Whatever else one could say about him, Paul Wilson was solidly built. I must have been going to a good clip to knock him to the ground.

I cursed internally. It seemed like an eternity since I had spoken to him directly, but he had certainly been talking behind my back! He was on Maggie’s radar for recruitment, but that didn’t mean I was eager to see him again. I had imagined the feeling would be mutual.

I had imagined incorrectly. He rubbed his head as he levered himself off the ground. “Geeze, Mags, you gotta watch where you’re going,” he said, flashing me a smile. “You alright? That was a hard fall.”

“I’m fine, thank you.” I raised an eyebrow at his concern, even as I regained my feet. “You seem to be in fine spirits tonight.”

As Paul brushed himself off, he seemed to notice Rei for the first time. “Oh, hey, you’re… ah… Have we met, ma’am?”

“I don’t think so.” Rei bowed shallowly at Paul. “Rei Yamaguchi, class 3-B.”

He returned the bow. “Paul Wilson, Class 2-C.” He gave her a once over, and he seemed fairly indifferent to what he saw. “Another Japanese girl? Guess my boy Mags has a type.”

Rei cocked her head at him. “A type of what?”

“I don’t think I like what you’re implying!” If he was going to rush in and spread rumors, then the gloves were off. “And I would appreciate it if you kept your thoughts to yourself, especially around Kiyo!”

“I just say what I see,” he said. “I mean, you seem to think it’s a guy’s job to warn a girl if her boyfriend isn’t as pure as the driven snow. So, I’ve been returning the favor.” The friendly tone never left his voice, which was even more infuriating.

“What are you two talking about?” asked Rei.

I met Paul’s languid gaze. “Ms. Yamaguchi, thank you for your help before. I need to have a word with Mr. Wilson. And there’s no reason to tell anybody else about what we were up to.” I didn’t think he was after a fight, exactly, but perhaps I was. He had stoked Kiyo’s jealousy ever since I had exposed his intentions to Mariko. It was time to air things out, especially if Maggie meant to recruit him.

Paul nodded to Rei. “Nice meeting you, ma’am.”

“Later, Magpie, Mr. Wilson,” she said with a wave.

“Magpie? Are we that close now?” I asked.

“I suppose we are? We are teammates,” she replied.

Once she had gone up the elevator I turned to Paul. “What has you so cheerful? You’ve been giving me the stink eye for a month.”

“Do you really want to do this here?” He gestured around the main hall. We were by ourselves for the time being, but his voice echoed off the immaculately clean tiled floor, and I knew Rose would have to pass through there once she was done relieving herself.

I took a step into his personal space. “That depends on what ‘this’ is. Are we going to have a civil chat, or should I start prepping spells?”

He jerked his thumb backwards. “Yeah, let’s take this outside.”

I decided we could hide out best in the woods. It would give me some room to operate if I needed to. Not that I was eager to fight him; I had seen him use his affinity to throw a Holy Sister twenty feet once by manipulating the water in her body. However, it was time to end this nonsense.

I took some precautions, though. We walked in silence, with me bringing up the rear, and I was able to whisper a few Svalinn’s Mercy shields into existence. They came out a little misshapen, since the words were slurred by the need to say them quietly, but they still floated, and they were still thick enough to stop a bullet.

“This is pretty close to that clearing where you cockblocked me,” said Paul, his hands in his black uniform’s pockets.

“Yes, well…” I didn’t have a response. His attempts to sweet talk his way into Mariko’s skirt with a few lies wouldn’t have been out of line back home. Hell, it was safer to assume your paramour was lying to you in Pandemonium. It wasn’t even completely beyond the pale for human society. Yet, in that moment, something in me had demanded that I put a stop to it.

I hated that little piece of myself. The piece that insisted on protecting instead of taking. It had always been damned inconvenient.

“Yo, Earth to Mags,” said Paul, a jovial grin crossing his face. “You’re drifting off again.”

“The difference is that I think any woman would do for you, and Mariko would have been miserable when she figured you out on her own. She’s a romantic.”

“Yeah, don’t I know it! Still, you got in the way of my game, after I spent months putting up with her demonkin talk,” said Paul. “If I said a few things to Kiyo, then I think fair’s fair. Especially since you’re always hanging around with some of the best-looking women in school, like they’re your dang harem.”

“It’s called friendship. Maybe you ought to try it sometime.”

He shook his head. “I’ve seen the way you’re sizing up Rose and Mariko when you think they aren’t looking. Guess Yukiko scared you at the War Games, she’s the only one you don’t ogle.”

“I… looking isn’t the issue, I’m not leading them on!”

“I wouldn’t say that. I watched you and Rose at that ice cream parlor. She’s into you; you drop Ms. Jones and I think you’re in with her in a hot minute.”

I couldn’t help but laugh myself. “And here I thought you had some deep insight! I assure you, that ship sailed ages ago.”

He shrugged. “If you say so. I just know what I saw. I’m not even mad anymore, I’m just wondering where you get off getting in my way. I thought you were my kind of guy. You carry yourself around like you’re a lady-killer.”

“I am,” I said.

“Bullshit!” His tone was half playful, half accusatory. “That little nerd’s got you wrapped around her finger.”

