Chapter 20
While Lyric is having bath time with Temp, Kean changes River’s nappy, then lays the baby down for his nap. I pop to my home office. I need to check my messages and emails, and there is still some work I need to pass over to Daniel.
I log onto my computer and send the relevant documents to Daniel with notes attached. I reply to a couple of queries, copying in Daniel so he can deal with them.
I listen to my messages. I have a couple I can just delete.
Then I listen to one from Monica about the funeral, which will be on Thursday.
She said she would text me the details. The last message is from an unknown number, which was just heavy breathing.
I delete it, pretty sure someone just butt dialled me.
Lastly, I check my text messages and see that Daniel has sent me pictures of his two little nieces. I attach pictures of the boys and the grass video.
I read the message from Monica with more funeral details, and reply, saying we’ll be there.
The last message is from an unknown number. There is just a bloody knife, a candle, and a vial of what looks like blood. I look at it for a while, wondering who could have sent me such a picture. The only people that hate me that much are Elizabeth, Norris and Septamus.
My money is on Septamus. If it is, he has no magic, unless he bought spells from the dark web or aligned himself with another dark witch. I close my messages down. I would delete the picture, but I need to warn Kean. If Septamus is after me, I don’t want him harming the boys.
I leave my office and walk towards our bedroom when Temp comes stomping out, the front of him soaking wet. I burst out laughing. “Have fun with the water demon?”
“You could have warned me. I think I ended up wetter than Lyric,” he gripes.
I wave my hand and dry him off. “You know you could have dried yourself off, right?”
“Yes, I did know that, but I just wanted to show you why I won’t be bathing my nephew anytime soon.”
“Poor Unk Emp, but you’ll bathe him again, admit it, you had fun,” I say with fake sympathy, before turning serious. “Temp, has Cassie said anything about hearing from Septamus?”
Temp frowns. “He’s not said anything to me. Why? Has he contacted you?”
“I don’t know. I got a weird picture from an unknown number. Pretty sure it’s something he would send.”
Temp holds his hand out. “Let me see.”
I open the message up and show Temp.
“What the hell!” He exclaims, looking at it. “I know Molly gave the boys necklaces, but have you given them the protection rune?”
I shake my head. “Not yet, but I will soon as I see them.”
“Send me this picture. No matter if Septamus sent it or someone else, everyone needs to know, so we can be on guard. We have children that need protecting, especially yours.”
I forward the picture on. “Give me ten minutes, I need to let Kean know first.”
Temp pulls me into a hug. “We’ll keep you all safe, Bro.”
I hug him back. “Thanks.”
I watch Temp hurry off and go into our bedroom. River is still asleep, and I see now Lyric is as well.
“Bath time with Temp wore him out,” I comment.
“Yep. I don’t know who had more fun, our son or our brother,” Kean says, grinning. Then the grin falls off his face. “What has you worried?”
“This.” I hand my phone over.
“What the hell! Do you know who sent it?”
“Not a hundred percent, but my money is on Septamus.”
“If I see your brother, whether he sent this or not, I’m punching him in the face.”
“I’ll hold him down for you. Temp suggests I give the boys the protection rune. I’ll do that when they wake up.”
He hands me my phone back. “Honey, whether this is from your brother or not, everyone needs to know, we need all the children protected.”
“Temp’s on the case, he is letting everyone know.”
Kean pulls me into his arms. “We’ll deal with whatever’s coming the way we always do. You witches do your thing, and we wolves will rip him to bits.”
I hug him close. “If whoever it is goes after the boys, there won’t be anything left of them for you to rip apart,” I point out.
He kisses the side of my head. “Do the boys need to be awake for you to rune them?”
“No. I’ll do it now,” I pull back and walk over to River. I gently touch his head, the only part of him that’s visible, and imagine the rune, my magic pushing it into him. It does the same for Lyric when I touch his hand. “Done.”
Just then, both our phones ping. I bet that’s Temp.
