Disclaimer: I do not own The Riddles of Epsilon.

Note: It's been forever, I know, but I just got over a bit of confusion with this story. Just me, misplacing things and worrying about school. ;) Anyway, on with the story.

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James slowly led her farther into the house, no longer bothering to keep eye contact. He no longer needed it. She trusted him. He switched his grin in for a smirk as he thought of how easy it had been… and how easy it would be to stray from Epsilon's plan. He hadn't noticed how much he had missed his power; had missed the feeling of the control, knowing he could make someone do whatever he wanted them to with just a glance. It wasn't hard to imagine running off into this world, where the beings were so easy to capture. The temptation was nearly too much.

"I- I went to your house last night," Jess said suddenly, breaking James out of his increasingly dangerous thoughts.

"What?"

"I saw you sitting in the kitchen with Lillian and Kevin. She was doing the dishes and she called you… sir."

James let laughter burst from his throat. "My mom? Call me sir? Right. You sure you weren't dreaming?"

Jess looked slightly defensive. "Not completely."

"Well, if it helps, my parents were asleep the moment they had you all out the door. No offense, but they were drained from the move. I probably should have waited a couple more days before asking them to have you over for dinner." James prided himself on being the most convincing liar in this world. But then again, that wasn't hard seeing as this world was filled with humans.

"Oh… Then I guess it couldn't have really happened," Jess said, unsure and embarrassed. "You're sure?"

"Of course," James assured.

"Right," Jess said with a smile.

"So what is this place?" James questioned, feeling uncertain for the first time in tens of years. He wasn't sure how strong her loyalty to Epsilon was, and knew it could very well take much more power to make it snap. That had its drawbacks, though. Her mind could be permanently damaged.

"Uh… just a place I found when we moved out here. I was bored, and I thought this place was interesting." Jess found herself feeling guilty for lying to him even though she knew she shouldn't have brought him here in the first place.

"Oh." Yes, this would definitely take a bit more work. He had to remind himself that Epsilon's bond was not the one he had been hired to break, but rather, the bond of something far more dangerous to Jess. He decided it was time to begin this more profitable process. "You look tired. Did you stay up all night?"

Jess had been looking tentatively around the cottage, as if something, or someone, was going to jump out of the shadows at any moment. "What? Oh, uh, no, I slept fine." At a different time in a different place, the question would have had her suspicious. Having evil beings after you and your mother tends to do that to people. But this was James. And there was absolutely nothing sinister about James. She was sure of it… she thought.

"Hmm. Bad dream?"

Why is he so interested in my sleeping habits, she asked herself, paranoid side speaking up. Well, he does seem to like you, Jess. Maybe he's just concerned. That was the side that won. "Kinda."

"You want to talk about it?" James asked, walking over to her and taking her hands in his.

She looked into his shimmering eyes in surprise. "Yah… I would."