Chapter 13 #2
They were shown into the study and it was surprising how much Silas had changed since he had last seen them.
He had heard that Nelson and Nox, along with their friends, were helping Niall plan his eco-friendly dream house and acclimate after years of hiding on a lonely summit in Shenandoah National Park.
He no longer looked like a man who needed to be saved and Silas was happy to see Niall glowing and thriving.
Perhaps Silas was imagining it, but there was a true aura of happiness around Niall. “Hey, Shelby! What are you doing here?” he asked excitedly. He was as sweet and open as always but the demon looked concerned and extremely uncomfortable as he perched on the armrest next to Niall.
“Nox and Nelson asked me to help them find someone. This is Tighe,” Silas said as he put an arm around Tighe.
“It’s nice to meet you!” Niall said with a cheerful wave but Tighe was staring at Smoak.
Tighe’s nose wrinkled—the way it usually did when he didn’t like something—and he leaned close so he could whisper out of the side of his mouth to Silas. “I would have picked you.”
“Thanks,” Silas whispered back, winking before turning to Niall. “Are you okay? You said something scary happened?”
Smoak cleared his throat, looking around the room and ducking as if something was swarming around his head. “Can we make this quick? Despite MacIlwraith’s welcome, the ambiance isn’t exactly…cozy,” he said tightly, making Merlin chuckle.
“There’s only so much you and Nox can do to counteract decades of strong warding and counter-hexes.”
“We’ll work on that,” Nox said dismissively, lowering to a knee in front of Niall. “You seem…different, but you’re obviously healthy and happy. What’s the problem?”
Niall laughed nervously. “I’m great. That’s the problem. My line frayed and snapped while I was saying goodbye to my secret salamander spot yesterday evening. I broke my leg and my left arm was covered in road rash.”
“You broke your leg and injured your arm?” Nelson repeated slowly, raising a curious brow.
“Yup!” Niall nodded. “Cenn was going to fly me to the nearest hospital but everything had healed in seconds.”
“No way!” Nox whispered breathlessly and popped up onto his feet.
Merlin’s jaw hung for several moments before he gave himself a shake. “Check his soul, Nox! See if he still has all of it.”
Smoak’s face twisted. “Go ahead. His soul is intact,” he said and Nox nodded.
“It’s even stronger and clearer than it was before.”
“Told you,” Smoak muttered at Merlin but Nox held up a finger.
“He is different, though. I can feel it.”
“Let me see,” Merlin said as he went to Niall and caught his chin, studying the younger man intently. “I have never encountered a nephilim but I would wager they were very similar to this,” he murmured as he studied Niall.
“No!” Smoak shook his head and laughed. “It doesn’t work like that. When a demon mates with a human you get a baby succubus or an incubus,” he reminded them.
“If the human is capable of reproducing!” Nox shook his head at Smoak. “I warned you that something would happen. That much exposure to magick will change Niall and it has to manifest in some way when you mate.”
“But why would he turn into a nephilim? I’m not an angel,” Smoak pointed out, making Merlin snicker.
“You most certainly aren’t but it would appear that your magick cannot alter the nature of Niall’s soul, only make it stronger,” he explained and Nox cheered.
“It’s better than that!” he said as he gave Niall’s hair an affectionate ruffle. “If Merlin’s right, you could absorb enough of Smoak’s magick to live for a really long time. You might even gain a few of his powers.”
Niall shook his head. “I don’t want all of that. I’d like a long life with Cenn, but a long human life. I don’t want to live for hundreds of years or forever.”
“Then you two should probably stop having so much sex and spend a lot less time together,” Merlin said slowly, causing Niall to draw back.
He chewed on his lip, still shaking his head. “I can’t live without Cenn and I don’t want to go back to being alone.”
“You won’t!” Smoak vowed, putting a possessive arm around him. “If they’re right, this could be a good thing. You get to decide how long we have, instead of worrying that your heart will stop or you’ll get sick.”
Merlin humphed in agreement. “You’re lucky this isn’t hurting you.” He cast a mournful look at Nox and sighed. “But we should keep a close eye on you in case something more ominous happens.”
“I like that idea,” Nox said as he nodded.
“I don’t. I’d like to leave,” Smoak interrupted but Nox flailed a hand, ignoring him.
“You can deal with the discomfort and I told you, you and I can work on that later. We have plenty of room and your timing is perfect. We’ve stumbled upon Hugh Dùbhghlas’s latest scheme and we could use a second opinion,” he told Smoak and the demon hitched a brow back at him.
“I told you before, I’m not taking sides in this feud.”
Nox held up his hands. “You don’t have to. But hypothetically speaking and just as an academic or an intellectual exercise… What do you think Dùbhghlas would do if he got his hands on an Ossor? A really strong one,” he added and Smoak whistled loudly as he honed in on Tighe and nodded.
“He could do a lot with a strong Ossor… But if I had to guess, Dùbhghlas would kill him and resurrect him into something that can fight a hellhound and that mutant pixie of yours.”
“Fuck!” Silas whispered and Smoak nodded.
“I’d be worried too and I’d keep him here, out of Dùbhghlas’s reach. How did you find him before Dùbhghlas? Your oracle?” he guessed but Nox pointed at Silas and Nelson.
“All Tony gave us was a vision of some remains in a stream to work with. Shelby found the location and gave Nelson enough to put out a BOLO for a missing hiker with Tighe’s description.”
Niall gasped. “That’s brilliant, Shelby!”
“It was,” Nox agreed and flashed Smoak a wide smile and batted his eyelashes. “I need a favor, Smoak.”
“No.” He shook his head, then stopped when Niall turned and gave him a threatening look.
“Nox welcomed us into his home and they’re helping us.”
They stared each other down for several moments before Smoak threw up his hands. “Fine. I’ll consider it.” He raised his brows at Nox and gestured for him to explain.
“Team work makes the dream work!” he said as he pumped his fists. “I need you to spy on Dùbhghlas for me. You know where he is and you can get to him by dead air and listen without him seeing you or you can send one of your minions,” he suggested.
Smoak snorted and waved dismissively. “That’s barely a favor. I’ve been ignoring your nemesis’s trials, tribulations, and machinations, but I can see what he’s been up to. I have eyes and ears all around him.”
“A wise move on your part, Lord Smoak,” Nox said sweetly, earning a bored huff.
“Just a moment,” Smoak said as he held up a finger and his dreamy green eyes turned solid black.
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 sanctified by decades of powerful white witches.
That is his sanctuary and filled with good magick. ”
“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 ancestors might have been those fianna people Nox keeps mentioning,” he clarified but Smoak shook his head.
“That one’s special,” 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 explained so 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 with that grim possibility to ponder.