Kean pulls his phone out and looks. “Family meeting in the kitchen, now.”
We walk into the kitchen and see everyone is there, including Molly, Ebby, Sly and the boys. John must be covering the bookshop as both Alfred and Ernest are sat at the table, and Nix doesn’t open Sundays; he and Sal sometimes go in on Sundays to create art, but they are both seated at the table.
Sly grins. “Who do I get to hex?”
I laugh as I sit down. “It’s a good job we know you.”
Sly shrugs. “I’m happy to take one for the team.”
“We’ve all seen the picture,” Adhan says. “What do you want us to do?”
I sigh. “There’s nothing to do for the moment. It might not even be from Septamus. I’ve given the boys the protection rune. Does Connie, Nora and the boys have it?”
Sal nods. “Yeah, the week she was born.”
“Nix gave it to me when everyone was getting protected,” Nora says.
“Me and Enoch have it as well,” Xander adds.
“Good,” Molly says, looking around the table. “I will inform the town witches that danger could be coming to town. It might be wise when you next update the wards, to ask them to keep Septamus out.”
“We can do that,” Ernest says.
I look at Cassie, who’s sat there looking pensive. “Cass, are you okay?” I ask him gently.
He nods. “I’m pretty sure it is from Septamus.”
“Do you know something?” Temp asks.
Cassie sighs, pulls his phone out of his pocket and clicks through before handing it to me.
I look at the picture. A bloody knife. I look up at my brother.
“Keep scrolling, there’s more.”
I hold the phone so Kean can see and flick through the pictures, all along the same lines, with the last one being the same picture I was sent. There are literally hundreds of them.
“Damn, Cass, why didn’t you say something?” Kean asks, looking at him.
“I didn’t want anyone to worry,” he whispers.
Sion looks at Cassie, looking hurt, but doesn’t say anything.
Adhan holds his hand out, and I pass him Cassie’s phone so he can see them.
“Cass, is this what you’ve been dealing with since before Halloween?” Ernest asks, looking at the pictures.
Cass nods.
“Cass, you should have told us,” Temp says, hitting him on the arm.
“Ouch,” Cass grumbles, rubbing it. “I tried blocking the number, but he keeps changing it. Short of changing my number, I’ve just tried to ignore them, but it’s hard.”
I look at Ebby, Sly and the boys. “Septamus is Cass’ brother and half-brother to Temp and me. Not sure Septamus knows about Temp though. He gave most of his magic away to Tarek Jolliffe. Then what was left I bound.”
“He’s the one that had the house ward tied to him, right?” Ebby asks.
“Yeah that’s him.” Temp confirms.
“Gah, the Jolliffe witches are pathetic. Tarek was the only one with any real magic,” Sly says.
“And Justice and I have Tarek’s magic now,” Sal says.
“So, the witches will redo the wards, Molly will update the town witches, and we all look after the children. Titus, Kean, Sal, Jude, when you take the babies out, make sure you have someone with you. No going out with less than two of us, and at least one a witch. Nora, I don’t want you going anywhere outside of the house alone.
I know you sometimes go to John and Jodie’s on your own, but I want someone dropping you off and bringing you home.
I’ll talk to them later. Xander, Enoch, I’m certain Septamus doesn’t know you’ve joined the family, but again, no going anywhere alone,” Adhan says.
“We won’t,” they both promise.
“Adhan, if the town wards are going to be changed to keep this Septamus out, why do we need to be with someone when we go out?” Nora asks, looking confused. “He won’t be able to get in.”
“It’s better to be safe than sorry,” Adhan replies.
“Also, if he is using dark magic or someone around him is using it, dark magic can always find a way in,” Sly says.
“Like it did with that demon and the unicorn, or the stick and ribbon,” Nix reminds her.
She leans into Cam and fingers her necklace. “Okay.”
There is a sniffing noise by the kitchen door, and I look to see Lyric standing there, trying not to cry, and rubbing his eyes.
I’m up and out of my chair before Kean can even move, and pick him up. “Did you escape again?” I ask him softly.
