The God and the Healer - RP

The second Davina teleported back to her hotel, she shrieked. In the corner of her room sat Joe, a glass of liquor in hand, his tie hanging loosely around his neck. He jumped when he saw her appear, then sprinted out of his seat, his brows shooting somewhere up into his hairline.

Her heart stopped for a moment. She'd forgotten all about what she was wearing until his gaze found the skimpy black lingerie that barely covered her body. She rushed to cover up, but the closest thing to her was the duvet on top of her bed. It was heavy and bulky, but she held it against herself like a shield.

Joe blinked. "Where the fuck did you come from?"

Davina looked at the door, then back at him. "Uh, my bathroom. You're drunk."

Joe glared. "I've had one glass. You just fucking materialized."

She looked at him as if she were disappointed. "Joe, I think you need to rest. You shouldn't have been alone in my room in the first place."

He advanced, having seemingly brushed his shock aside for the time being. "Wearing what you're wearing? Oh, I think you'd like me to stay."

She blanched at his words. "I'd very much like you to leave."

"Not until you tell me what the hell I just saw. Don't fucking lie to me, either." Recognition dawned on his face. "The book. You're the warlock from the book. I bet your husband is the god, right?"

She forced herself to laugh despite her uneasiness. "Joe, you're definitely drunk."

Something switched inside of him. Lust turned to anger. "I told you not to lie. You just vanished right on over to his house, didn't you? You've got that freshly-fucked look about you."

Her eyes widened. "Joe, you're fired. Get the hell out of my room."

"It's true, then. No other explanation. I could ruin your career before it even begins."

She shook her head. "What you're implying is insane. Get out."

In seconds, he stood before her, reeking of bourbon. He ripped the duvet away from her body, and her hands flew to her breasts and between her legs for cover. She was too disturbed to do much else.

"I may be drunk, sweetheart, but you're a fucking warlock. Stranger things have happened. You breezed in and out to go fuck your man, and you kept the outfit on just for me. I bet you're still nice and wet. I don't even mind the big belly."

She slapped him. She didn't want to use her magic and further prove him right, so she'd do anything to avoid that. She also couldn't yell for help and have him blab his mouth about what he'd seen, no matter whether people believed her or not.

He grabbed her throat before she could move, then tossed her to the bed as if she weighed nothing. She quickly rolled away, but he grabbed her by her ankle and pulled her to him. He made a grab for her other leg and then she kicked him with it instead. Finally, he was on top of her, his full weight squeezing the air from her lungs. She gasped and struggled against him.

He wedged his legs between hers, then pried them apart. He grinned when he looked down. "You didn't even stop to move your panties back into place."

She growled and pushed against him, but he didn't budge. Fear spiked in her as she kicked and writhed and tried to get free. With one hand to her throat, the other reached down to release his erection. She shrieked harder when it nudged her thigh.

This wasn't happening. There was no way this was happening. She snapped before he could take it any further. In her mind's eye, she grabbed hold of his heart with her energy and then sent it forth, through his rib cage and past muscle and tissue until it ripped through his chest. Blood poured freely from the open wound and bathed her in hot, red liquid once he collapsed.

Tears in her eyes, she wiped the blood off on the duvet, paced for only a moment, and then FaceTimed Lochlan.

I am trying to get some sleep, I work at 7am and I hear my phone. I groan and hold it up, it shows Davina wanting to facetime. I select okay and see her, "Babe, it's fucking 2am..go to bed now."

She looks upset though, her face is flushed but it's not a good way. "What's wrong?" I sit up, concerned now, I ask if it's the twins, anything happen pregnancy related?

She shakes her head no, she moves her laptop to what is wrong and I see a dead Joe on the floor.

In less than two seconds, I teleport to her hotel room, I got dressed super fast and here I am. She runs over to me and hugs me, I see what she's still wearing. I look to him and then her, "Did he..force himself on you?"

Davina was still a crying mess. She didn't even understand what had happened, herself. He'd been her trusted agent up until five minutes ago.

She shook her head. "He got really close, but no. I had to stop him."

His heart still lay on her bed. Blood coated the sheets and made a perfect outline of where her body had been when she'd been bathed in it.

"None of this makes any sense. It was so sudden." It wasn't the Joe that she knew. Granted, she hadn't known him for long, but he was no rapist. He'd always been perfectly fine around her. He was married, for Christ's sake.

The tears began again. "Oh my god, I killed him."

I go up to her, hold her in my arms and look at her, "It is okay, you had to. You protected yourself...and married people still do fucked up shit babe." I look at how she killed him, "You really did a good job though, props to that."

She looks at me, not amused. I look at her, "What was the alternative? Letting him rape you? It was self-defense. I will get rid of it and rid of any video of him coming to your room. I will fix it, don't worry."

She goes to have a shower, I do everything very quickly. His body dumped into a river, the cameras taken down and I finally come back into her hotel room. "I haven't used my own magic, in a very long time but that was actually pretty fun."

She is on the bed, it's been changed as well and she's in a robe. I sit next to her, "He was a waste...babe."

Davina had been raised as a warlock, and she'd been brought up in line with her parents' beliefs. Murder was a high crime, and she'd done it as easily as breathing. She'd been defending herself, but surely there had to be some other way. Some other use of her power that could've culminated in a living, breathing Joe who could answer to his crime. Some alternative to the taking of a life.

She shook her head. Joe's behavior was nagging at every corner of her mind. Lochlan didn't know him, had no reason to see any good in him, but Davina had worked alongside him. He'd never said or done a single thing untoward in her direction until that evening. "This wasn't like him. I know you'll think I'm insane, but that wasn't Joe. That was a hateful... demon, Lochlan." She considered another thing. "He was human. How would he have even gotten into my room?"

"No, sweetheart...I like how you want to give him the benefit of the doubt but he is not a demon. He is an asshole who thought he could do whatever he wanted, I have certainly been there....,not that I have raped anyone. No, my women were more than happy to voluntarily sleep with me."

She looks at me. I look back, "Not that you need to know that, look...it's been handled. He's gone. You can come back home, I will take the day off...obivously, we can just relax, you don't have to do a thing but relax."

I go over and she just is stunned, we teleport back together and I get her into bed. I tell her continually it will all be okay. I call into work saying my pregnant wife needs me, in case, no more is needed. My station is such a family, they never question when I take time off because I always deliver when I'm on the job.

I sit next to her on the bed, I look at her and she looks up at me, "Everything is fine, I can take the kids to school and you can sleep. I will be back in an hour, okay?"

She nods, I kiss her and I go drive the kids to school. I stop off at the grocery store, it's so early and best I can do. I grab some flowers, chocolates that she likes and some lovely fresh baked cinnamon rolls.

I get home, two starbucks coffees in my hand. I set it all down, I come up and see her still just laying there. Not sleeping, I sit back down and look at her, "I got you some stuff downstairs..., if you're not going to sleep, come down?"

She does, she sees all the coffees and roses and just stuff I got to spoil her. She smiles weakly and goes to lay on the couch. I look at this, I am not sure what else to say but then their is a knock on the door. I go ahead and open it, it's Caius. I know exactly why he is here, we haven't told him yet about the pregnancy. We wanted too but with such busy schedules, we had planned it very soon, he was coming into town. I just let him in without a word.

Caius goes over and Davina hugs him, he sees the tiny belly that is starting to form. He glances to me, I just go off into the kitchen, let them have a minute.

The moment she saw her father, the tears were back. Caius held onto her tightly, one hand gingerly cradling her belly. Because he knew her thoughts without the need for her to speak them, he knew everything the moment he'd walked through the door. Her anguish at having taken a life called out to him, even more so than the two little beings in her womb.

He stroked her hair and allowed her to cry into his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Father," she said through tremors, her voice thick with emotion. "I was going to tell you."

"Never mind that, Davina," he murmured against her. "My sweet girl, I am so terribly sorry."

She sniffled. "It wasn't like him," she said weakly, but he simply held her closer. "Father, something was wrong."

Caius sighed and stepped back. "It pains me, Davina, but the hearts of some men simply contain evil without rhyme or reason. The liquor set it free for him, it seems."

Davina shook her head in desperation. "Why does no one believe me?" Frustrated, she placed her hand against his head and transferred to him her every thought and encounter with Joe. Not a single one held even the slightest hint of what would come. "See? Tell me you see it!"

Caius didn't move to stop her. He understood what she was feeling. "I do, dear," he said softly. "Sometimes people can be... surprising. You are dealing with a dreadful state of shock; do lie down, and I'll make tea."

"I don't want tea!" Davina screamed, and it was enough to send Lochlan back into the room. "I want the two most important men in my life to believe me. That's what I want. I killed a man, so it's the very least you could do!"

