Ess awoke and stretched, feeling luxuriously lazy. She reached out an arm into the Shades-shaped vacuum next to her. She frowned and opened her eyes. His side was messed up. Well, to be honest, the whole bed was messed up. She grinned. A whole night together. How fantastic was that? But where was he now? She slid out of bed, threw a robe over herself and tottered into the living area. Shades sat at the table, a steaming mug before him.

He smiled at her.

"Hiya, babes. You didn't have to get up."

She saw him wrap his hands around the mug in an unconscious gesture. Ess sniffed the air.

"If you've polluted my cupboards with jars of instant coffee you are out on your ear, mister."

He grinned. "Would I? This is from the cafe round the block. I thought you wouldn't object to me buying it even if you won't let me make my own."

Ess grunted, not giving her approval but unable to think of an objection. "I don't suppose you've made anything for me?"

"I thought I'd let you sleep in. Anyway, you've got so many potions, I'd be frightened of turning you into a frog."

Ess made her way to the kitchenette and switched on the kettle. "So you wouldn't love me as a frog? What is it with you? Are you only interested in the shape of my body?"

"Be fair, love. It is an amazing shape. But yeah, I'd still love you as a frog. I'm not really that picky."

"God, you're romantic." She poured her muesli melange into a bowl and opened the fridge.

"Who said you could put stuff in my fridge?" she said as she pushed a couple of bottles of Shade's fizzy Bulgarian wine aside to get to her soya milk.

"You want warm champagne?"

"Fair point, but don't make a habit of it."

She took the bowl of cereal and steaming mug of her own herbal blend to the table and sat down. Three mouthfuls into her breakfast she became aware of Shades staring at her.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"What?"

Shades shrugged. "It's just nice, that's all. Having time together without one of us getting ready to go to work or falling asleep."

"You're not moving in."

"No, no, I get that. It's just nice, that's all."

"I mean it. You're just on probation. When I get bored of you I'm throwing you away and getting a new one."

He grinned and ran a finger down her shoulder.

"I'd better not let you get bored then."

Ess took a drink of her herb tea, hiding her smile until she felt she could keep a straight face again. Then she said, "Yeah, just keep on your toes, mister. Don't think a washboard stomach gets you a free pass."

"What, this old thing?" He lifted his sweatshirt and tensed his stomach. "You don't like it?"

Ess grinned and so-soed with her hand. "It's all right. Show me more. I want to see some pecs."

He started to tease his shirt higher, but suddenly a knocking on the door interrupted them. Shades tugged his shirt back down. "Expecting someone?"

"Yeah, look at me." She pulled her robe tighter round her.

"I'll get it," said Shades, rising.

"Get your own door." She beat him to the door and looked through spy lens. Three young men stood outside. The lens distorted their faces, but they were all young and fit, like a Jehovah Witness boy band. One of them rapped on the door again. Ess unlocked the door and opened it a fraction.

"Yes?"

Damn, but they were gorgeous. Ess stepped back a pace and didn't object when one of them pushed the door wide. She backed up as they advanced into the flat, her eyes fixed on the leader. He was amazing, sex and innocence wrapped in a body to die for, as though an angel had got a job as a stripogram.

"Hey!" She heard the scrape and clatter as Shades' chair fell backwards. She wanted to turn, to tell him everything was all right, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from the man in front of her. In her peripheral vision she saw Shades running forward, then slow to a stop. The man in front of her turned to one of his friends, and finally Ess gained some control over her eyes. She turned to see what the gorgeous creature was looking at. Shades stood in front of one of the men, who had a slender hand on Shade's chest. It was enough to hold Shades as he stared slack-jawed at the intruder. The man leant forward and whispered. Just like she'd seen with Oz.

Someone was saying something, but she couldn't make it out.

Just like Oz. Only this wasn't Oz, it was Shades.

"Fairies."

The voice was louder. It was a woman, close, which didn't make sense, because she was the only woman there.

"Shades!"

The speaker knew her nickname for her boyfriend. Who was it?

"Fairies!"

With a shock she recognised the voice. It was her own. Who was using her voice?

Shades! They were touching him. Touched in the head. Stroked by fairies. Her Shades.

"Fairies!" And now she felt her jaw move with the voice. It was her, struggling to wake up from a dream like a drowning woman kicking for the surface.

"Leave him alone." She panted with the effort, but it was getting easier now. The befuddled part of her was evaporating as the enormity of the nightmare in front of her hit home.

"You're the witch?" said the leader.

"Leave him be!" Her voice was stronger now, as the anger blew the cobwebs away. "Get the hell away from him."

"You're the witch." It was a statement now.

"Too bloody right I'm the witch. Not just a witch, but a bloody powerful one. I've fought demons, me. Vampires too. You leave him alone, you hear? Tell your boyfriend to put him back."

"He's fine." He shrugged as though it were nothing. Nothing! They were screwing with Shades' brain and they thought it was nothing!

"I am Vanessa, daughter of Gaia, sister to every witch in the world. I know the seven secrets of the earth and the water and the air. I know every dark art and every painful secret in this world and the other." She took a step forward and the tiny part of her brain that wasn't incandescent with rage felt a smug satisfaction that the figure in front of her took a step back. "Leave him alone or I will rain all the curses of the universe on you, and your friends, and your family, and your whole bloody species, and so will my sisters, until your world is nothing but pain. Put him back!" She was screaming now. "Put him back now or by Gaia I will -- I will -- rip your frigging wings off and force feed them to you."

It wasn't a traditional curse, but it had an effect. The leader hesitated and licked his lips nervously. "He's just sleeping."

Ess threw her hands out, palms forward and started muttering under her breath. They were nonsense words, but it didn't matter. She felt the rage building up, coursing through nerves, looking for a way out, and all she had to do was give it a channel. The words weren't for the spell, or even for her. Magic was all well and good, but sometimes words, even meaningless ones, could shatter worlds.

The leader hesitated, then nodded to his companion, who leant forward again and muttered in Shades' ear.

"There. He'll be fine."

"Shades?" She stared at the man in front of her. Shades didn't reply. She shot him a look, then fixed her laser-hot stare back at the fairy. "Simon!"

"Huh?"

"Are you there?"

"Wha'?"

"Bring him back, I said. Back to the here and now. Do it now, not next bloody week. Now!"

"He will be fine." His nervousness was growing more apparent. "We can do no more."

"Right, you bastard, then see what I can do." She threw her hands out in her best stage magician impression. The fairy stepped back, holding his hands out in defense.

"Dust," said his companion. "There's still dust on him, that's all."

"Dust?" Ess looked at the trio, who all nodded vigorously as she aimed her outstretched hands at each in turn. Shades looked like a drunk struggling to understand why his car key wouldn't fit his front door lock. He was awake, sort of. More awake than Oz had been, but she was damned if she was going to spend another twenty-four hours playing nurse. "Does it wash off?"

The others looked at each other. It was obviously not a question they'd asked themselves before.

"Right, you stay there, understand? You just bloody stay right there or, or, or I'll bloody do for you, okay?" She strode up to Shades, grabbed him by his arm and marched him into the bathroom. Turning on the shower to the max she shoved him fully clothed under the water. She stepped back and glared out through the open door at the three, who stood in a huddle of resentment in the living room.

"What the hell?"

Shades shook his head and spluttered, stepping out from under the shower. Ess shoved him back, but he stepped out again, batting away her hand.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Are you awake?"

"What? Of course I am. Some mad bitch just tried to drown me. How can I sleep through that?"

She slapped him hard on the shoulder. "Turn the shower off and come finish your coffee. It's getting cold."

She marched back into the room. Relief flooded her system, making her joints so weak she wanted to collapse on the floor and weep. But she couldn't, not in front of these bastards. They'd attacked her man. They could have destroyed his mind. They could have killed him or worse, turned him into a vegetable. She tried to channel her emotion back into rage again, but now she was in control. She was merely simmering.

"State your business," she said through clenched teeth.

Shades stepped out of the bathroom. "Who are you?" he snarled, stepping forward. Ess whirled round. Shades took a pace forward, a towel frozen in the middle of drying his hair.

"Simon, put your muscles away. Go sit down and drink your coffee. I'm handling this."

He looked at her, his face full of questions.

"Please, just this once, let me deal with this. Sit down. Drink your coffee. You need the caffeine."

Shades moved slowly to the table, picked up his cup and glared at the intruders. He remained standing. She let him have that little victory. Turning back to the visitors she jerked her chin at them and said, "Well?"

"You're looking for Daisy."

"What's that to you?" How had she thought him gorgeous? He was okay, if you liked pretty-boy androgyny, but not her type. Not her type at all.

"She's my sister."