The God and the Healer - RP

While Niamh was getting ready, Silas strolled in with a bouquet of carnations for Davina and a very old, very costly bottle of wine for Lochlan. Dom had helped with acquiring (and recommending) the latter.

She smiled at him and rose to give him a kiss. "Good thinking. Even if my dad hates you, he'll never refuse the wine."

Silas laughed and checked the clock mounted on her bedroom wall. "We've got twenty minutes. Plenty of time for a pre-dinner workout."

His meaning was clear. Niamh grinned and then debated. Finally, she stepped closer and told him to put down the gifts. "Fine. But don't touch the hair."

---

When they arrived, her hair in a perfect updo and her clothing in place, Silas knocked on the door. Niamh was thankful that her makeup was hiding the post-bliss flush of her cheeks, because without it, it would have been all too obvious. As soon as Davina opened the door the two hugged, then Davina embraced Silas and thanked him for the flowers. After wishing him luck, she led them toward the dining room to find a none-too-happy Lochlan standing at the head of the table.

"Please be nice," Niamh mouthed to her dad.

Lochlan looks at the wine presented to him, he says nothing but gives it to Davina. He takes a seat, "I think it's best I stay silent, you two convince me or whatever it is you have planned. Davina did remind me you are my daughter and despite how stubborn you are, it's like Cora never actually died and I got some peace from that..., just sit and eat the food."

Silas looks at Lochlan, "Would it help if I said how much I hate my dad?" Lochlan looks at him, "Do you not have a cushy life because of your father, I can't believe I am actually defending him though..."

Silas wasn't used to meeting parents. He could charm the pants off of a nun, but meeting the girlfriend's loved ones? That had been ages.

He had to toe the line between being respectful and kissing ass. He hadn't exactly made the best first impression when they'd met for the first time.

Silas cleared his throat. "I'm aware of my privilege, believe me. And I feel I need to, well, apologize. Our first interaction wasn't all that great. My fault. My brand of humor doesn't translate well in a professional setting." This felt a little kiss-ass. Why was Niamh making him do this, again? "I want you to know -and I say this with respect- that I care for Niamh. Our relationship isn't an attack on you or in spite of anyone. It happened naturally."

Niamh sat nervously beside him. "I mean, honestly, we didn't expect it to progress this far. We were just casual and then, you know."

Davina was all smiles at her husband's side. "And then you developed feelings for each other. What was the moment that made you decide to try a relationship?"

When I tried to make out with his cousin. Niamh thought for a minute. "Well, it wasn't just a moment. We would talk for hours about any little thing. And he's attentive. Like, I'll mention something completely random but rest assured he'll remember it. His kindness, I guess. How... unexpected everything is about him. I think that's what it was."

Lochlan just eats, Davina stamps on his foot causing him to swear and just pours himself more wine. "It is what it is..., Raven did the most hilarious thing today." Starting to talk about his other daughter, Niamh looks at him, "You call me stubborn, is it mom I get it from or is it actually you? Don't you want me to be happy..?"

He looks at her, "Of course I do..." Niamh says yeah right, finally swearing more he looks to Silas, "Perhaps we could..get to know you more, and by we I mean...me, some time."

Silas nods, "We could..."

Lochlan drinks, sitting back "Does your father know about..., you and my daughter at all?"

Silas goes quiet, this causes Lochlan to laugh out loud. Lochlan looks to Niamh, "If you think I'm bad, his hardass of a father is far worse..."

Silas was loath to admit it, but he had gotten arrogant growing up with the status he'd been born with. It was hard to keep yourself humble when you had servants at your beck and call, other gods bowing their heads for fear of offending your parents, and girls fumbling over one another for the chance to wed you and become Conway royalty.

His dimension, in human terms, was the FBI, CIA, and every fear-inducing brand of law enforcement among gods rolled into one -- and his parents were the presidents of their species. No one dared to challenge them.

Now was Silas' turn to humble himself and speak to Lochlan as the man who was dating his daughter, not the man with a wealth of power at his disposal.

"My father doesn't know. He'll find out eventually, sir, and frankly I'm not looking forward to the fallout."

With that, he took a drink of wine. And then another. Soon the glass was gone. "I began training at the age of four. The only time my father visited me was for discipline purposes. When I wasn't top of the class, he came to straighten me out. Given my power is to decipher the truth from the lies, I was raised interrogating people as soon as I could talk. With my father, your best is never good enough. There's always better." He shrugged. "Clearly I stopped trying altogether."

Davina frowned. "I'm sorry to hear that, Silas."

Silas shook his head and smiled. "No worries, Davina. I get called in for status reports from time to time, and other than that, we have no contact. It works out better that way."

Lochlan wants to say how his story, sounds a lot like his own. He reminds himself Silas is young, "It is a repeating cycle, your grandfather was no picnic either and Ulrich was treated almost the very same, if not worse. Honestly, maybe Cillian can understand why I refused him for joining my army for so long."

He looks at Silas, "I am not your biggest fan yet, at all..but I do understand."

Silas blinked for a minute, stunned. He'd expected to end the evening getting thrown out onto the lawn. Instead, he was shown compassion. Not that he'd expected the worst from Lochlan, but he'd been a hell of a General. Someone Silas didn't want to cross, no matter who his parents were. He respected Lochlan for his openness.

Davina stood and reached across the table to fill Silas' glass of wine. "Thank you." He turned his gaze to Lochlan, then, and raised his glass in appreciation. "And thank you. For allowing me to, well, plead my case. You raised one hell of a daughter."

Niamh blushed and leaned against him, her head resting on his shoulder. She felt the smallest smidgen of guilt for blowing up on her father earlier. She gave him a smile. "Thanks, Dad."

Lochlan looked at him, "I can tear you apart, if you hurt her and all of that...everything you adore about her is because of her mother." He drinks the rest, "Also, the longer I go without chopping off someones head..the more sappy I become."

Davina was positively beaming. Niamh was happy, Silas had done exceedingly well, and Lochlan was taking it all in stride. She rose to her feet to collect the empty plates and stooped to kiss her husband on the cheek. "I hope everyone saved room for dessert! You haven't lived until you've tried my mother's tiramisu recipe."

Silas moaned. "That sounds amazing, but I refuse to let you clear this away yourself." He stood as well and smiled down at Niamh before collecting the rest of the dinnerware. "Lead the way, Davina. I'm at your service."

Davina turned back to give a thumbs up in her husband's direction. "Such a gentleman!" she whispered. "I like him."

When the two had safely disappeared into the kitchen, Niamh gave her father a hopeful smile and spoke quietly enough for her stepmother not to hear. "So, you know how we all agreed on everyone having a plus one for the party?"

Lochlan could see where this was going.