“And so what if she does? I love her!” Paul’s eyes widened in surprise, and my own hand flew to my mouth. I felt oddly nauseous, realizing I had given words to what I’d thought hidden for months. “Wait, it’s not…”

I didn’t care for the inquisitive way he looked me over. “Are you… embarrassed by that?”

“No, of course not,” I said, my face burning. Bloody Hell, why did I have to go and say that? “I’m not some shrinking violet! I’ve had more women than you’ve had hot dinners! The madams in the red-light district knew me by name back in Pan… back home! I got discounts!”

“Sure, Mags, sure.” He looked at me almost pityingly. “Dang, you mean that, don’t you?” His whole demeanor shifted. The jokey, confrontational edge had vanished, and he took his hands out of his pockets. “I thought you were being a hypocrite, but you’re soft. No wonder you and Mariko get along so well.”

“I’m not… I…” My little Freudian slip had affected me more than I thought. My stomach churned, and I felt like I might vomit. I had known it for some time, but saying the Enemy’s word out loud felt like I had opened a door inside myself, and I didn’t like what else might rush out.

I realized that for Soren Marlowe, that wouldn’t be a damning admission, and it would draw more attention to treat it as such. I straightened my shoulders. “Meeting the right woman can do that to you. So, you’ll understand that I want you to stop doing your level best to poison her against me! You have no idea how troublesome that’s been.”

He nodded slowly. “Now you make a lot more sense.” His gaze hardened again. “If you’re a softie like Takehara, you don’t have to pretend you aren’t a square. In fact, cut that crap out. Don’t be a poser.”

I grit my teeth. Another slight to my demonic pride. Why did these human girls have to make me give a damn about them? “Regardless, I’m willing to forg…” Blast it all, talking about love was one thing, but I’d be damned before I forgave anyone! “I’m willing to move past all of this if you are.”

He burst out laughing. “You’re blushing so hard right now, you pussy! Almost makes up for all that time I blew on Mariko. Sure, Mags, we’ll bury the hatchet.”

I coughed into my hand, trying to will my face to cool. Was there a spell for that? I’d have to look into it.

With that out of the way, I recalled that Paul was on Maggie’s list of recruits. If I had to be humiliated, I might as well see how far she had taken things. “I’ve heard some rumors of my own,” I said. “It sounds like you’ve been getting close to Ms. Edwards yourself. It sounds like you’ve been doing some extra tutoring sessions with her.”

“So what?” he asked. “Exams are coming up.”

“It’s something we have in common,” I said. “I feel a certain connection with you. A… brotherhood, if you catch my drift. One you might want to keep hidden.” An overwhelming scent of citrus filled the air, and I knew I had said the wrong thing.

It had been months since I had seen Paul’s Water Jet affinity in action, but I had always seen it as an underdeveloped affinity. He had put his months of practice to good use. My eyes stung from the dryness as all of the moisture in the clearing gathered in his hands, a moment before it shot out at me with the strength of a firehose.

With the heads up from my Mimic Scent, I had already willed one of the shields in front of me to intercept to torrent. The floating, misshapen kite shield went undamaged, but it took a strong burst of energy from me to keep it from smacking me in the face.

“Who told you about that?” Panic was written across Paul’s face as hastily formed runes orbited his hands. I didn’t know what he was about to cast. Hell, I don’t think he knew.

I wasn’t eager to find out, though. A wave of my hand brought the other shield crashing into his back with a meaty thwack. He stumbled forward, the runes vanishing as he lost focus.

“Spectral Web.” The stream of sticky energy shot forward, wrapping around his hand.

He pulled at his bound hand, but to no avail. The residual moisture around his hands shot out straight up in a concentrated burst ripped a ragged hole through the thin, blue tendrils, and the spell fell to pieces. “Never thought you were a fed!”

I smelled citrus again, and I sensed the energy concentrating in his hands again. “Wait, you have me all wrong! I know all about Maggie recruiting you into our little club!”

That brought him up short. “Our little club? What do you mean, ‘our?’”

“Yes,” I said, unable to keep the exasperation from my tone. “Who do you think recommended you for the Holy Brotherhood?”

Paul’s jaw went slack for just a moment. “Hold up, you? You fought ‘em tooth and nail at the Serving Wizard’s House! No way in heck you’ve one of us.”

“You did too,” I said. “Maggie is rather persuasive, isn’t she?”

I’m not sure how long Paul stood there sizing me up. He broke the silence first. “How long have you been in on it?”

“Since not long after the attack,” I said. “You and I both lost our homes, and it seems to me that throwing in with Brotherhood is the best way to see it again. It would appear you made the same decision.”

“And you told Maggie I’d be a good recruit?”

“Was I wrong?” I asked.

He gave me a sly grin and clapped me on the shoulder. “No, just wasn’t expecting you to be my wingman again.”

I winked at him. “Maggie’s more fun than Mariko, isn’t she?”

“Dang straight. Don’t you go spoiling things with her, too, or I’ll leave you dry as a mummy.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” I said. It explained why she was more flirting verbally, than sending racy photos or stealing kisses. I was glad Paul was there to distract Maggie. I was a taken man, after all. Even more taken than I had realized.

Love?

Damn it all.