She was getting worked up. The stress would be good for no one, especially not for the twins. Caius nodded toward her belly. "Please rest. We shall discuss this later."

Davina was trembling with the need to lash out. Caius' arms enveloped her in his embrace yet again, and the very first moment she looked up again, Caius pressed his palm to her cheek, his fingers curling into her hair. "Sleep."

She slumped within his arms. He picked her up, nodded toward Lochlan, and carried her to the master bedroom. Lochlan helped to tuck her in, and then the two men found themselves in the kitchen. Caius saw the spread of goods that Lochlan had brought her, her favorite flowers displayed nicely on the kitchen counter. Caius had been stubborn before, lost in his own ideas about what his children should do, but he'd been proven wrong in a big way. The god had stolen her heart, and she his. And now, in a handful of months, she would bring two beautiful babies into the world.

The events of the day forgotten, Caius stepped toward Lochlan, then smiled and let his arms swallow the man in a bear hug. He patted Lochlan's back with pride. "My grandchildren could have no better father, my friend. The sincerest of congratulations are in order."

I look at Caius, who was coming up to me. I feel him hug me and it was not what I was expecting. I hand him a beer, he takes it and I say, "She is devastated about the whole thing, I don't really know how to get her past it but the police will be coming to talk to her. She won't be able to handle that at this rate...."

Caius looks at me, "I will take care of that...."

"I kind of want to believe her, Joe and his wife had dinner here with us. He genuinely seemed to love his wife. You need to look into this...." I look at him.

Caius nodded. The couple were going through a trying time at the moment, and if anything, he could help them with this. "I shall call upon his spirit, then. If my daughter is wrong about him, I will send him to a hell most unpleasant."

He squeezed Lochlan's shoulder, then stepped back and closed his eyes. In the next second, Joe materialized, looking frazzled and confused. He jumped when he saw who stood before him.

"Lochlan," he gasped, his eyes wide and his hands held out in front of him. He opened and closed his mouth to speak, but he couldn't conjure the words. He seemed just as shocked as Davina had been. "I couldn't stop it."

Caius and Lochlan stepped forward at the same time. It was the wrong thing to say. "You admit to forcing yourself upon my daughter?"

Joe shook his head, disbelief in his eyes. "No! I didn't..." He was getting more and more frustrated. "Something was controlling me, I swear to god. I was watching myself say these things, but I couldn't stop it."

Caius glared. "Was it not the alcohol?"

"No!" Joe was losing it. "I don't drink! My father was a drunk asshole; I never wanted anything to do with it. I would never hurt Davina. My god, my wife..."

Caius rested beside Lochlan. He was telling the truth. Joe stood, taken over by the the weight of his own grief, and pierced Lochlan with a pleading look. "Never would I have hurt Davina. You have to believe me."

I look at Joe and want to keep my guard, "What is the last thing you remember?" Joe looks at me, not sure how to answer my question.

I look to Caius,"Can you read anything, I know he's dead...but read his throughts?"

It took a little concentration to dig into the minds of the dead, but it was indeed possible. While Joe stared on, Caius approached and pressed a hand to the man's head. Joe tensed, then waited.

Memories filtered in. Joe had settled down for bed early that evening, having just gotten off the phone with his wife. He lay in bed one moment, and the next he was up, rage in his heart and Davina on his mind. Inside, he knew that he was not acting of his own will, and he tried to fight every step on the way. He saw how deeply Joe had struggled to stay back, saw how futile his efforts had been. Saw the terror in Davina's eyes staring back at him.

Caius stepped away, then shook his head at Lochlan. "He speaks the truth. He struggled with whatever possessed him, but knows nothing of how it began."

Joe nodded. "I'm sorry. Please tell Davina I'm sorry." His eyes filled with emotion. "She had no choice."

Caius knew that the moment he peered inside the man's mind, but he knew that Lochlan would pass it on. "I am sorry that this happened to you. You may cross over whenever you wish."

Joe's gaze dropped to the floor. He placed his hands in his pockets and chewed on his lip. "I think I'll watch over my wife for a while."

Caius understood. He sighed and looked back at Lochlan, pity in his eyes. The knowledge of his innocence would destroy Davina.

In the next second, the man was gone.

"Now what? We can't tell her that..." I say to Caius, I hear tell me what? She comes into the kitchen, "Well, the police will be checking in on what you know, if anything and you have to....keep in mind you were defending yourself, we will come up with something and maybe Caius can lead them to where the body is and have them forget about you, closed case."

