The Goblin Market
- Alan registers Nick for school, which Nick thinks is pointless—his dyslexia makes reading and writing tough and he'd rather just work full time in the garage where he's found a job.
- Unfortunately for him though, Alan thinks school is important, so Nick goes.
- When Nick gets to computer class he starts searching for the photo shop whose name appeared on the back of Alan's secret picture.
- He finds its location and realizes that they lived fairly close to it last year around Christmas, which also happens to be the time that Alan disappeared and left him alone with Mum for four days, which was pretty unpleasant for both of them.
- Coincidence? Nick thinks not.
- The next day, Nick makes friends with the troublemakers at school (as usual). He doesn't like them, but they seem drawn to him whereas most of the other kids seem scared of him. Except, of course, the girls. Turns out Nick's a chick magnet.
- At home after school, Nick finds Alan surrounded by papers and looking exhausted.
- Nick tells Alan to focus on taking care of himself—apparently demon's marks can be pretty draining.
- Alan tells Nick not to worry, that they'll get everything fixed at the Goblin Market which is taking place in the next few days.
- They meet up with Mae and Jamie and bring them along to the market, where Alan buys a few new weapons, and Merris Cromwell, the unofficial matriarch of the market, gives Mae and Jamie a bit of background on demons and dancers.
- They see a few of the dancers practicing, including a particularly beautiful and talented dancer in red who runs toward them, which thrills Mae, who greatly admired her dance.