Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
“What are you doing out here?” Clancy shook Nox awake, startling him from a lovely dream about Nelson.
“We were at the cabin and it was morning, like this,” he said, bleary as he scrubbed his burning eyes with his palms. He longed to be there now with Nelson.
Clancy sighed as he lowered onto the terrace steps next to Nox. “Why are you sleeping outside?”
“I couldn’t sleep. I was in the study and came out to see the sunrise and nodded off. Any news?” he asked hopefully but Clancy shook his head.
“Jeff brought doughnuts and bagels, but I don’t think that was what you were waiting for. I passed the twins on their way out for a run and asked them to fetch me a paper. I’d like to have one for my journal.”
That made Nox grin and as he tried to guess Bryn’s response. “Dad would get such a kick out of Bryn. He’d love all of this but I think Dad and Bryn would have been instant best friends if they could have met.”
“Probably.” Clancy laughed fondly. “He never thought being a MacIlwraith was all that special either and that it was wasted on the two of you. You’re both such pacifists.”
“Nah. I think that’s why it was supposed to be me.”
Clancy turned to Nox, visibly shaken. “You’ve finally accepted it?” he asked and Nox stuck out his tongue.
“I didn’t have a choice, did I? All I can do is find silver linings and make the best of it.”
“That’s not true at all,” Clancy said angrily. “You can tame this thing and turn it into whatever you want it to be or you can succumb and turn into the monster you fear.”
“How do you know?”
A loud laugh burst from Clancy. “When have you ever done what you were told?” he asked as he wiped his eyes. “For that matter, when have you ever succumbed to anything? Whoever this is, seeking silver linings and settling for whatever he’s given, it’s not the young man I helped raise.”
“It’s getting harder to hear him these days, Clance.
” Nox leaned against Clancy’s side, utterly depleted after hours of restless torment.
“Especially at night. I get so angry and I feel so lost and the only thing that stops me from breaking and letting the god take over is Nelson. It would feel so good and all of this would be over if I gave in, but I know that’s not what he wants. ”
“It’s not what you want either. Not our Nox.” Clancy kissed his hair and hugged his shoulders.
“Your Nox wants a mostly normal life with Nelson but I guess that’s too much to ask.”
“I hate to be the one to tell you, but it is,” Clancy said gently. “We’ve all made sacrifices. Really terrible sacrifices. But we all knew it was worth it when we realized you were the one from the prophecy and you could break it.”
Nox was deeply humbled but it would never be worth it to him. “I don’t know if I can live up to your expectations.”
“You already have.” Clancy gave him another squeeze. “I don’t care if Lucas can see you right now or if he sees you every night in your dreams, I tell him every day how proud I am of you and that we raised you right.”
Nox covered his eyes when they started to sting and water. “Oh, no! You can’t make me cry after the night I’ve had. My eyeballs are going to shrivel up and turn into eyeball raisins and fall out.”
“That’s…too graphic for this early in the morning.”
“You started it,” Nox returned, making Clancy smile.
“And I regret it. Eyeball raisins… Merlin could probably do something about that,” he said and they turned when they heard a commotion in the foyer.
Clancy was the first through the door and held Nox back when the cats streaked past them and a high, yet gruff voice berated someone. “Get off me, ya fuckin’ hairy cunt!”
“Whoa!” Nox hurried around Clancy. “Language! There is an Everly in this house!” he said but had to bite down on a knuckle as Bryn struggled to hold onto a very, very small, very angry man.
He couldn’t have been more than three-feet-tall and had miniature, doll-like features, but a large, unlit cigar was clamped between its itty, bitty brown teeth.
He was a grimy, swinging, spluttering terror.
His once bright, wild orange hair was faded and filthy and his long, thin, pointed ears were coated in dirt and slime.
The glowing blue eyes were a dead giveaway. Or, an undead giveaway.
Bryn had caught a cursed púca1. “Aye? Jump up yer own arse, why don’t ya?” The irate little imp kicked his feet at Nox. “Unhand me, ya great, mangy mutt or I’ll cut yer bollocks off and shove ‘em in yer gob.”
Arawn was in the doorway and fighting for his life, his face was red and he looked like he was going to explode at any moment as he watched his brother wrestle the púca.
“Go ahead and laugh, doppelf?nger. I’m gonna rip his doggie dong off and bash yer fuckin’ head in with it,” he shouted at Arawn, then let out a shrieking “Ah! Fuck yer mam, ya cheatin’ flea bag!” when Bryn twisted the púca’s arm behind his back.
“Why?” Nox asked them.
The púca had several awful suggestions so Merlin stuffed a handkerchief in his mouth. “Bryn?” Merlin prodded.
“Right. We got around the corner and I caught a whiff of something foul.” he said, grunting and clutching his gut when it was elbowed. “We doubled back and found this moldy turnip in your neighbor’s trash can.” he said and there was a muffled “Fuck off” or “Fuck you” from the púca.
“Ew.” Nox drew back. “Did you have to bring him into my house?”
“Wasn’t putting him in our van and we couldn’t tie him up in the yard and risk him getting away,” Bryn explained and dodged another elbow jab.
Nox’s face twisted when the púca kicked off his oversized boot, releasing a plume of noxious fumes. “That part, I get, but it’s still not helping me understand the into my house part.” He turned to Merlin. “What do we do with him?”
