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“This!” Merlin held up his empty palms and hurried to show Nox. “There it is! Do you see?”
Nox rolled his eyes. “See what?” he said flatly.
“That little speck right there!” Merlin pointed at an invisible spot on his right hand. “That’s how small the odds are that your harebrained plan will work and that you’ll outrun your fate.”
Nox snatched Merlin’s other wrist and turned it over, opening his hand. “Now, show me the odds that I can beat this if I face it,” he challenged.
“I’ll explain it to you, Nelson, since he won’t,” Merlin said as he turned from Nox, his voice rising with his frustration. “Always remember that as it is with the seasons: one cycle will bring about the end of another. According to a prophecy that certain people refuse to acknowledge or prepare for, the heir is meant to marry and gather his Tuath Dé Danann and build a cult of faithful followers as he comes into his powers. And when he is strong enough, the heir is meant to join with the Dagda so that He can walk again and bring about the Tuatha, a new age of holy light,” Merlin said in a low, reverent whisper.
“But that’s obviously never happened,” Nelson said, looking between Nox and Merlin.
“Nope!” Nox confirmed briskly, smiling despite the burning shimmer in his eyes. “Every MacIlwraith has stopped at the wife and had a son, leaving the prophecy and the Dagda hanging and passing the buck onto the next heir.”
“And thus bringing a new cycle and ending the last,” Merlin said sadly.
“The father dies,” Nelson guessed. “Why?” he asked Merlin.
“Because the father’s power wanes as the heir reaches maturity and the Dagda has no use for the father. He is EochaidOllathair1—the All-Father. He will not share His child and He wants all that power concentrated in one place.”
“No wonder I have nightmares about killing my father,” Nox said facetiously as he filled a tumbler with whiskey. “I have never wanted children, but there’s no way I’d have a son with that hanging over our heads.”
There was a knowing sound from Merlin. “Every generation struggles with this and every generation thinks they can outsmart the family curse and Him. Lucas was so sure that Nox had been born with the…spiritual cheat code when we learned our sweet boy was gay.”
“I still think it’s my superpower,” Nox said with a wink, making Merlin chuckle.
“One of many, I predict. And this is where I think that…Badb has gravely miscalculated.” He smiled at Nox, but it was muddled with tears as Merlin watched him drink. “Having no heir means your power will not wane. As we’ve seen, it’s growing stronger by the day as you fall more and more under His sway.”
“Damn it, Nox,” Nelson sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, stemming the urge to scream at how willfully blind Nox was being. They all knew he was slipping but Nox was holding everyone to the vow so he could ignore the obvious and delay the inevitable.
“I’m not doing it,” Nox said as he sipped. “And I say let the Dagda play His games. He’ll see that I haven’t found a wife and assembled my counsel of warrior priests or built him a cult and He’ll have no choice but to go back to sleep.”
“Ha!” Merlin’s hands clapped against his bald scalp. “That speck is even smaller. I have a greater chance of giving birth to Nelson’s baby.”
“Have mine,” Nox teased and wiggled his brows. “Then, you’d get your wish and you could raise the next heir.”
Merlin let out a loud, forced laugh as he turned for the door. “But the last was such a delight and turned out so well,” he declared and waved his middle finger over his head. “I’ll be in the kitchen. You both need a calming cup of tea, he’s in a mood tonight.”
“That’s not a bad idea,” Nelson said gently. “Hang out here while I talk to him.” He leaned out of the study and looked down the hall toward the kitchen, then offered Nox what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “We’ll call if we need a referee or I need backup.” They had agreed to brief Merlin on their encounters with Julian and Tony over Kung Pao Chicken, then split up so Nelson could question him about Nox’s family.
“I don’t know if ambushing Merlin is a good idea,” Nox whispered from the decanters. He had been jumpy all night and kept glancing nervously at Nelson.
“That’s the only way to find level ground with him,” Nelson answered quietly. “He’s too smart and too fast if he’s prepared.”
Nox’s hands were shaking as he poured himself another drink. “You’re right. Of course.”
“I can keep it to myself if I learn something…bad about them—your parents or Merlin and Clancy,” Nelson offered, but Nox shook his head.
“I can’t see what my parents have to do with Julian or the MacCrorys. But my gut or something in my soul tells me that I might be to blame and that’s what we’re going to learn.”
“How?” Nelson asked, not liking the way his own gut clenched at the thought.
“You said it yourself, that scene in the woods at New Castle looked like it was meant for me and someone cursed me at Ma MacCrory’s altar and attacked my assistant. I’d rather be the target than another innocent, but what if this is somehow my fault?”
“It’s not. Stay here and let me see what I can get out of Merlin.”
Julian’s warning about Nox’s mysterious nemesis and his lack of an heir had haunted Nelson all day and his instincts screamed that they’d stumbled onto a vital clue. The kitchen was cleaned and Merlin was putting the last plate in the cabinet when Nelson eased into the room, then checked the hall. He pretended to make sure Nox wasn’t nearby, then cleared his throat as he regarded Merlin.
“Hey, I have some questions and I think you’re the only one who can help me,” he whispered conspiratorially.