"Yeah." Niamh continued despite her father's lack of an answer. "I'm gonna ask Silas."

Lochlan was getting used to Silas being in his daughters life. Despite how much he was actually like him, I guess it's truth that girls marry a version of their father. Part of him, deep down, wondered how great it would have been if he was still friends with Ulrich. They grew up together, same life and expectations.

Lochlan was playing with the two young ones, when their was a knock at the door. He has the twins follow him to the door, he opens it to see Caius. He invites the warlock in, Caius smiles at the children and gives them some chocolates. They run off happy. Lochlan looks at him, "I will pretend I did not see that and not tell Davina. She's is on this "no sugar kick" with them. Can't say I don't see her point..." Caius smiles, "I just wanted to drop by and see the family, is Davina here?"

Lochlan looks at him, "No, she's out with Niamh..., coffee or something stronger?" Caius looks to Lochlan, "Coffee is fine thank you." Lochlan makes that, he hands it and they sit. "Niamh is happy again..."

"I hate to admit it but yes, Silas I suppose is to thank for it." Lochlan admits, Caius nods "You are a good father to accept it." Lochlan looks at him, then sits back "Okay, I can't read minds like you but I can tell you have something you want to ask me." Caius looks at him offended and then smiles shyly "I brought a coffee to Niamh at her Veternairy Clinic." Lochlan looks at him to continue, "I then..saw an angel"

"Her boss?" Lochlan asks, Caius nods. "Have you asked her out?"
Caius shakes his head, "It's not...it's been awhile." Lochlan laughs slightly, "Yes and you can't lead the conversation with "shall we proceed" to make even more children to a human woman. Is this your first attraction to someone who is not a warlock?"

Caius nods, "Yes, I will have to ignore it...the woman would be thrown, her seeing all this." Lochlan looks at him, "I think you should let her decide that and before you go planning the wedding, maybe ask her out first..,she might find you repulsive."

It was a Saturday morning and Rowan sat on top of Silas' shoulders as he and Niamh prepared breakfast. The little one had taken to Silas quite quickly, and now he could no longer enter the apartment without a pair of little arms wrapped around his legs in welcome.

"Surely that's enough blueberries," Silas said as he dumped a cupful of fruit into the batter. "What say you, Rowan?"

Rowan giggled and shook his head vigorously when Silas turned his head to look back at him. "More!"

He'd already known that was the answer he'd be getting. He went ahead and dumped the rest of the container into the batter and poured out enough for one gigantic pancake, just as the boy had requested. Niamh watched on, her heart too big for her chest, a permanent dumb smile plastered on her face. Because Silas was the expert on reading people without them needing to say a word, he turned to her and gave her a wink. He knew exactly what was on her mind.

She looked on as he flipped the pancake, as Rowan climbed down effortlessly and ran to grab the butter and syrup, and as a man materialized in the middle of her kitchen.

Not just any man. The leader of all leaders. Ulrich, the father of the man over whom she'd been swooning for months. They'd never met in person before, but he surely wasn't going to be a fan. She'd damn near destroyed his dimension not that long ago.

Silas' smile disappeared in an instant. The spatula clattered to the floor, and the pancake would've surely joined it if Niamh hadn't frozen time for the split second it took to sweep a plate underneath. Pancake safe, she turned to Ulrich and smiled awkwardly.

Rowan spoke first. "Who are you? Do you want a pancake?"

In any other situation, they'd have laughed. This was different. Ulrich regarded the child for a moment -not coldly, but rather ambivalently- and shook his head. "Thank you, child, but no. I'm here to speak with my son."

Silas stood with his hands behind his back, his shoulders sinking in defeat. Still he threw a grin Rowan's way. "This is my father, buddy. Say, why don't you eat in front of the TV today?"

The boy's eyes lit up. He jumped out of his seat in an instant and gave his mother a questioning glance. "But Mommy says-"

Niamh shook her head and rushed forward with his plate. "It's okay, sweetie. Just this once."

He took his breakfast and wandered off to the living room, promising the whole way that he wouldn't make a mess. He most definitely would, but at least he wouldn't be here for this conversation.

Niamh stepped toward Ulrich and extended her hand. How much could she say? Dom had already warned Silas that his father had sent 'Watchers' to keep tabs on his son, but she hadn't thought it would be so soon. Neither were prepared for this conversation. "It's good to meet you, sir. I mean, officially."

Ulrich didn't blink. He looked down at her hand, then back into her eyes, yet his body remained completely still. "Yes. Well, I suppose if you weren't a war criminal who narrowly avoided prison, this meeting would've come sooner and perhaps I'd have a warmer reception to offer you."

Silas couldn't much fight his father, but he didn't have to tolerate the disrespect toward Niamh. "Father-"

Ulrich's head snapped toward his son's in a flash, his eyes cold. "Son. Speaking of transgressions, how long did you intend to lie to me? Do you find me so daft? Do you see a fool when you look at me?"

Niamh's anger flared from deep within. "Maybe if you treated your son with the same respect you demand from him, he'd actually want to share his life with you!"

Ulrich responded not with contempt but with a bitter laugh. "Typical words from the mouth of Lochlan's child."

Silas gritted his teeth, hoping beyond hope that she wouldn't go off. "Niamh, please give us the room."

She balked. "What? Babe, he can't talk to you like that!"

His answering look was pointed. Yes, he very well could. Though both gods and both powerful, they came from two entirely different worlds. "Please don't fight me on this."

She was about to speak when Ulrich sighed, placed a hand on his son's shoulder, and suddenly they were gone.

Silas looked up to find Ulrich behind the desk in his main office. They were back in the Conway dimension. Away from all distractions.

"I'll ask again," Ulrich said, carrying on as if nothing had changed. "Am I, Silas? Daft?"

Silas shook his head. "No, sir."

"Did you think I'd send Watchers if I believed you were keeping up with your tasks?"

"No, sir."

"That's because I can't trust you. I can't trust you to do something as simple as an inspection without being deceitful and unappreciative." He picked up a folder from his desk and began to flip through the pages. "Of all fifty-nine inspections you've marked for the last four months, how many did you actually do?"

Silas hesitated.

"Apologies." Ulrich continued. "Perhaps it would be easier for you to comprehend this question. How many didn't you do, then chose to merely fabricate?"

Silas kept his back straight, his hands tucked behind his body, chin held high. Inside, he wasn't as confident. In truth, nobody scared him. Nobody except his father. "Around half that. Sir."

"Because of her."

Silas shook his head. "She wasn't keeping me from doing anything, Father. I chose to disobey you. That was my choice, and I enjoyed every minute I wasn't working. Niamh doesn't deserve your vitriol."

