Page 32 of The Night Vision
Niall shuddered and rubbed his arms. “This part always creeps me out. He’s…on the other line,” he whispered to them.
Smoak’s eyes turned soft green a moment later and he smiled at Nox. “We’ll have a full report in a few hours.”
“Excellent!” Nox said and rubbed his hands together. “You two can have the other guest room since Tighe’s staying with Silas. I’m inviting the whole team for dinner so I need to order enough food to feed an army.”
“Come upstairs with me, Niall. I want to do a few tests,” Merlin said as he gathered Niall and ushered him from the room. He stopped Smoak when he attempted to follow them. “We’ll be working in Nox’s bathroom and you won’t be able to enter his chambers. His bedroom and bathroom are sanctifiedby decades of powerful white witches. That is his sanctuary and filled withgoodmagick.”
“Fine,” Smoak huffed and dropped back onto the arm of the sofa.
“You won’t find comfort in his kitchen either,” Merlin said with feigned regret. “Too many years of white magick and casting has gone on in there.”
“Thank you for the warning,” Smoak said, bowing his head, then gesturing for them to go.
Nelson was tucking his notepad inside his coat. “I’ll put the extra leaf in the dining room table and find more chairs. It’s going to be a full house.”
“I think I’ll give Merlin a hand,” Nox called as he backed out of the room behind Nelson. “I have a feeling you could use a moment to clear the air,” he said and closed the study doors behind them.
Silas tossed a hand at the door. “We don’t need to clear the air. I’m happy for you…Smoak, and I can’t see any reason why this would be awkward. I have Tighe now, and his safety is my first priority.”
“Wonderful!” Smoak said as he held out his hand but Silas eyed it warily and pushed his hands into his pockets. “Still feeling sore about your office and those emails, I see.”
“Nope,” Silas said tightly. “It’s all been cleared up and everything’s worked out for the best as far as I’m concerned.”
“I’m glad to hear it.” Smoak turned his focus on Tighe, grinning. “And I’m intrigued by this arrangement. I thought the sun god was playing matchmaker because he felt sorry for you but this might not be about Niall.”
“This has nothing to do with Niall,” Silas said with absolute certainty, smiling at Tighe. “And it has nothing to do with Nox. It was just fate and I knew it the moment we met.”
“How romantic,” Smoak drawled, making Silas’s skin crawl.
“He’s better than you,” Tighe said as he tipped back his chin. “Niall chose poorly but I’m grateful.”
A cackle erupted from Smoak. “That makes two of us, Ossor,” he said, then made a thoughtful sound. “The sun god has added a pair of wolves to his entourage, not that I should be surprised. He is the Lord of Wild Things and dogs and wolves were always his natural companions.”
“A pair?” Silas shook his head and pointed at Tighe. “He’s the one who’s supposed to have werewolves in his family tree. My ancestorsmighthave been those fianna people Nox keeps mentioning,” he clarified but Smoak shook his head.
“That one’sspecial,” he agreed as he studied Tighe. “There’s wild fae magick in his blood and his spirit is almost as feral as a wolf’s. It wouldn’t take much to turn that spirit into something vicious if Dùbhghlas can kill him and twist his soul.”
“I won’t let that happen,” Silas vowed, earning a nod from Smoak.
“You won’t,” he agreed. “Not because you’re a boy scout with a badge, but because of that fian blood running in your veins. You have a loyal, relentless soul and you’re a natural hunter. The two of you have bonded and when a wolf finds its mate, it’s for life.”
That certainly tracked and explainedso much.
Smoak hummed thoughtfully. “This could be a heartwarming love story, if we all survive the metamorphosis.”
“The metamorphosis?” Silas asked, only to receive a cryptic grin as Smoak turned and headed for the study doors.
“We are witnessing the rise of a new god. Let us hope the man in him can handle the transition or the god could wipe us all out,” he explained and left them withthatgrim possibility to ponder.
Chapter Fourteen
The townhouse was filled with outsiders by dinner time. After hearing the twins and Everly mentioned, it was nice to finally put faces to their names but it was immediately obvious to Tighe that they were not average outsiders. Tall and handsome with dark features and soft green eyes, Bryn and Arawn carried themselves like hounds, prowling confidently with their mates. Meanwhile, Everly Wells wassmall. Not short or like a child, but like a slightly miniature human with a delicately beautiful face.
His eyes were alarming and a giveaway that he was not human. They were large for his face and were like deep, black wells. Tighe was fascinated and found Everly to be incredibly gentle but kept a distance on account of his unnatural eyes.
Tighe really liked Arawn’s husband, Fletcher. He was a human and doctor who examined the dead for the police, Silas had explained. That seemed like a difficult and unpleasant job to Tighe but the older man had a big, warm smile and an easy laugh. With short-trimmed gray hair, glasses, and a competent demeanor, it made sense when he gravitated toward Nelson and Silas and it wasn’t long before the three of them had their heads together and were discussing tests and databases.
Eventually, Merlin announced that dinner was ready and everyone gathered in the dining room. Many were holding glasses of whiskey and there was some confusion and jostling until everyone found a seat at the table.