“Kill him?” Merlin suggested too quickly. “This could explain how a certain someone has been spying on us. Púca’s are uncanny in their ability to hear things from great distances, especially things they should not hear.”
Nox stomped his foot. “Merlin. We are supposed to be the good guys! And he might have information he should not share with us,” he added out of the side of his mouth.
Merlin brightened. “I see! I have a birdcage in my bag somewhere that should hold him. It’s enchanted so we won’t hear a peep out of him while he’s inside and the door’s closed.
We can keep it out back, or in the basement, or I could lose it in my bag, or an incinerator…
” he mused, causing the púca to howl behind the handkerchief.
“Hurry and find that cage, Merlin,” Nox said without taking his eyes off the púca. “I have a trick I’ve been working on that I’d like to try out.” He held out his hand and a blue flame leaped from his palm.
The púca managed to break free and dove at Nox’s feet, his muffled whimpers filling the foyer. All of Nox’s guests were awake and had come out of their rooms in various states of dress to watch from the gallery and the stairs.
Nox lowered and took hold of the handkerchief but didn’t remove it. “Ten words or less and I will kill you if you lie to me.” He raised his brows, warning the púca and pulled it out when he nodded.
“Dùbhghlas made me spy on ya! I don’t—” he blurted out quickly, then stopped and his head bounced as he silently counted. “know…nothin’.”
“That’s a given. I want something better.” Nox opened his hand quickly next to the púca’s face, making him jump.
He nodded and his mouth moved as he chose his next words carefully. “I’m supposed to report back if ya leave the house.”
“Come on! What else would you tell him? How many times we order takeout?” Nox shook his head at Clancy. “I know púca are supposed to be annoying and thick as bog water, but I’m losing patience with this little turd.”
“Dùbhghlas has a new secret camp but I haven’t been!” the pu?a said in a hasty babble.
“We already know about the camp,” Nox said with a bored sigh, then glanced at the door when Merlin returned with a large birdcage. It was almost as tall as the púca and Merlin was breathless as he backed into the room with it.
“Here we are!”
Nox widened his eyes and gasped excitedly. “Just in time. You can do whatever you wish with him, Merlin. The púca has nothing to tell us.”
“Oi!” He winced and muttered under his breath about wasting words. “The warlock wants to know why yer not dyin’!”
“Now, we’re getting somewhere! Tell me more about that.” Nox whipped around and crouched in front of the púca. “You can use as many words as you want but I’ll still kill you if you lie to me.”
The púca nodded quickly. “Dùbhghlas said he was expectin’ you to break and beg. He wants to know how you look and if you’re preparin’ for something big.”
“And how do I look to you?” Nox asked him in a threatening purr.
“Good? Like a motherfuckin’ prince?” the púca returned hopefully. “Dùbhghlas also said he’s havin’ trouble with something he stole from you. He thought he could break it but it’s been a pain in his arse.”
“That’s our Nelson!” Merlin pumped his fist before he swiped at his cheek.
Nox felt tears pricking his eyes again but he was appreciative as he stood and gestured at the cage as Merlin opened the square door on its side. “In you go! I’m going to give you a choice, since you were so cooperative.”
The púca made it very clear that he was not happy as he bent and climbed inside, then sat on the small golden swing. He crossed his arms over his chest and huffed out an indignant “Well?”
“Think very carefully,” Nox said while planting his hands on his knees and looking the púca directly in the eye.
“Remember: once Merlin closes that door, no one will hear a peep out of you so there’s no going back.
” He waited until he received a petulant nod.
“Okay! We can deliver you to wherever it is that you’re meeting Dùbhghlas when you report back to him, or Merlin can burn your rotten little ass when he’s incinerating the rest of the cursed objects he’s gathered this month. ”
The púca snickered. “It won’t do you any good to wait for Dùbhghlas. He travels like a demon now and won’t show up if he knows I’m being watched,” the púca said. “Do you have any idea what he’s gonna do to me?”
Nox held up his hands and shrugged. “You can take your chances and tell him all about how I’m not dying and losing my mind or planning a mystical rampage.”
Boy, was Nox lying but the púca couldn’t tell.
“Don’t send me back! I was just doin’ my job.
A job that I didn’t even want but Dùbhghlas won’t send any of his precious fuckin’ ‘children,’” he said with a sneer.
“Who the fuck did this to me, then? Tossed me out because I can’t do nothin’ special and I’m not big enough to do any damage.
I’m just an errand boy he sends to spy on you and that arsehole who works at the Hoover Building. ”
“On second thought…” Nox narrowed his eyes at the púca threateningly. How dare he call Nelson an arsehole?
“No harm intended, mate!” the púca waved his hands. “I’m sure he’s a prince too. Looks like he irons his boxers but maybe that’s your thing.”
Nox nodded. “It is and I’m running out of patience with you. What will it be? You can go into the fire with the rest of the cursed trash or you can deliver your report to Dùbhghlas as planned.”
“I’ll take my chances with Dùbhghlas,” was the púca’s final decision.
He was fuming when Nox stood and slapped the top of the cage. “Close her up and put a big bow on it once this little shit gives you an address,” he said, then went to see what he could find to eat. Nox was hungry for the first time in over a week.