynnette knows about the Night World."

"But that's forbidden," Thalia squeaked. "Why--"

"What's rule number two?" asked Ash, with one of his customary lazy smiles.

Thalia blinked. She looked back and forth between the two of them. "You fell in love with a human? Ash Redfern?"

"Yes, because we are all so tied to our families," Ash drawled. "Which reminds me, I think I know your family. Long-time Circle Midnight. Really nasty witches."

Thalia went pale.

"Which makes me wonder why you're so worried about me being here," Ash continued. "Afraid I'm going to stop you?"

"I'm Circle Twilight," said Thalia in a small voice. "I haven't spoken to my family in years."

"Sometimes a person grows up with their family and never even questions the things they're taught," Ash continued. "And sometimes they grow up and apart and decide that their family is wrong."

Mary-Lynnette squeezed his hand tightly.

"I'm sorry," said Thalia.

"Obviously you're a bit out of the rumour mill, if you haven't already heard about me," said Ash. "Things are changing in the Night World, Thalia. I suggest you figure out which side you're on before somebody else decides for you."

He's changed, thought Mary-Lynnette. You wouldn't be able to tell from the outside, he's still the same lazy, smug cat. But on the inside... He's changed where it counts.

They left Thalia in the living room and walked up to Mary-Lynnette's bedroom. He looked strange in her room, movie-star good looks out of place in the modest student setting.

Ash lay back on the bed and propped himself up on his elbows. "So will you come with me to Vegas?" he asked, looking for all he world like he wasn't particularly bothered either way.

Mary-Lynnette wrinkled her nose. "Why Vegas?"

He rolled his eyes. "It's not because of Vegas, it's where Thierry's place is. I want you to meet the others, I think you'd like them."

She looked at her desk chair contemplatively, then decided to sit on the bed next to him. "Who is Thierry? You've mentioned him, but..." They didn't talk about Night World things on email.

"He's a vampire. Our oldest now, I suppose."

Mary-Lynnette was intrigued in spite of herself. "How old is that?"

"Oh, old," said Ash, shrugging. "Prehistoric. I think there were caves involved."

Mary-Lynnette felt her mouth drop open. 


He winked at her. "Besides, you can see a lot of sky from out in the desert. You'll love it."

"Fine," she huffed. "But we're going to Oregon afterwards. My family will never forgive me if I don't come home all summer."

"Deal," he said. She narrowed her eyes at him, expecting a smug grin, but he just looked happy.

It had seemed awkward before, but now it felt she was drawn closer to him, like magnets or the movement of the planetary spheres. It seemed the most natural thing in the world to lean over and kiss him.

She felt a little triumph at being able to surprise him. But she didn't think he minded.

Epilogue

"You look so normal." The red-haired girl peered at her closely. "We were trying to figure out what kind of person Ash's soulmate would be. We thought you'd have to be super-tough."

"Or maybe have the patience of a saint," suggested the guy standing next to her.

"She has a temper," offered Ash, rolling his eyes. "And a really fierce kick."

Mary-Lynnette smiled at him sweetly. "You deserved it."