He nods and leans into me. “Tus, I scar.”
“What scared you?” I ask, walking back to my chair and sitting down.
“Car bump, mama, dada cry.”
“You dreamt about the car accident?” Kean asks him.
Lyric nods and wipes his face on my top. I really need to break him of that habit.
“You and your brother are safe now,” Kean tells him gently, holding his hand.
“Mama, dada.”
“I know you miss them, Lyric,” I say, kissing his head.
I hear a chair move, and Xander is suddenly standing next to us, one hand behind his back.
“Der,” Lyric said, looking at him, with tear-filled eyes.
“Hey, little cousin,” he says, kneeling down. “Enoch and I brought you something. Do you want to see?”
Lyric nods.
Xander brings his hand forward, and I see he’s holding a stuffed wolf that looks exactly like Kean.
“Doggy,” Lyric says, holding his hands out.
“It’s a wolf,” Xander tells him.
“Oof,” Lyric says.
“Wolf,” Xander corrects.
“Oof,” Lyric repeats.
Xander laughs and hands it to him. “Close enough. It’s Kean’s wolf. If you press his tummy, he growls.”
Lyric does, and a growl is heard. Lyric laughs and does it again. Then he leans forward as far as he can, with me holding him secure, and pokes Kean in the tummy. Kean growls, making everyone laugh.
“Say thank you,” I prompt him.
Lyric smiles. “Fank Der, Nox,”
“We really need to toddler-proof the stairs,” Jude says. “I bet Lyric is giving Connie ideas.”
“Yeah, she keeps trying to crawl, soon she’ll be walking,” Sal says, looking at his daughter.
“They grow up so fast,” Emily says, sounding wistful.
Lyric and Xander are playing with the wolf when Lyric stops and tilts his head. “Ver sad.”
Kean jumps up and rushes out of the room, and I hear him running up the stairs.
I look at Molly. “Molly, any idea why Lyric can tell what’s going on with River? In all my research on Kitsunes, I don’t remember reading about them doing that.”
Molly drums her fingers on the table for a moment. “I think it might be because of their shared trauma, but I will have to do some research. I don’t know much about Kitsune shifters.”
“Thanks,” I say as Kean walks in with River. Who is awake and slightly grizzling.
I click my fingers, and River’s dummy appears in my hand. “Here,” I say, passing it to Kean.
“Thanks,” he pops it into the baby’s mouth. “He’s calming down now,” Kean holds River close.
Xander bops Lyric on the nose with the wolf. “You’re an awesome big brother.”
“Luv Ver,” Lyric says, as if that answers everything.
Kean sits back down, holding River. “While everyone is here. How about Easter Monday for the wedding?”
I look at Kean and raise a brow as we’ve not discussed the wedding date yet.
“If that’s okay with you, honey?” Kean asks, too much laughter.
“Easter Monday is fine,” I reply, grinning at him. I look at the family. “Is that all right with everyone?”
“Yep, we just needed the date,” Temp says.
“I might need to send some invites out, but only to a couple of people,” I say. “Just Monica and her husband, Daniel, and possibly Justin.”
“I finally get to meet the famous Daniel,” Kean says, grinning.
“You’ll probably meet him before the wedding. The funeral is Thursday. Monica sent the details through earlier,” I drop a kiss on Lyric’s head.
“I can honestly say I’m not looking forward to it,” Kean says, “and I didn’t even know them.”
“Me either. It’s a shame neither of them had any family apart from the boys,” I look at Kean. “Maybe we should take both.”
“If you take both, Sly and I can come with you; we can watch your back.” Ebby offers.
“Thanks, we’ll let you know,” Kean replies.
“If you do go, Xander, Enoch, you can both come here,” Emily says.
“Thanks,” Sly says
“So that’s the wedding taken care of. We need to decide about River’s naming ceremony and a welcome to the family for Lyric,” Kean says.
“Everything is going to be amazing,” Ernest says happily.