That set him off. He watched as Ulrich grabbed onto the office desk, the one made of wood from the oldest and rarest of trees that were grown in long-ago destroyed dimensions, the material carved with intricate designs and family crests that were etched in several centuries before, and threw it against the wall. The wood cracked and splintered into pieces, one corner lodged deeply into the stone of the wall itself. The room shook around them while Ulrich seethed. "You will not speak to me that way!"

Silas had seen his father angry. He wasn't sure he'd ever seen him this angry. Then again, he'd never dared to disrespect him before. This was a first. "I-"

Before he could finish, his father was on him, one strong hand wrapped around Silas' neck. Ulrich breathed in and out through his teeth, his eyes wide and nostrils flared. "How easily I could banish you. How easily I could throw you back into that cell and revisit this conversation in another hundred years."

Silas closed his eyes at the mention of the cell. Nobody had the key but his father. There'd be no saving him from that. There never had been. Not his mother, his aunt, nor any of their soldiers. Ulrich's word was final. He knew he had to tread carefully now. "I'm sorry, sir."

Ulrich remained there for a moment before his grip loosened. Slowly, he stepped away. "You will remember your place."

Silas nodded, his heart pounding inside his chest. "Yes, sir."

"You will go back and complete every inspection thoroughly, as well as the ones for the next few months. If I catch you in one more lie, you'll be back on the battlefield. Any other transgressions and it'll be the cell for you. This insolence may work for your beloved demigod, but you'll have no such luck with me. Rest assured if I wasn't once a friend of Lochlan's, Niamh would be in prison where she belongs."

Silas nodded again. "I'll do whatever work you ask of me, Father."

Ulrich narrowed his eyes at his son. "For the time being, I am not your father and you are not my son. A son follows orders. We'll get back to those titles when you've earned them." He glanced down at his suit and sighed at the wood splinters peppering the pristine fabric, then dusted them off and straightened his jacket. "As for your beau, the criminal, I suppose it's time to extend an olive branch to her father. He did gift your mother with Marit."

Silas was too shocked to process his words. Too hurt to respond to everything else before that. "An olive branch, sir?"

His father looked pained when he nodded. "An olive branch. Clearly he has allowed you and Niamh to date. Perhaps it's time our two families had a sit-down."

He didn't like the sound of that, but he didn't dispute it either. "I'll speak with her father and get back to you."

Ulrich stared down his son and it became apparent he was annoyed that Silas was still standing there. "Promptly."

Silas was back in Niamh's apartment before he could speak. He turned to see her standing there, a million questions in her eyes, and shook his head. He could barely understand it himself.

Lochlan had spent time trying to help Caius woo this woman, part of him felt amazed this was now his life. He was getting ready, brushing his teeth and sees Davina come in, she was grabbing something and as he goes to say something, she says how she has to go and kisses him on the cheek and off she goes.

He finishes getting ready and comes downstairs, all the children were out and he did savour these moments, grabbing some coffee their was a knock on the door. A slight groan, he goes to it and opens to see Silas of all people "Would never have expected you..., come in. Shut the door" he walks back to the kitchen to finish cooking some food, Silas followed awkwardly.

Lochlan glanced to him, "This better not be a marriage talk...asking my daughter, I will need a bit more time to accept that." Silas shakes his head, "No sir, I am here on behalf of my father."

He looks to Silas, finally takes the boy in and can see he looks more serious than he had ever seen him. "Are you hungry?" Silas looks at him surprised, he nods. Lochlan has him sit, gives him a plate of bacon and eggs, coffee and they sit. "So, your father knows about you and Niamh and wants to talk to me?"

Silas "Yes sir..." Lochlan looks at Silas annoyed, "Stop with this sir..., just talk." Silas looks at him again, "Niamh has no idea how lucky she is, to have you as a father." Lochlan nods not disagreeing, "Agreed..." Silas drinks his coffee, "You were a stronger General but you can still see reason and understanding.....my father he's only one way."

"Yes well, your father holds on to grudges for a long time and it doesn't help. What does he want?" Lochlan asks, Silas says now he wants to have a dinner since finding out about Niamh and Silas dating. Silas looks at him, "We will host it at Niamhs apartment, if you like...." And Lochlan waves it aside, "Your parents can come here..."

Silas nods, finishes "Thank you for breakfast..." Lochlan nods to him, he stands and heads out. Lochlan looks at him, "Just focus on Niamh, she is the most important..,don't lose track of that." Silas nods and leaves.

Lochlan thinks fuck, look at this place. It's not a grand, Ulrich is still a big God and runs Conway. Lochlan has this house, not a General. He does help this dimension keep out invaders, a cop in some ways. He goes out and does indeed so some work with that. It's later on, Lochlan is getting home and he sees Niamh just getting there. Before he can say anything, she throws her arms around him and hugs him. She breaks off to look at him, "Silas told me about the dinner, he also told me how you treat him with respect and you have no idea how much it means to me."

"I do, I always wished my father accepted Cora...never did. I know the fight he's up against. If Ulrich disrespects you in front of me, his head will be in our fireplace."

Niamh looks at him, "You just want to fight with Ulrich don't you?" And Lochlan nods, "I am not fucking Saint."

Niamh packed up Rowan's things for the evening while Silas sat nursing a glass of whiskey, staring at nothing. She knew he was nervous about dinner and it was strange seeing such a confident man on edge. He'd filled her in on what had happened with his father but she sensed he hadn't told her the whole story. What must his childhood have been like? What threats had been made? She already knew that after this night he'd be off to finish inspections, and who knew how long that would take? She was going to miss him.

"Babe?" she said, and he snapped out of his thoughts instantly.

"Yeah, love?"

"You sure you're okay?"

He smiled to put her at ease. "Of course. Look at me sat here like a right fucking bellend. What can I help with?"

She decided not to push him and instead tossed him Rowan's bag. "Come with me to drop him off at Uncle Ryan's. Don't worry, you'll love him."

Silas laughed. "Naturally. He's your family." He peeped inside the bag. "Mr. Toad's in the bag?"

Niamh beamed at him. "Yes, I remembered this time. Also the little sloth Davina got him."

Silas feigned offense. "I'll have you know, madam, his name is George."

"Ah, right. Rowan named it. Wait, he told you the name but not me?"

Silas threw her a wink. "I guess he loves me more than you."

Niamh met his joke with a slap on the shoulder. "Don't test me tonight. Come on."

They didn't waste time driving and instead decided to teleport. Ryan jumped when they appeared inside his living room, then chuckled when Rowan ran right toward him and attacked him with hugs. "Christ, I'll never get used to that teleporting thing."

Niamh smiled and stepped forward to give him a hug. "Sorry, Uncle Ryan. Thanks for watching him."

