The next day felt like walking through a dream. Asha took one look at my face and immediately called on Lianna to answer questions in the pop quiz. She could be tough on us, but she was always fair.

When I finally got home, I crawled straight into pajamas and dragged my laptop into bed with me. Nico sat on Elle’s bed--which he’d made up with impeccable neatness--and Toby sat at my desk.

I was almost surprised that Nico was still there. He’d acted like he was going to leave that morning, but without anywhere to go, I’d encouraged him to stay.

Toby looked like he’d been sitting at the desk with his headphones in ever since I’d left the room.

“I have to start going back,” Toby said, as soon as I was settled. He didn’t even look at Nico, instead addressing me directly. “Professor Watkins is asking when I’ll be feeling better.”

“Don’t you do most of your dissertation work on your own?” I asked. As cramped as my dorm room could get, I didn’t like the idea of rushing Toby back into the real world.

“He still wants me helping out in his classes,” Toby said. “Plus I have dissertation meetings, program meetings… I was excited for grad school because I thought I wouldn’t have much of a class schedule, but it’s been replaced by a lot of meetings.”

I looked at Nico.

“Any tips?” I asked. Nico had to have spent time trying to blend in with society before the Accord--back when humans didn’t know vampires even existed.

“Your eyes,” he said. “I understand you can disguise them now?”

I knew some vampires who wore colored contacts--to make humans more comfortable, or just as a fashion statement.

“I should get contacts,” Toby said, as though he hadn’t heard Nico. “I have a friend in the theater department who has some.”

“I can pick them up for you,” I offered.

“He will need to feed often, to mask the pallor of his skin,” Nico continued. Apparently he had noticed what Toby was doing, and started ignoring him back.

This was going to get old real fast.

“I didn’t have time to go to the library today,” I said, rubbing my eyes. “I’ll grab more blood from work tomorrow. But I can’t do it too often,” I warned them again.

“And keep his fangs hidden,” Nico said. I saw Toby, still facing away from Nico, roll his eyes.

“All doable,” I said, making a checklist to fill out. Contacts. Blood packs. Fangs.

“He will need to keep his temper under control,” Nico added, after a short pause. I saw Toby’s shoulders tense.

“When newly turned, vampires’ heightened senses contribute to their thin skin and lack of composure. Re-entering the world can be overwhelming. He’ll likely become irritable and sensitive the longer he’s exposed to any kind of stimulus or noise--”

“Depends on the noise,” Toby said sharply. Nico didn’t seem to hear the dig.

“You must be careful not to be too capricious,” Nico said, taking Toby’s address as an invitation to speak to him directly.

“I’m not a capricious type of personage,” Toby said, mocking Nico’s old-fashioned vocabulary. “I’ll be certain to elude any precarious incitement of potential jeopardy.”

“We all took the SATs,” I said, a little too loudly. Toby slumped back into his seat, backing off for now.

“What are the SATs?” Nico asked. No--Nico inquired.

I ignored him.

“Toby, you’ll be able to self-regulate tomorrow?” I asked. Toby nodded, like, duh. “Okay. That’s settled.”

“And if his composure is broken?” Nico pressed. “I fear you’re not understanding the weight of this experience.”

“We understand,” Toby said, testily.

“I’ll be there in your first class,” I said to Toby, “just in case.”

“Maybe I should attend as well,” Nico said. We both looked at him. I’d forgotten Nico’s interest in the human world, but something about the way he offered made me remember the longing in his voice when he’d talked about it in the forest.

“More contacts. More blood,” I said, looking at my list. “Nico, do you think re-entering society is going to be at all… triggering for you?”

“I’ve been alive a long time,” Nico said with disdain. “I’m well past my years of imprudence.”

“Years?” I said, but Toby was rolling his whole head now.

“Imprudence?” he said to me, raising his eyebrows. “Seriously?”

“I don’t have to disguise my vampirism,” Nico pointed out. “No one knows me.”

“People are gonna know you,” Toby assured him. “Your portrait is in every history book.”

I looked at Nico, now wearing Toby’s sweats and t-shirt. When I’d seen him in his embroidered coattails, there had been no question of whether he was an Averus, but now--in modern dress--I wasn’t sure I’d look twice at him walking down the street.

I did a quick search for the famous Averus family portrait. My gaze lingered on the two brothers at the center--one Draven, one Nico, according to the caption.

At a glance, I couldn’t tell which was which.

And looking at Nico, I wasn’t sure the portrait had been entirely accurate.

“I don’t think anyone’s going to recognize him,,” I said. Toby looked at me incredulously, and I spun my computer around to show him the portrait.

“Come on,” Toby said. “He’s a historical figure.”

“He’s wearing a wig in this portrait,” I argued. “And if you actually look at it, they made his jaw bigger. And more symmetrical.”

“They did not,” Nico objected. Toby and I both looked at Nico, who faltered slightly. “It was for posterity. Everyone made improvements.”

“The OG FaceTune,” Toby said. “A time-honored tradition.”

“The point is,” I continued, “I don’t think I’d recognize George Washington walking down the street if he wasn’t wearing a wig. Shakespeare would be just another weirdo with a goatee. No one is going to know.”

“The Daybreakers would know,” Toby said.

“Then we’ll keep him away from the Daybreakers,” I countered. “It’s a big campus.”

Toby grumbled, but he’d run out of arguments.

“I will attend classes?” Nico asked me, for confirmation. I nodded.

“We’ll have to get you more clothes,” I said. Toby’s t-shirt barely fit over Nico’s head and stretched awkwardly across his broad shoulders. “And come up with a backstory for you.”

“This is never going to work,” Toby said.

“I will be from Bulgaria,” Nico said. “The steppes are beautiful this time of year, just before the weather turns.”

“Do you speak Bulgarian?” Toby challenged.

“Fluently,” Nico confirmed cheerfully.

“How do you know Paige if you’re from Bulgaria?” Toby asked.

“He can be my mom’s friend’s nephew,” I said, tired. I was tired all the time now. “By marriage, for all I care. Mom told me to help him make friends.”

“Damn dude, I think she just offered you a pity date,” Toby said. Maybe he was just giving in, but it seemed like he was finally starting to relax with Nico. “Classic.”

“He’s from another country and doesn’t know anyone here,” I said firmly. “It’s just the nice thing to do.”

“What are you going to tell people?” Nico asked Toby.

“That I had the flu,” Toby said. “Spent a week vomiting. Body aches. Still recovering. Get your flu shot.”

He cringed, like his stomach had turned over. It was pretty convincing.

“I am of Bulgaria,” Nico said, practicing. “Paige and I are friends from our mothers.”

Yikes. I didn’t want to leave Nico alone in my room--especially if we were worried about Toby needing support on his first day out.

But Nico was no Daniel Day-Lewis.

I had to add vampire-sitter to my resume.