Caius didn't like the idea of keeping this from her, but she was pregnant, and the last thing she needed was even more stress. He bowed his head toward his daughter. "The police need not question you. I will handle that."

Davina shook her head. She didn't believe Lochlan for a second. "I already knew the police would come asking. What can't you tell me?"

Caius' gaze shot to her belly before he could help himself. His concern was as clear as day. "If you're worried about the twins, Father, I'm fine." She turned back to Lochlan. "What can't you tell me? It's about Joe, right? It has to be."

I look at Caius, "I will do this, go do whatever you need..." Caius nods in agreement, he bids us farewell. I look at her, "Davina, I want to tell you but the information is really just going to upset you. You say you can handle it but you killed a man in self-defense and you are falling apart. I have killed more people than I can count and he definitely deserved it. Just, focus on getting better..your father is handling the police and it's all behind us. What do you want for dinner, I am sending out for it?" I go to the take out menus.

Davina didn't believe it. She stared at Lochlan, incredulous and hurt, and then cradled her belly. Whatever he couldn't tell her had been a hell of a lot more ominous than a visit from the police. She'd bet anything she owned that her father had contacted Joe from beyond. She knew she'd been right.

Tears streaming down her cheeks, she choked down whatever words she wanted to say, then ran to the bathroom to purge.

She was a murderer and she'd killed an innocent man. While she crouched over the toilet, Lochlan stood behind her. He tried to grip her hair, to squeeze her shoulder, to comfort her, but she wouldn't have it. She screamed at him to get out.

When she was finished, she brushed her teeth and crawled into bed. He'd be picking up the children soon, and she most definitely didn't need them seeing her in the state she was in.

---

Lochlan checked on her again once the kids were home. He'd picked up Italian. He brought her a plate of pasta, a bread roll, and a bottle of water, gently reminded her that she was eating for three now, and left again.

Another hour passed. She listened to Liam as he put the kids to bed, then cleaned up in the kitchen. She picked at her food and ate as much as she could, knowing he'd had a point, but her stomach rolled again. She threw up, brushed her teeth for the third time that day, and then stood in the shower and let the water scald her skin.

Lochlan returned at the end of the night, unsure of whether she wanted him to stay. Anger aside, she did. She knew he'd only been trying to protect her. When he brushed past the bed to pick up what was left of her dinner, she reached out and grabbed him by the wrist. He stared down at Davina, and when she pulled, he climbed in on top of her. She loved her husband more than words could describe, and she wasn't sure if it was because of or in spite of the pain, but she needed him inside her. If anything, if only for a while, it would take her mind elsewhere.

She grasped him through his jeans, then made quick work of freeing him from his clothing. She was almost desperate for a release.

She tore off her gown, then moved until she was on top of him. His hand reached between her legs to prepare her but she swatted it away. She wanted no kisses, no tenderness. She told him not to speak, stroked him as she worked her clit against the tip of his cock, and then slid down until he was fully seated within her.

He watched her in silence, concern in his eyes, but he didn't try to stop her. He knew more than anyone else what this meant for her. She rocked her hips in silence and uttered nothing but the occasional moan, panting harder and harder the more she moved.

Her mind was a mess but her body felt only ecstasy. She throbbed around him, picked up her pace, then leaned back when her legs grew sore. Lochlan followed and draped himself over her, then slammed into her small body with deep, punishing strokes. It was what she wanted, and it was what she would get. She clung to him and whimpered, her hands moving to his ass to pull him closer, deeper, urging him without words to go harder. He did.

She bit into his shoulder as she came, skin and muscle muffling her cries as he slowed his pace and pumped his release into her. He hovered above her, his fingers tenderly brushing her hair back from her face, but she simply rolled out from underneath him. She went to sleep on her side, facing away from the man who owned her heart.

I watch her go lay on her side and I lay next to her, for a moment. I wonder how long this is going to be until she's over it. With Cora, I'd say move on and get over it. Davina was different.

I get up and go clean myself up in the washroom. I pull my boxers back on and jeans, wash my hands and feel arms around me. I look up into the mirror and can see her. She cries into my back.

I stand still, letting her do it.

"He was possessed...., you were right. " She stops, looks in the mirror.

