Why Little Siblings Need Fidget Spinners

I

"Can you believe that he expects me to stay?" Pax whined as Mercedes untied the dangling bells from each of his joints. This was a practice exercise for both of them. He'd done awesome this morning—she even told him so. He had to break into the captain's quarters, dodging or flirting through the guards until he, without ringing a single bell tied around each of his joints, climbed through the side window, took pictures of a particular file, and climbed back out undetected.

Once Mercedes discovered Pax's illiteracy, after several months of Pax claiming he couldn't remember documents that she kept sending him to practice on, they had settled on this method. He would bring the information back and she would sort through it.

Then came part II: Mercedes untying the bells from his wrists, elbows, knees, ankles, waist, and neck. She also wasn't allowed to make the bells ring. She had instructed him to think of them like sleeping fairies that will eat your flesh if you wake them up.

She said he would be ready for a mission to New Rome soon.

Pax tried to focus on that and his anger at Axel for leaving, instead of how seamlessly she removed the ribbons from his ankles.

Each segment of bells was attached to the one above—the ankles to the knees and the knees to the waist, so none would slip down. The wrist ones were attached to the elbow and then to the one around his neck. Because no one else could see them during their exercises, they had taken to tying them under Pax's clothing.

To put them on or take them off, Pax had to stand in his underwear, alone (other than Mercedes) in the room that she had been allotted to train her spies.

He swallowed, trying not to notice how pretty her Mediterranean skin tone looked against her olive hijab.

"As you should," she said, delicately setting his ankle bells into a small wooden box without the slightest ring.

Pax blinked, his mind scrambling to remember what he'd just said to her. Right. Axel wanted Pax to stay while Axel went off on some secret mission of awesome—as if Pax couldn't figure out where his brother was going.

"How am I supposed to train a proper spy if he can't work under the duress of a quick response?" she said. Her dark, humorous eyes flicked up to him as she collected the bells from his knees and hips.

Pax wanted to pout at her. Instead, he glanced up at the ceiling, struggling not to think of her eyes and hoping the only thing rising in him was a blush. He tried to think of things that would keep his head cool—like seeing Morpheus disco. That could kill any engine. Someone needed to remind the gods that disco died decades ago.

"He acts like I should want to stay," Pax mumbled.

"As you should," Mercedes said, setting the next four bells into the box without a sound. "You're the inner softness to his hard shell. If something were to happen to you, he'd be coarse and hollow."

This was a topic that Pax tried to ignore. It was something both Mercedes and Chris had mentioned, around the same time they began to avoid being alone with Axel.

The Pax brothers had both been terrified Axel would be called back for another cage match. The cruise ship still buzzed about his battle against Praetor Julian.

He had been.

Pax hadn't been allowed to go to the next one. Axel forbade it. Pax had been locked in Alabaster's laboratory while the Witch Boy watched him kick, scream, and sob at the door. Axel could have died without Pax getting a chance to say goodbye or getting a chance to save him. No matter how many times Lou Ellen tried to distract him with magical vials or Alabaster pointed out he'd be more of distraction if he were there, Pax had shrieked.

Since then, everyone referred to Axel as a natural born killer. As if it was a good thing. As if he had no remorse about whatever demigod he'd had to murder on stage. They didn't know Axel's nightmares had gotten worse. They didn't see how he carefully shined Julian's medals and polished the new charm bracelet, muttering prayers in Mayan that their souls should safely make it to their afterlife.

"I'm surprised Luke thinks he can sneak Jack out too," Mercedes said absently as she untied the bells from Pax's wrist.

Pax wanted to be happy for the change of subject. Instead, he jumped, making his neck bell jingle. "What?!"

Mercedes gave him a smirk.

Pax whined. Once he proved he could move around soundlessly with the bells, they had a running bet. Whichever of them jingled in their training owed the other a favor. Pax owed Mercedes a lot of favors.

She set to undoing his elbow bells. "Didn't you notice that Luke was suddenly concerned about having backup mediators for Jack's monster meditation classes and other nonsense, 'in case he got sick,' even though Jack can't physically become ill with his power? And how Jack complained that some of his clothing has gone missing—specifically stuff he might use for travel? And how Flynn is shockingly overbooked this week?"

Pax stared at Mercedes as she removed his shoulder bells. "You're good," he said.

"I strive to have my spy worthiness validated by a munchin," she said.

Pax sighed dreamily. "I hope I can talk like you and Alabaster when I grow up. Maybe I'll absorb it off of you, assuming neither of you starting chasing me out of your wings, although I'm pretty sure Alabaster already wants nothing to do with me."

Pax liked to think he had two wings of the ship to enjoy and two wings to carry him: one, Alabaster's laboratory; the other, Mercedes' spy barracks. As far as he could see, Alabaster tolerated him on his good days. On his bad days, he chased him out of the lab.

"Maybe Alabaster and I share something in common. His mistress is his lab. Mine is the spymaster unit. It just takes a little parasite to shake our focus." Mercedes stood up. The last bell was around his neck. She folded her arms, tilted her head, then reached out a hand and flicked his bell.

The metal rang.

Pax swallowed. If it were anyone other than Mercedes, he would have thought she was flirting with him.

"Now, the favor owing is negated for today," she said, her face businesslike. "I do this in exchange for you not being stupid and running after Pax One."

"That sounds like you're calling in another favor," Pax complained, trying to spot how she pinned her head covering. She tucked the pins so well.

Pax was in the process of making Mercedes a fancy, brown headscarf with pink and yellow embroidery along the edges. As Pax had never embroidered before, and had to sneak a hijab from their spymaster so he could get the proper size, the process had been slow going, much slower than when he'd made Flynn hair sticks with little pandas attached to them. (He didn't find out until later that she hated pandas. Who would have thought a girl from China could hate pandas? She still wore them sometimes, so he was skeptical when Jack slipped up about that information.) [footnote 1]

Pax hoped Mercedes would wear the headscarf. She always wore simple, plain clothing, no makeup, and no jewelry. What if she didn't like something ornate?

Mercedes' dark eyes felt like they were burning into his soul. "Fine. Use it as a favor, Pax Two. I don't mind being down two out of a hundred."

"It's not at one hundred!" Pax cried, hoping she wouldn't notice how he dodged the agreement. There was no way he was about to let Axel rush off on some secret, dangerous mission that only involved Luke and Jack. What if he got in trouble? Or met a hot chick and Pax didn't get to see the blossoming of their romance? He'd miss months of potential teasing!

Her gaze narrowed. "I mean it Pax Two. They're going somewhere you shouldn't follow."

Pax tried to give her a charming smile. Mercedes should know better. Those were the epic words used to warn someone away from an awesome quest. Pax was okay with doing an awesome quest, especially if it meant helping out his brother. Or annoying him. That would also work. He just needed some company questers.

Author's Note: Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed! This is Part I of a Ten Parter about Pax not… thinking things through… So, just a short story of the essence of Pax XD (All shorter chapters and fairly light hearted) Anyway, this entire story hasn't been betaread, so I hope there aren't too many mistakes! (I didn't want to bother my friends with it .) I hope you guys are having an awesome weekend!

Footnote: As you may have noticed: tiny Pax? Struggles with stereotypes. Older Pax? Struggles with nudity—okay wait. That doesn't change. Well, at least he unlearns one bad habit.