Ryan glanced back down the hallway as the sounds of Lochlan's youngest kids playing filled the house. "You kidding me? Sophia's in heaven. She asks about Rowan all the time." He paused to see Silas standing there politely, hands crossed behind his back, looking entirely out of place. Ryan extended his hand. "You must be Silas."

Silas smiled and returned the handshake. "Yes, sir. You're Mr. Jefferies, then."

Ryan chortled. "We can skip the formalities. I happen to know you're older than me, not to mention a god. Ryan is fine." He turned back to Niamh. "So it's tonight, huh?"

Niamh sighed. "Yep. Wish me luck. Anyway, how's retirement?"

Her uncle groaned. "Boring. I've fixed about everything there is to fix. Can't sit around twiddling my thumbs all day. Hell, I've looked into working security somewhere. Maybe start woodworking. Always wanted to try my hand at that."

Niamh laughed. "Or maybe relax? Take your lovely wife on vacation somewhere? There's a start."

"Working on it. Anything you need for me to fix?"

Silas laughed at that. "Any experience with cars, Ryan?"

Ryan's eyes lit up. "You kidding me? I'd have been a mechanic if I hadn't enlisted."

"I happen to have a '64 Aston Martin I acquired back in the day. It could use quite a bit of restoration, but she'll be beautiful when she's up and running."

Ryan was too stunned to talk. "Wait - you -- really?"

Niamh chuckled. "We can have it sent to you." She checked her phone and the smile fell from her face. "We should be heading out soon."

"Wait! I've got something here for your dad." Ryan spun around and retrieved a bottle from the liquor cabinet in the corner. "Lochlan's choice of bourbon. I have a feeling he'll be needing it. Tell him to behave himself."

Niamh accepted the bottle and went to hug him again. "I might be needing some of this, too."

Ryan's look turned serious. He stepped closer and put his hands on her shoulders. "Listen, kid. I know you. Your family knows you. You're a good person with a good heart who deserves to be happy. So suck it up, say whatever gets you in good graces, and if that doesn't work? Fuck 'em anyway."

She was shocked at his bluntness. "I don't think I've ever heard you curse."

"Ah, well, only when necessary. I'm also giving you this advice because I know you're a hothead just like your mother was. Try not to dig yourself too deep tonight."

He was right. Like always. Ryan and Silas shook hands again while Niamh said goodbye to Rowan, and then they were off to face the firing squad.

---

Ulrich and Nora arrived at eight o' clock on the dot. Davina had toiled in the kitchen all day as if she'd been preparing for a Thanksgiving feast, and perhaps she'd gone a bit overboard, but there was food aplenty. The house, though not a mansion, was also spotless.

She rushed forward to greet them at the door, Lochlan at her side. While Ulrich regarded her surprisingly pleasantly, Nora chose to go a different route. She eyed the house, the decor, the offerings on the table, and scrunched her face before putting on the biggest, fakest smile in existence.

"Lovely home, Davina. It's just so... quaint." She strode forward and through the door and shrugged off her shawl. Instead of asking for a coat rack, she laid it across the couch. "Truly, I don't know how you manage, but it's impressive all the same."

Davina stared on and clenched her fists. For all her coaxing for Lochlan to mind his manners tonight, perhaps she should have focused on her own. If Nora didn't settle down, Davina would be the one making a spectacle.

Lochlan looks at Davina, he had a smug look on him. He knew what Ulrich and Nora were like, they told him to behave. "Welcome..." To Ulrich who nodded to Lochlan, "Different than a mansion..." Lochlan nods,"Indeed it is..." Nora walked off for a tour with Davina. Lochlan shook Silas hand and took the whiskey from Niamh, he poured a glass for all of them. He knew his daughter enjoyed it just like her mother. Ulrich takes Silas drink from him, "A drink as fine as this is for a man, not a coward."

Lochlan looks at him, "Starting with the party favours already....?" Silas cracked a tiny smile and then stopped when Ulrich took notice of it,

Being called a coward always stung because of the implication behind it. Ulrich knew why Silas avoided the battlefield now. He knew what Silas had lost. And still he was a coward for it. Plenty more fish in the sea, according to his father. Losing his first love, his fiancée, in war, and still being affected a decade later was akin to crying over spilled milk in Ulrich's mind. Get over it.

Ulrich looked at his son and quirked an eyebrow. "You're stood there like you don't know what to do with yourself. If you love the girl so much, go help her in the kitchen."

The humiliation was the worst of it. How could he hope to gain Lochlan's respect when he was treated like an errand boy the whole time? You're not man enough to drink with the big boys. Go help the ladies with the cooking.

Silas nodded and stepped into the kitchen to find Niamh with a sad but hopeful smile on her face, her glass extended. "Take it."

She didn't have to tell him twice. With one swig, it was gone. The instant he turned, Davina had her arms around him, squeezing him tightly. "Oh, sweetheart, I'm so sorry about your parents. My god. I don't know that I would've survived meeting Thaddeus."

Silas thanked her and brushed aside her concerns. "It's just a couple hours. We can do this. Now, how can I help?"

Ulrich could see Lochlans focus, "Don't judge me, I raised a failure for a son...you have three sons?" Lochlan nodded, "And I chose a different approach..." Ulrich looks at him, "We don't have to tip toe around anything Lochlan, we are here to acknowledge the relationship between our children.., you of course should win father of the year, this place you call a house...you live in it thanks to Niamh destroying your dimension." Lochlan drank his whiskey instead of replying, "She did, she is stronger than any son I have..." He walks off to find Davina.

Davina sat beside Lochlan and looked across the dinner table at Silas and Niamh while Ulrich and Nora took their places at both ends. Everyone dug in quietly for a moment until Nora spoke.

"This meal is quite good, Davina. You say you don't have your own chef?"

Davina shook her head. "No, I quite enjoy cooking. It's relaxing."

Nora shrugged. "Dull is what it is if you ask me, but it's a fine meal nonetheless." She looked at the dining room walls and nodded toward the pictures lining them. "Family photos are a nice touch. I find it darling that Cora, rest her soul, is in a great deal of them."

Niamh and Lochlan both tensed at the same time. Nora stretched her hand across the table and brushed it against Lochlan's. "A beautiful couple you two made. Your dimension lost a true warrior that day." She paused and clapped a hand over her mouth, as if just now realizing something. "My goodness, my sweet Silas and you have so much in common, Lochlan. To lose the love of your life in battle, right in front of your face, no less. It's no wonder Silas doesn't fight anymore."

A hush fell upon the table. Silas cleared his throat while Niamh froze beside him, confused and heartbroken for him. "Mother, I think it's best-"

Nora waved him away. "Yes, yes, I apologize. That was a bit too heavy for a formal dinner setting, wasn't it? Emily though, the poor dear. I always liked her with you."

Silas glanced to Lochlan though, Lochlan took a drink of wine watching the kid. Ulrich ate in silence, looking at his old friend "What do you do now, Lochlan?" Lochlan looks at him, "Mostly protection for this dimension, not much head chopping but it works..." Ulrich nods, "Maybe I could find a better position for you in Conway, your talents are being wasted here." Lochlan looks at him, "With all do respect, I'd rather poke my eyes out...than do anything that would involved living in Conway."

Ulrich smirks, "Figurdd you'd say that...., you have gone soft." Lochlan shakes his head, "Just thought about others besides myself actually..." Nora looks at them, "Lochlan, it would be a wonderful place to raise your small children. This dimension is not fit for a warrior such as yourself..."

Niamh looks at this, "Are you serious...? He said no.." Ulrich looks to her, "I don't believe I was speaking to you..." Lochlan clears his throat for Ulrich to watch it. Ulrich knows Lochlan could end him, he would never admit that. Ulrich looks at Niamh, smiles "I simply wanted to try...and welcome you to our family, this is a serious courtship I assume and if this ends in marriage, Conway is a great place to be and raise a family. Having your father their....I have armies.."

Niamh wanted to roll her eyes, but that was exactly the kind of thing that would turn this dinner into a catastrophe. So when Ulrich turned his attention to her, she looked up and met his gaze without an ounce of anger in her expression.

"So I hear you're a veterinarian now?"

Niamh nodded. "That is correct. I've just finished my training, actually."

Nora shrugged her shoulders, though no one had asked her a damned thing. "Bit sad for a demigod, in my opinion."

She narrowed her eyes. "Respectfully, Nora, I didn't ask for it."

Nora threw up her hands to show that she'd meant no harm, but Ulrich was quick to defend his wife. "I'm sure she only means that it was an unexpected turn. You're a demigod, Niamh. You have more power than anyone in this room combined. Do you not miss the thrill of the fight?"

Truthfully, she did. A little. Being a fighter was in her blood, after all. She decided not to answer that question. "I like animals. I like helping them get better. Seeing people's faces when their animal is returned, healthier than ever. That's better than any battle."

Ulrich tilted his head to the side in thought. "Perhaps. But what of your enemies? Are you not concerned for your family? You could end a threat with the snap of your fingers, and yet you're treating dogs with... diabetes."

It pissed her off how everyone trivialized what she did for a living. If she were human, no one would question it. It would be noble. But for a demigod, it was laughable. The butt of every joke.

She took a long sip of bourbon before she answered and her eyes bore into his, hard and full of ice. "We don't have enemies, sir. I destroyed them, remember?"

When Ulrich dropped his napkin onto the table and slid his chair back, she knew she'd crossed the line. She sprang out of her seat, as did the rest of her family. She held out her hand as a gesture of peace. "Wait!"

Ulrich's eyes flared with anger, but he didn't make a move to challenge her. She reached for Silas' hand beside her and gave it a squeeze. "I crossed a line. Fuck, okay, I'm sorry." Saying sorry to the two sorriest pieces of shit on the planet was hard enough, but to do it in front of her own family? That took the cake.

She took a deep breath and looked back at Silas. "I promised you I'd try my best. I didn't." Niamh turned back to Ulrich and sighed. "I... I wanted this to work. For Silas' sake. So I'd like it if you'd accept my apology, because I don't intend on breaking my promise to him. This is important to him, so that makes it important to me."

Ulrich's demeanor seemed to change in an instant. He seemed rather surprised by her apology. In a move that shocked everyone at the table, he held out his hands and waved them away. "You are forgiven. I did goad you into a less than stellar response. I suppose I should apologize as well."

Lochlan just watched in shock and awe, he has also never seen Ulrich apologize. "Well this has been fun..., but I feel like the dinner is a wrap?" They nod and stand, heading to show them to the door. Ulrich looks to Davina and thanks her for the meal. Silas stays behind with Niamh and they finally shut the door. Everyone sighs with relief, "Maybe now is the time to say...you were right dad, husband..." Looks at the women in his life.

Silas looks at Lochlan, "I'm sure I'll get a full report back.., can't say I care what the old man thinks. I love your daughter, he knows it." Lochlan nods, "And I know it, all that matters....get going home." They bid farewell to Silas and Niamh,

Lochlan and Davina are getting ready for bed, "It was weird, seeing a friend...yes I did actually have some. Gods, he has my mother in a jail cell..., almost was me again...my daughter nearly destroyed his dimension and we all sit around over lasagna. You can't make this stuff up." Davina just comes over and kisses him, enough said.

Ryan got a call from Luke the next week as he stood at the hood of the '64 Aston Martin Silas had sent over. He still couldn't believe such a classic was sitting in his garage, hidden away from the world. Couldn't wait to get it up and running. Any parts it needed, Silas assured him, he would get without issues. Ryan started joking with Niamh that if she didn't end up marrying the man, he'd take her place.

When his phone rang, he answered to hear a surprisingly dejected-sounding Luke. Luke was never the downer; he was the life of the party. Concerned, he sat in the chair in the corner of the garage and listened as Luke told him that Maura Jefferies, their last living parent, was on her way out.

"End-stage Cirrhosis," Luke explained with a sigh. "All that fuckin' drinking did her in. We knew it would."

Ryan nodded and threw his head back. "I still always hoped she'd turn it around. I haven't seen her since Cora's wedding."

Luke didn't respond for a moment. Finally, he spoke. "I have. After Dad passed. Thought I'd pass the news along. Soon as I saw her, I knew it was a mistake. Went raving about the end times again, so I split."

Ryan fought back the tears that were coming to the surface and stood to pace the garage. "So. Are we seeing her or what?"

"I'm good. I feel fuckin' evil saying it, but I'm good. You go if you want to."

And so Ryan made the drive to the hospital, gave his name to the guard, and asked to see his mother for the last time. When he walked into the room, it smelled of death. She smelled of death. He jerked back the moment it hit him, then cursed himself for it. He'd fought in war; the least he could do was confront her and try to find some closure.

Her eyes shot open the second he approached. Her face gaunt, her eyes bulging, she gasped and writhed restlessly in her hospital bed. Ryan looked around, wondering if she needed something.

"Mom?" Water. Maybe she wanted water. He reached for the standard empty bottle with the straw poking through the lid and rushed to the sink to fill it. "You need water? Ice?"

"No." Her voice was hoarse. Harsh. She sounded like the ancient evil witch in a horror film, not the woman he'd loved as a child.

He turned to look her dead on, then glanced at the exit. He wanted so badly to just leave. "What is it, Mom?"

She beckoned for him to come closer, so he obeyed. He froze when her frail, skinny fingers wrapped around his wrist. For a dying woman, she had a hell of a grip. "How couldn't I know? I see it all, but I didn't know!"

