[Jamie rests his head on her shoulder, hugging her back. Above all else, Mae's still got his back-- he knows that. It's always been him and her, toughing things out. Gerald hadn't understood that. He'd said that everyone ended up hating magicians for what they were, but Jamie couldn't imagine Mae hating him. It was what had kept him away from the Circle, away from Gerald, in the end. Maybe families didn't always have to be broken apart just because one of its members happened to be a little magical.]

Thanks, Mae. [He mumbles that quietly. It's for a lot of things-- for protecting him, for killing a magician for him, for being possibly the most awesome sister in the universe.] But I'll be okay. I mean, we don't have to move out. I can be a mature and responsible adult, after all. And I can manage serious banter, too, I'm sure.

[He figures it's a pretty good start for a sixteen year old who only very rarely remembers to bring the right books to school. But he puts on a half-smile, going for the humour again.] At least I haven't been drowning my sorrows lately. No more unfriendly stairs.