The light coming through the window was gray. For a moment, Casey thought it was still very early. Then, a rumble shook the building. When he lifted his head, he realized it was still snowing, and enough had come down for it to slide noisily off the roof.

  Enormous flakes swirled past the window. The room was chilly.

  “Uggg.” He was still on top of the covers, but a blanket was now draped over his back.

  “Casey?” Simon stepped into the bedroom. “The lights and the water quit working, and the tablet says it doesn’t have a connection to something called Wee Fee.”

  “Power’s out. They won’t work without it. The furnace doesn’t either; it runs off propane, but the blower needs electricity. I’ll kick the generator on in a bit.” Casey sat up and realized his cell phone was still in his back pocket. According to it, the time was nine in the morning.

  He should probably deal with everything before the downstairs bathroom pipes froze again.

  He’d slept in, not that it mattered. The highway was almost certainly closed, and even if it wasn’t, they would not be opening the store today. He didn’t expect his staff to venture out in this sort of weather.

  When he checked his email on his phone, he saw Shana had already told everyone to stay home and CC’d him. He treasured her ability to judiciously take initiative and sent her a quick thank-you for doing so.

  Simon walked to the window, peered outside through the blinds, and then asked, “Did the snow damage the power lines?”

  “Yeah, probably. How did you know?”

  “I read about electricity, including how it is created and distributed.” Simon ducked his head, looking almost shy. “I wanted to know if we could create it in my world. It seems both complicated and simple at the same time. Perhaps the hardest part would be finding a sponsor who would believe me.”

  Simon trailed off. The pale light softened the sharp planes of his cheekbones. He was, Casey thought, heartbreakingly handsome. “There is so much I want to know.”

  “I can send you home with all the books you can carry,” Casey offered, “And any articles that you find that you want to take with you, we can print on paper.”

  “Thank you. I could spend a lifetime simply learning about your world’s science.”

  “I wish you could stay here,” Casey blurted out. “But it’s not good for you to be around me. I also don’t recommend you try to go it alone here. I don’t know how you’d survive. You’d have to work under the table because you couldn’t get the right documentation, and you likely wouldn’t be able to get anything but manual labor jobs. That’s a shitty way to live.”

  Simon replied in a subdued tone, “I understand, Casey. You want me to leave.”

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  “Hey. It’s the best thing for you.” Casey swallowed hard. Simon’s world wasn’t a kind place, but at least the man would be free.

  Why did he still feel so bad?

  Maddeningly, his gift was silent. He did not fully understand why it was so unpredictable.

  “You’re a good man. Under other circumstances, in perhaps another life, we might have been friends. I think even... more.” After that last soft-spoken admission, Simon looked at him sideways, and two spots of color appeared on his cheeks. “You’ve been honorable and kind, even after I injured Avery so severely.”

  Simon’s expression shifted to something open and vulnerable as he continued to speak. “Perhaps I should not believe your words and intentions so quickly. I must remember that the geas acts upon my very soul. It feels good, however, to have someone whom I may trust, even if only for a short while.”

  Casey held his arms open impulsively. Simon set the tablet down on Casey’s bedside dresser, stumbled into Casey’s hug, and clung tight. Simon said, “I wish we had met as equals, Casey. I wish you were of my world or I of yours. But, were that the case, I expect I would have never allowed myself to know you. I had people I was social with, and allies of necessity, but none with whom I shared my private self, since I was fifteen. It is too dangerous.”

  He tightened his grip, hearing the raw pain in the smaller man’s voice. Simon was a bony armful, and the scars on his back were raised and bumpy against Casey’s forearms. Simon’s head fit under his chin, and his breath whispered against Casey’s chest.

  Casey said softly, “Trusting me this quickly isn’t healthy. You need to find real friends when you go home, though. Remember what this feels like, and look for it with others. Be careful, but it'll be worth it when you find the right people.”

  Simon sighed, deep and slow. Casey could feel the anxious tension leaving his body. “Consciously, I know that. My heart disagrees. It is dangerous. However, were I to ask you if you can be trusted, what would you say?”

  “Of course I can!”

  “Perhaps the geas is giving me a gift I never expected.” Simon leaned back to gaze up at Casey. His eyes were brilliant green even in the dim light. “I know, now, what it is to believe someone when they speak. And, never before have I been desired by someone I find attractive in return. I’ve seen how you look at me when you think I am not watching.”

  He hugged Simon harder for a moment, as if holding on tight could protect him from the malice of another world. Hoarsely, he said, “You’re right. I like you. It’s not just that you're gorgeous. It's your curiosity and courage and the way I know you’re grinning inside, even if you have a scowl stuck on your face.”

  Simon leaned back and blinked up at him. Then, shyly, he did smile while meeting Casey’s gaze. His whole face lit up when he did, and Casey nearly melted on the spot. That expression was everything he’d expected and more. He wanted to see it over and over again.

  In a soft tone of confession, Simon explained, “Casey, I shall never forget you.”

  “Same.” Casey tucked a stray platinum lock behind one of Simon’s ears. He wanted to run a hand through the man’s hair, cup the back of his neck, and kiss him, but he refrained.

  With a jolt, he realized that he might already have crossed a line that the real Simon would fiercely object to. He let go swiftly and took a step back. His sudden alarm apparently translated to disapproval in Simon’s eyes because the man flinched as the geas punished him.

  “Sorry. I’m not upset, Simon. I just don’t want to take advantage. If the geas is screwing up your feelings, everything you said — it might not be real. We should eat breakfast, have a look at the magical book, and get a pack together for you.”

  Simon said quietly, “My feelings for you feel very real. I want them to be true."

  So did Casey, but this was not a point he was willing to bend on. Roughly, he said, "Right, but you might not feel the same later. Pancakes sound good?”

  "What are pancakes?”

  "Pancakes it is. I make mine from scratch, and I even have some buttermilk and maple syrup. You’re in for a treat.”