"I am sorry I didn't tell you, but now I have, prove me wrong and that you won't...get even more depressed. You're pregnant Davina, you have to try and move past it, try. I will do whatever you need me..."I look at her now, face to face. "More fucking me without any emotion, if you need that, then okay but I will play that game for awhile and then no, I don't deserve that."

Davina nodded. "You're right. I'm sorry, I just needed..." He nodded in understanding, then pulled her into his arms. She melted into him.

"Thank you for telling me."

I wake up the next morning, smelling bacon. I work much later on tonight, around 10 actually. Random 10-10 shift, I get a shower and come down dressed and see Davina, she's in the kitchen cooking.

I am quiet but then Liam says, "hi daddy!!!!" so loudly and comes rushing over, I pick him up and hug him good morning and he hugs me back. "I like when they are this small, and adore me" I look to Cillian, who says don't even try it and I of course do go over and kiss his head.

I am holding Liam as I do it, Liam laughs and we both now try to kiss Cillians head and basically chase him out of the kitchen, "Go kiss him some more." I set Liam down who chases after his brother.

Niamh is just on her phone and eating cereal, shes glued to the phone. I reach over and take it, she says hey! "Eat..then text, who is this?" I see a boys name. I hand it to Davina, to look at for me.

Davina and Niamh had a certain kinship. They'd been friends before she'd ever become her stepmom. She knew about the crushes and the flirtations. She didn't feel the need to bother Lochlan with every little thing unless it evolved into an actual date.

She looked down at Niamh's phone, then smiled. "Oh, James. He's taking European history with her." Niamh groaned and Davina chuckled, then patted the girl on her shoulder. "Sorry, hon. He asked."

She turned to Lochlan. "Zachary turned out to be quite gay."

"I did ask, what? I am not that bad..." I say in my defense, Niamh tells me how all the Uncles scared Zach, "Zach was probably scared of a few more things, so, this James kid...?"

"He's just a boy Dad..." She finishes and cleans her bowl, she takes her phone back and pounds the stairs saying no privacy around here.

I am just drinking my coffee, "I easily got all of them to leave, see? How are you feeling?" I look at her, standing closer to her now.

Davina stood and walked up until she was pressed against him, and again his arms encircled her. She didn't want him to go to work, but she knew he had to. "I'm getting there," she said, and she was honest, because it would definitely be difficult. She'd taken a good man away from his wife, his family, and though Caius had wiped the cops' minds free of suspicion and led them to the body, there were still questions. Namely, how a man's heart could be removed from the inside with no entry wound to speak of, or why it had happened.

"I know you're just trying to look after me," she said against his chest. "I just can't stop thinking about Emily. She deserves answers. I still have no idea what possessed him, and I don't ever want to go back to L.A.. I'm done with this film."

"Caius and I are working on it, I don't want to be....bossing you around but your job" She says I know, babies. "Yes, the babies...most important out of all this other shit. More important than Emily, or me or anything."

I plead with her to be careful, I am so worried if anything happened. She kisses me and I kiss her back, "I am going to drop off the kids, we can do something fun...so, come with me. I don't work until 10pm."

She is not to be left alone, we drop the kids off and we go spend the day together. Shopping for baby stuff, Davina picks out stuff and I shake my head if I don't like it.

She looks at something, I get a text and look, it is from Caius.

It says he has been searching and I tell him, I am working tonight but off tomorrow and I will help him however I can. He agrees and I slip my phone away, Davina is just watching me.

She doesn't like me helping her father, could be dangerous and I remind her how I was a General, before that a warrior but it does not ease her fears. "I am not losing another wife, I am useful, not just for fucking you." I say closely to her and kiss her then walk off, the store clerk heard me say that and I say, "Let's look at more stuff, maybe some lingerie for me to fuck you in." I say loudly, looking right at the worker, she walks off.

I look back to Davina, smirking.

While Lochlan was at work, Davina made dinner, helped the kids with homework, and ended the evening with Cillian. They rented the newest superhero movie and sat together on the couch to watch it. Niamh was off spending the night at a friend's while Luke and Katherine babysat Liam, so it was simply the two of them for the evening.

He looked over at her every now and then. She gave him reassuring smiles, but after a while, he paused the movie. "Are you okay, Davina?"

She nodded, then threw him a wink. "Of course I am. I'm with you, aren't I?"

Cillian smirked. "You don't want to talk. I get it." With that, his attention was back on the television, and she snuggled further into the couch, relieved that he wouldn't press her.

When the film ended, she sent him off to bed with a kiss on the forehead, then showered and did the same.

---

She awoke when she heard the shower shut off. Lochlan was home, but she'd missed her alarm. She'd intended on greeting him when he came in, but exhaustion had clearly taken over. Instead of dressing, Lochlan emerged from the adjoining bathroom stark naked, beads of water cascading down his body and hunger in his eyes. In his hand he held two pairs of cuffs, a mischievous smirk on his face. She was instantly ready.

When he walked up to the bed and came to a stop beside her, his hand brushed her hair back from her face, then grasped it firmly in his fist. He was clearly taking charge tonight, and arousal spiked within her as she lowered her face to his cock, wrapped her fingers around him, and began to stroke. She darted her tongue out to taste him, then looked up at Lochlan with a smile. "Hello to you too, husband."

Instead of replying, he smirked again, then pressed her further, guiding her back to the task at hand. It wasn't what she was used to from him, but it was turning her on, so she went with it, stroking and sucking and licking with vigor. In an instant, he pulled away from her, then grasped her and flipped her over until she was on her knees. He brought out the cuffs, secured her wrists to either side of the headboard, and propped her ass in the air. She panted beneath him, eager for another lesson, then shrieked when his head dove between her legs. It was forceful; his tongue slid between her folds as if he were ravenous for her, and then came his fingers, digging into her deeply and quickly while she moaned and ground her hips against him.

"Lochlan," she mewled, needy and impatient, the sensations building within her until she was close to bursting. "Oh, fuck."

"You taste exactly how imagined..." Moving his lips over her, he grabs a hold of her hair and grips it tight. His cock enters her, with a force, faster. Gripping her hair, she screams from the pain of wretching her head back. I put my hand over her mouth muffle the screams and continue to pound into her, I hear her say for me to stop, too much,

"You wanted it from a god, fucking who're, take it like a good wife or I'm going to kill you, actually I'm good now." He places her hands around her neck, adding pressure as he continues to fuck her, she screams and pleads to stop, He breaks off her and stops, holding his head. "Nope, stay in their.,,you want to kill me but this is between her and I, your husband is a real fighter. I can see the appeal for you..." Help she starts to scream and he goes to do more damage but I am thrown off her, hitting a wall.

He looks to see the son, covering Davina with a blanket, grabbing pants on quickly, "Lochlan" goes and grabs onto the kid and Rams his face in to the wall. Davina comes to grab me, she's been freed. I want to throw her next but the son is back, I toss him to the floor again and start to kick him. Over and over, ribs breaking, I don't stop.

I break off looking at Davina, "Not him sweetheart, if you haven't figured it out but wow the strength I feel is insane!" I grab Cillian again and break his arm, tossing him to the floor.

Davina screamed as Lochlan, or whoever possessed him, rather, pummeled Cillian. The boy cried out as his arm snapped in the opposite direction, and yet still he tried to get to his feet, still he told Davina to run. The boy was just like his father, perhaps too much so.

Tears in her eyes and wearing the sheet that he had covered her with, Davina focused with all her might. Lochlan stopped in his tracks, then gazed up at her, his eyes crazed. "That's just too cute. It won't hold me; you married a strong son of a bitch."

He stepped toward her, but Cillian's good arm shot out, his fingers wrapping around Lochlan's ankle. "Don't you fucking touch her!"

Davina sent her energy forth and blasted Lochlan into the wall before he could attack the boy again. She didn't want to hurt him, but she didn't know the first thing about how to stop him, either. She couldn't do what she'd done to Joe. Her husband was in there, and he was fighting hard to stop himself. Cillian pounced while he had the chance, propelling his broken body forward with every ounce of strength he had remaining until both of them crashed through the bedroom wall, and then into the next, dust and rubble beneath them. Davina rushed toward them, anxious to get Cillian away before he got himself killed.

The boy's fist rained down upon his father while the other grasped his throat to hold him there. It only worked for a time because Davina was doing everything she could to keep their attacker still.

"Cillian, we need to go," she yelled, tears in her eyes, but the boy didn't budge.

"My father's in there," he bit back, gritting his teeth harder as he fought. "Go, Davina. You're pregnant."

Before she could respond, Lochlan was up again, sardonic laughter oozing from his lips as he held Cillian at bay like it was nothing. "It could've been me, you absolute slut. We had a good time together, or is your pussy too good for a warlock?" He stopped to grin, then brought his fingers to his mouth, the same ones that had just been inside her. His tongue ran over them slowly. "Of course, now I know how good it is."

Davina stepped forward in desperation. "Let him go!"

Cillian struggled against his hold, but for the first time, Lochlan wasn't hurting him. He was too focused on Davina. "You still don't know who I am? It really hurts that you would forget your first kiss."

It dawned on her. "Rhett."

He sneered at her. "Ding ding ding. That's the one. I took your first kiss, then you had to go ahead and slap me for it." He spat a mouthful of blood on the ground in front of her. "Joe was a failure, so I went for the god himself."

Davina shook her head. "Let him go. He has nothing to do with this."

Lochlan shrugged. "The boy thinks himself a man. I had to knock him down a few pegs." He looked at Cillian, who snarled and pawed at the fingers around his throat to no avail. "How's the arm?" He reached for the boy's broken arm, prepared to snap it again, but Davina charged him, using her powers to break a few bones of her own until he released Cillian. Lochlan shook it off as if it were nothing. He paused when she tried to stay him, but in the next moment, he was free again.

"This is just pathetic. You're pretty damned weak, considering your lineage." He considered. "Or do you just not want to hurt your beloved god? You'd let him kill his own son before you caved and put a stop to it?"

Davina could barely see through her tears. She'd never felt so hopeless. The warlock had invaded her husband, had used his body to get to her, had nearly killed Cillian, yet he was too strong to stop for long. Had she been Cora, it would have been over by now. Had she been a god, and not an everyday warlock, she'd have stood a chance. But with their powers combined, Rhett inside the body of a centuries-old warrior and his hatred fueling him, he was damned near unstoppable.

While Cillian fixed his stance and stared down his father, Davina closed her eyes and conjured Caius. He appeared in an instant, assessed the situation through their thoughts, and then stormed across the room to take on Lochlan, himself.

Now granted a more even match, her husband snickered and beckoned the warlock closer. "This friend of yours has beautifully corrupted your daughter. It was too easy, Caius. All I had to do was walk into the room and she had my cock in her mouth."

Caius landed a magic-packed punch that was so brutal, it sent Lochlan hurtling through yet another wall. Cillian and Davina followed, and both did their best to focus and keep him on the ground. Caius knelt above him and slapped at his face, but Lochlan's eyes remained closed. He'd been knocked out cold.

Caius arose, albeit cautiously, then turned to Davina with wild eyes. "Davina-"

She shook her head. She couldn't talk about it. She hadn't even been able to save Cillian, and he'd nearly given his life to protect hers and the twins'. "Help Cillian, please."

The boy tried to stop Caius, told him he was wasting his time, but Caius made quick work of healing him. He grasped Cillian's shoulders and forced him to look into his eyes. "You did wonderfully. Stay here with Davina."

Her heart sunk. "What about Lochlan?"

Caius looked down at the man as he lay unconscious on the floor. "I'll bring him to my home. Even he won't be able to escape."

Davina tried to feel comforted, but she only felt worse and worse. How could she be a stepmother to these children if she couldn't even protect them? How could she be a wife to Lochlan when she hadn't even clued in that he'd been possessed?

Caius grabbed her and held her close, his mouth pressed to her forehead. "You did everything you could. I will return your husband to you, alive and himself. You have my word."

She could only nod. Caius scooped Lochlan up, slung him over his shoulder, and then both men disappeared to Caius' dimension.

---

Hardly anyone knew of Caius' dimension. He liked it that way. It was no one's business where he resided when he wasn't working, and as far as he was concerned, he had earned the right to have a few secrets for himself.

Many, many centuries ago, he'd visited Scotland and fallen in love with a castle he'd seen there. And so, while forming this dimension, he modeled his own home after it. It towered up into the sky, its height and aged stone exterior giving it a certain menacing look despite the rolling green hills that surrounded all sides.

In his dimension, all was silent and he was the only one there. Except for now.

Caius sat in a chair across from Lochlan's cell. For a prison, it was more comfortable than expected. The bench was cushioned and there were no chains to be seen because the bars alone were what spelled him inside. No magic was allowed past that point.

Lochlan awoke, then sprang from his seat to take in his surroundings. Caius stood and stepped forward. It only took a second to gather that Lochlan was indeed of sound mind again.

The warlock passed him a beer through the bars. "My apologies. You're in my dimension. I've sent some of my eldest to watch over your wife and children."



Caius' eldest children:

Zafir:


Talita: