“I saw similar writing in regards to you but I hoped that with time, you could change,” Nox argued but bowed his head. “I can admit that I waited too long with Dùbhghlas, in hindsight. I had hoped that he would push his luck elsewhere or that some other bit of unfinished business would catch up with him first.”
“We’re beyond that so we may as well turn our attention to whatcanbe done,” Merlin said briskly. “We must find outhowDùbhghlas did it and who or what we are up against.”
“Smoak…” