Page 50 of The Night Vision
“A trough of soup, if ye’ve got one.”
“I’ll get Merlin right on it,” Nox said, then left them.
“He’s an odd one, but he’s not so bad,” Eoin noted and Tighe nodded.
“Nox is very good.”
“He’s great,” Silas agreed, then excused himself so the brothers could have some time alone.
Nox was at the linen closet, putting away a stack of clean towels. It had only been a few hours since they finished operating on Eoin but everything within the townhouse was back in order. Silas could hear voices and laughter in the kitchen and smelled coffee and breakfast being prepared.
“So, what now?” Silas asked Nox as he closed the closet’s doors and leaned against it.
“I was thinking of asking Smoak if he could take Eoin home and save him the trauma of traveling by automobile.”
Silas nodded. “That’s probably a good idea, if Smoak will do it.”
“Eh!” Nox made a dismissive gesture. “I’ll get Niall to ask him. All he has to do is bat his lashes and Smoak turns to goo.”
“I can hear you!” A deep voice bellowed all around them.
Nox flashed Silas a wide, cheeky smile. “Then, I was thinking we’d help you and Niall with your dream houses.”
“Oh.” Silas was touched. He was looking forward to doing most of it himself but it was nice to know that plenty of help was available if he needed it. “That’s great, but I meant what do we do about Dùbhghlas?”
“Dùbhghlas?” Nox’s neck craned. “What is there to do?”
“Umm… Go after him and finish things once and for all while he’s badly injured and scared. Tighe caught Dùbhghlas by surprise and while he was getting his bearings. Don’t give him time to heal and get stronger,” Silas suggested but Nox shook his head.
“Whether we intended to or not, we’ve helped Dùbhghlas achieve a threefold death. I was afraid of that and I don’t want to risk another tactical error. Let’s leave him to seethe and stew—deal with the consequences—while weliveand grow happier and stronger.”
“I can’t believe you’d allow him to continue, knowing he’s plotting against you.”
Nox raised a brow. “Do you think he’s the only one who’s plotting against me?” he whispered. “I’m certain Smoak is currently planning my downfall.” He looked at the ceiling and waited but there was no confirmation. Nox shrugged. “What would I be if I annihilated everyone who was plotting against me? A tyrant,” he answered with a gag. “If we’re lucky, Dùbhghlas will have learned his lesson and will find something better to do with his time.”
“Like pickleball?” Silas offered sarcastically. “I don’t know what that is but I saw an ad in the park. Do you seriously think Dùbhghlas is going to let this go?”
“No, but I have to give him a chance to see the error of his ways. If not, I become the thing that must be stopped,” Nox explained.
“I see…”
Suddenly, Silas did see and understood why Nox wasn’t in a hurry to confront Dùbhghlas and looked rattled every time someone mentioned a Hunt. He was already fighting a battle, resisting the godly inclination to rise and hold dominion over all his light touched. To most men, the call would be irresistible butNox cherished his human life and Nelson more than he wanted power. That was why he was thegoodgod, described in many of the myths and legends Silas had read while at the townhouse.
Being a professor, an investigator, and a man in love were the pinnacle for Nox and he wanted the same peace and satisfaction for the people he cared about. The introduction had been rocky and it had taken some adjustment on Silas’s part, but he felt honored to be included in Nox’s strange family. He was even beginning to like Smoak as crazy as that seemed.
“Don’t get carried away,” Nox said as he patted Silas’s arm. “But it’s great having you and Tighe on the team.”
“I’ve changed my mind,” Silas said with a glare.
“No, you haven’t!” Nox replied and tapped his temple as he pushed away from the linen closest and headed for the stairs. “I’ll ask Nelson to look into this pickleball. Maybe we can start a family league.”
“That would be great,” Silas called after him, laughing as he headed for his and Tighe’s room.
It had only been a few weeks since Nox and Nelson arrived on Silas’s doorstep but his entire life had changed in ways that no one could have predicted. But then, who could haveeverpredicted that there would be demons, demigods, changelings, and hellhounds to befriend and warlocks to battle? There had been moments when Silas had wondered if he was still cursed, but now he felt blessed by fate and couldn’t wait for the next adventure.
Epilogue
The following spring…