Confused, Ryan shook his head. "I don't follow."

She squeezed harder, her eyes imploring him to understand. "I have a sister. Adopted. Older than me."

He winced. "Mom, I think you-"

"Listen to me!" She was upset now, tears forming in her eyes. "They must have hidden her. The dark ones. They hid her because they knew I would see."

Ryan knew his only option was to play along. "What would the dark ones want with your sister?"

"The same thing they wanted with me! They got their wish. They made it. They made him. And he's older. Stronger than Niamh, even. Ryan, he's their secret weapon and he's unlike anything I've ever seen."

Worry welled up inside him. She was crazy, Cora had once said, but she'd never been wrong. "Wait, so your sister had a... demigod son? The sister you never met?"

Maura nodded furiously, the desperation twisting her face into something awful. "My mother gave her up for adoption years before she had me. Nobody told me, but I see it now. I see it, all these visions, all in my head. Maybe because I'm so close to the After now. It won't be long."

Ryan paused. What wouldn't be long now? Her death or the arrival of evil personified? "What won't?"

"All of it! Everything. He's coming, Ryan, and you can call me crazy or you can protect our family. Maybe I wasn't the mother you needed, but I'm damned well the one you got, and I know what I have is real."

Her grip hadn't eased up in the least, and Ryan's heart was pounding hard. He needed to research this before he freaked everyone out. "Her name. Your sister's name. What was it?"

Maura's head jerked back, then side to side. Her eyes opened and closed as if she'd suddenly become possessed. Her free hand reached up to hit herself in the head and claw at her hair before Ryan reached to stop her.

"No! God, no, no, no!"

She was screaming now. Ryan looked toward the doorway for a second before leaning down to cage her arms by her sides, doing all he could to stop her from hurting herself. "Mom, who was she? What are you seeing?"

"Oh, god, they burned her! They turned her to dust!"

Ryan pressed on. "Who? Mom, please. Who?"

"Anna! They torched her as soon as she delivered that... that monster!"

"Anna, your sister? Anna who? I need a name!"

"Beaufort! Anna Elizabeth Beaufort! Ryan, oh god, she was alive the whole time."

Her screams faded into wails as she lost herself to her visions. He tried to pry for more, but she was far past that stage. Nurses rushed in and forced him out of the room and he watched from the hallway as they injected her and she drifted off to sleep, her cries fading to silence as the medicine took hold.

The doctor found him in the hallway, stunned and frozen where he stood. It wouldn't be long now, the doctor told him, but Ryan already knew. She wouldn't last the night. She'd said what she'd needed to say.

Message received.

Phone in hand, he left to phone his contacts in law enforcement and started the long drive home.

---

Anna Elizabeth Beaufort was born on March the 3rd, 1952 in Queens, New York. Her mother wasn't quite sure who the father was, and in that day and age, it was quite a big deal. She was poor, anyway, and couldn't afford to have a child, so she gave birth to her alone, left her on the front steps of a police station, and ran off. By the time Maura was born, her mother was married to a good Catholic man with a good job who was delighted to raise their daughter. As to where Anna ended up, no one knew but the couple who'd ended up adopting her. Both sisters grew up never knowing of the other's existence, each living their own individual lives.

And then one day, in the winter of 1983, Anna fell off the map. It was if the earth had opened up and swallowed her whole. Anna's husband, friends, and family searched for years. Ryan found scans of the missing posters in the library's records. No record of her ever turning up. She'd been in her early 30s, healthy as a horse, a good wife and a mother of two. No reason for her to run off. She was a god-fearing woman, someone who wouldn't just elope with a random man.

Gone. Vanished.

Until the fire in 1984. It was thought to have been an abandoned house until remains were found. No DNA testing back then, so no definitive proof, but the details added up. Witnesses reported screams, a neighbor swore up and down she'd heard the cries of a baby, and then nothing. Ryan sat in front of the notes he'd compiled, ran a hand down his face, and pulled up Lochlan's number on his phone.

"Fucking crazy," he murmured aloud to no one but himself. "Why couldn't she just be fucking crazy?"

He dialed, then waited. Then Lochlan answered and he waited some more. Finally he spoke. "Lochlan. I, uh... Fuck." He leaned back in his chair, shook his head, and closed his eyes. "Family meeting. There's a... We might have a problem."

---

Logan:


Logan awoke amidst a sea of naked, toned bodies, smooth gorgeous limbs entwined with one another, several sets of hands draped over his body in lieu of sheets. He smiled to himself as he studied the architecture of the modern New York penthouse he'd stolen. The high tiled ceilings, the gigantic California king bed with the outrageous and intricately carved posts, the grandeur of it all. Maybe humans were good for something after all.

When he awoke, the dark-skinned beauty beside him stirred and gazed at him with mascara-smeared eyes, a grin on her face. "Good morning."

"A good morning, indeed," he answered, his voice deep and masculine and smoother than honey. She reached up and let her fingers dance along his jawline, then his lips, before going in for a kiss. The man on Logan's other side sat up, then, and planted a kiss on his stomach. Humans were a touchy-feely breed, he'd discovered.

Soon the whole damned room was awake and sharing the love. Bodies were passed out everywhere, spent and used the night before until Logan had reached contentment. Turned out that a demigod (a dark one more so) had a deadly dose of charm that proved nearly irresistible to most humans. Want one? They'll let you have them. They'll bring their friends. They'll betray their husbands, their wives. They'll do it all for the sin that he served them on a silver platter, a promise of ecstasy they wouldn't find anywhere else. And he didn't even have to tell them. They just knew.

Hell, he could tell them all to fuck right off and in two seconds they'd be gone. Naked on the streets, wondering what had become of their inhibitions. Another dark-haired stunner rose and hopped off the bed to drape a robe over her body. Logan smirked and nodded toward the wall-mounted speakers above her head. "Does anybody else feel like dancing?"

She laughed and looked around. "What about the neighbors?"

He shrugged, still giving her that devilish grin. "Don't care. Don't live here. Turn it up."



And so she turned on the music. Without prompting, everyone got up to join him. For a man who'd spent his entire life fighting and being hidden, he was surprisingly a good dancer to top it off. He slid towards the woman with the black hair and glassy hazel eyes and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"What's your name?"

"Jess."

"Will you have this dance with me, Jess?"

She was all too eager to please him. Dance with him, blow him, stab herself in the neck for him? She'd do it all.

He led her around the room, guiding her movements while the music blared. They separated moments later and she watched with glee in her eyes as he destroyed the penthouse. Framed pictures fell to the floor, glass shattering every which way. Sculptures and statues and useless decor, modern artwork made up of nothing but splashes of color for outlandish prices, everything joined the rest. He beamed at her and gestured toward the shelves of meaningless, expensive junk. "Don't leave me hanging here, Jess. Let it all out."

Logan's team of scantily clad, freshly-fucked humans got to work dismantling everything inside. The bass grew louder, booming, vibrating the floor beneath them. The beat quickened. Everything built inside of him, growing more intense, darker, fuller. Oh, this would be fun.

The song had an exciting pattern. A long, low buzz and then a clap clap. He could do something with that. He'd always had a flair for the dramatic.

So with each clap, he clapped. And a body fell. It took a while for the rest of the humans to catch on. This wasn't an act, oh no. Their friends were dying. Logan danced on, skipping over the trash on the floor, over the bodies that began to pile. Clap clap. Necks snapped, bodies morphed from flesh and bone to dust, the particles of what they'd once been floating in the air before drifting down again. He kicked at the ashes, stirring them back up again as the song got more intense, the guitars droned on, the crescendo hit.

Soon Jess was the only one standing. She was horrified, but because of his powers, she couldn't run. He froze her in place, enjoying the look of sheer terror he'd induced. Her lip quivered, tears streaming down her face, a strangled cry stuck in her throat. Logan reached up to trace her delicate jawline as her friend had done to him mere moments before.

"You stopped dancing, Jess," he said, giving her his best impression of a puppy dog with big, sad eyes. Much how she looked just now. "That won't do."

Though she wanted to fight his hold over her, it was useless. Against her consent, she danced while he puppeteered her every move. Danced while she cried, while her big eyes grew wider and wider. The terror in them only intensified and yet they danced together, their bare feet gliding over the ashes of her friends. He picked her up and spun her in a circle, then dipped her like they did in the old films. When the tune over the speakers softened, they slow danced.

Hey now, I love it when it goes my way, my way...

He continued to spin her, going faster still, and then for shits and giggles he had her levitate in the air. Still powerless, still petrified, watching as he danced beneath her. With a flick of his wrist, she, too, was dead. He stepped back and watched as her ashes rained down onto the floor in front of him. He wiggled his toes to flick off the rest, then gathered some clothes from the owner's closet and dressed himself. Wasn't exactly custom tailored, but the suit would do.

When he strode through the door with the music following closely behind, the owner of the penthouse emerged in the hallway with a suitcase in hand and grabbed hold of his arm. Logan looked down in amusement.

"What the hell were you doing in my house?" he demanded. "Is that my suit?"

Logan smiled and pointed at the man in recognition. "Ah, right. You're the man in the photos. Beautiful family."

The man stared at him, his mouth opening and closing while he thought of what to say next. "Who the hell are you?"

Of course. Humans loved introductions. He extended his hand and kept on with the welcoming smile. "Logan. Pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Before the man could argue, his hand was already lifted and placed into Logan's. His grip became hotter and hotter still, and then it became an unforgiving fire. It enveloped the man quickly, his screams shrill and horrendous, and then there was nothing. Simply dust.

Logan shook out his suit, adjusted his sleeves, and wandered on to see what else New York had to offer.

Lochlan was just in the middle of chasing after one twin to put on their shoe, he had the kid finally on the ground and got the shoe on. His phone rang and he answered, the kid gave a kiss to his dad on the cheek and laughed then ran off. Lochlan just sits against the wall, he's been up since 5am. He sees Ryan's name on the phone, before he can even say hello he hears Ryan say to come over and they need to talk. Lochlan says I'll be right there.

He goes to find Davina, she is a big deal in this dimension. She helps with whatever she can, they even made an office for her in the house. He finds her there, typing away on a high tech computer. She's bent over as well, "As hot as this is, I need to go see Ryan. He usually isn't the dramatic one, but he's asked to speak to me about something..." Davina stands up and looks at Lochlan, she nods and says of course. She also reminds him to call Cillian back, he nods and off he went.

He shows up at the house, knocks and Ryan answers it after the first tap. He pulls Lochlan inside and shuts the door, Lochlan now looks at him like what the...., Ryan has the God sit down and he just spills it all. Finally, Ryan sits and says he needs a drink but it's only 9am. Lochlan gets up and hands him a whiskey, "It's 5pm somewhere..." Ryan nods and chugs it down. Lochlan sits, "So another demigod exists...., he's never reached out to us before."

Ryan poured himself another drink and shook his head. "That's why I've been racking my brain. If he was in a dark dimension, Niamh destroyed it. If he was their secret weapon, that would've been the time to bring him out."

He leaned back in his chair and looked at Lochlan. "My mother said he was evil, unlike anything we've ever seen. If he's that evil, maybe he isn't even after revenge in the sense that he was hurt by Niamh or that he cared for his people. Maybe it's just a matter of principle for him. Which, frankly, makes it worse."

The bottle was nearly empty. He'd been drinking a lot the past couple days. "Davina's party is in days, brother. I'm in over my head with this. Whatever you decide to do, I'm good with that."

Lochlan had no idea what to do. He did tell Caius first and foremost, he's always been good at tracking but he comes back days later saying he's found nothing. Concerned, he informs Davina and Niamh, Liam who still lives at home and listens to everything Lochlan tells him to do. He's a good kid.

Lochlan called Cillian a few times who was training in medicine to be a doctor, eventually. The kid was always very busy understandably. So, Lochlan left a message saying he would be dropping by some time Saturday at his dorm. He did just that. He knocked on the door and as it opened, he saw a very beautiful and curvaceous dirty blonde hair beauty. She smiled warmly, she was in a simple tshirt and jeans but it hugged her curves just right. "I'm here to see Cillian..." He couldn't say he was his father, Lochlan still looked like he was in his 20s. She nodded,"He said his older cousin was dropping by, my names Amy...come in." He does so, asking where is Cillian anyways and she says he went out to get milk and a few things. Lochlan looked around the room, he spotted a bra on the computer chair and Amy widened her eyes to toss it away quickly. "I take it you're his girlfriend...?" And she nods, "Yeah, I pinned him down eventually...he's so mysterious." Lochlan nods, "You're not wrong on that..."

It was a half hour later, Cillian walked in and saw his father laughing with Amy. Amy on the bed sitting down and Lochlan was in the computer chair. Both men see each other, Amy stands up and kisses him, says she has to go to her room. She leaves and Lochlan looks at Cillian, "A fine choice..."

Cillian nods, "I thought so..." He puts the groceries in the little mini fridge. Lochlan looks at him, "Says she finally pinned you down...?" Cillian hands his dad a beer, who takes it. "I was partying, studying snd just focusing on me..I was selfish, she made me see it differently. I like her a lot." Lochlan nods "What's not to like...."
They sat in silence, Lochlan looks at him "I won't take up much of your time, when you have that girl waiting for you but I did need to inform you..of something pretty alarming and to keep close watch about it." He tells him about the demigod situation. Cillian gasps, "No way..." Lochlan nods, "My sentiments exactly..."

Cillian looks at his dad,"You don't have to go, besides you're playing off as my cousin...lets go out, their is a local pub here all the students go too." They do so, play pool, father son time.

"So how is your cousin Irish? Did you not grow up together?"

Cillian looked back at Amy while she packed her things for the trip. She was his plus one for Davina's party, and more excited than ever for the chance to meet his family and party on the beach. He hated lying to her but the relationship was still in its early stages and telling her the truth would surely mean the end of it. "He grew up there, then moved to the States."

Amy nodded, satisfied with his answer. "Not gonna lie to you, babe. He's cute. Is the rest of your family this genetically blessed or does it end with you two?"

Cillian cringed. "Seriously?"

She walked behind him, newly bought swimsuits draped across her arm, and smacked his ass as she breezed by. "Don't act surprised. So am I finally going to meet your parents?"

Another lie. She already had. Still, he nodded. "Yep. You're gonna love them." He made a mental note to text Ryan and warn him first. He and Luke were the only ones who could pull off being old enough to be his father. Beyond that, it was simply a matter of who looked more similar to whom. Ryan would do.

She tossed him her suitcase and grabbed an extra for toiletries. He grunted and leaned to the side as if the bag was too heavy to lift, then gave her a lopsided smile. "You do realize we're only there for a few days, not a whole month?"

Amy snorted. "Shut up. I want to look good for your supermodel family. Take the bags to the car, will you?"

Cillian bowed his head like a humble servant. "Yes, ma'am. Anything else?"

She considered for a moment. "How about a coffee run? I'm gonna be a while."

This woman and her coffee. "You and Niamh are going to get along great. Double shot of espresso, extra foam?"

Amy strode toward him, all smiles, and pressed her hands to his chest. "You know me so well."

She gave him a peck on the lips. In return, she got a smack on the ass as payback for earlier. "I'll be back. Two hours till we're on the plane."

Amy knew he was telling her to hurry. "Yeah, yeah. I'll be quick."

Cillian hurried off, bags in the trunk, and waited in an obnoxiously long Friday morning line for coffee and donuts. When he returned, he heard the familiar sound of Amy's giggles, but didn't see her packing bags. He sighed, hoping she hadn't gotten distracted by a call from one of her girlfriends. He set the coffees down and checked the time. Just short of an hour until they needed to be at the airport.

"Babe? Got your coffee!"

More giggles, but no actual response. He set off through the dorm and stepped into the bedroom to find Amy wearing not a stitch of clothing, her long legs spread across the bed, her dazed eyes hooded and beckoning him closer. He also couldn't miss the naked man with his head nestled between her thighs.

The shock took a second to sink in. He shook his head, blinked, and listened as her laughter turned to moans. She didn't stop or jump off the bed or rush to defend herself. Instead she waved at him.

"Cillian! Come join us."

Just then, the man turned his head to look back at Cillian, his chin wet with her arousal, an animalistic grin baring a set of blinding white teeth. He wagged his finger at Amy in disapproval. "No can do, sweetheart. I draw the line at incest."

Cillian didn't know whether he was more confused, hurt, or plain angry. He settled for the latter. "Who the fuck are you?"

The man stood and began walking slowly towards him, not bothered by his nakedness in the slightest. "Oh, don't be mad at her. It's the charm. She couldn't help herself."

Cillian raged at the stranger, his fists clenched at his sides. "You have no fucking idea who you're messing with."

Logan laughed and looked back at Amy as if to say, Get a load of this guy. "He's just adorable, isn't he?"

Cillian met him with a punch to the face. A hit so hard that it would decimate a human being, but it didn't even stun the man in front of him. Logan laughed. "This is the reception I get? I finally get to meet you, cousin, and you hit me?"

He froze. "You-"

Logan grinned. "Ooh, you're almost there. Any second now."

Cillian took a step back, processing for the first time who his visitor was. "But how? I didn't even feel you."

Logan sighed. "Ah, right, I forgot. Allow me." He snapped his fingers, and just like that, his power was palpable. Pulsing. It filled the room, radiated outward, nearly knocked Cillian on his ass. He'd hidden it until now because he always loved a good surprise. The resulting horror on the boy's face was priceless.

Cillian had never felt power like that before. He was used to the feeling whenever he was around Niamh, was always aware of its strength, but this was something else entirely. Something menacing, awful, terrifying.

"Why are you here?" His voice shook, but he couldn't help it. Fighting would be useless.

Logan shrugged. "Call me sentimental. Never met anyone who shared blood with me. And hey, you're no Niamh, but it's an honor all the same. Pity it'll be so easy to kill you."

Cillian kept backing up until he was standing in the hallway, his back to the wall. "Why? Why now?"

Logan pursed his lips, shrugged, and threw up his hands. "Why not? That's the question. Tell you what? I'll let you fight for it."

Before he could think, he went for it. Cillian's fist collided with Logan's face again, his fingers desperately seeking flesh, trying to dig in wherever he could. Logan felt nothing. He pushed the man away, used his strength to throw him across the room, but then Logan simply hovered. He smiled, enjoying Cillian's struggle.

"I have so many plans, cousin. In fact, I think Amy here will help me out. I think she'd be delighted to." He floated back down, then made his way to the coffee and donuts on the counter. He bit into a Boston cream, moaned, and tossed the rest over his shoulder. "Hope you don't mind. I fucked her while you were out grabbing these."

Cillian ran at him again, tearing at flesh that refused to be marred, punching, kicking, flailing uselessly. Logan merely stood, laughing louder with each attempt.

"You just don't know when to give up, do you?"

Cillian was out of breath, his face twisted with rage. "You might kill me, but you're making a mistake coming for my sister. She'll fucking end you."

Logan chortled and responded with a condescending quirk of his brow. "Will she, though?"

He let the boy fight a little more, and when he was fed up, he ended his life with one quick punch. Right through the neck. Tearing through flesh, arteries, his weak little spine, coating his fist and forearm with the blood of Niamh's beloved little brother. His head rolled on the floor and stopped when it reached the edge of the living room rug.

Amy watched from the other side of the room, too under his spell to be affected.

"You play any sports, dear? You've got the body of an athlete."

Amy beamed, happy for the compliment. "Played soccer in high school. I was the captain."

Logan grinned. "Fucking fantastic. Catch!"

He sent Cillian's head flying toward her with an expert kick in her direction. She caught it in her arms like a pro football player, her boyfriend's blood smearing across her stomach and dripping down her legs.

He strolled toward her and pressed his lips against hers. "You've been a doll, Amy. I have one last job for you."

All too eager to please him, she nodded. "Anything for you."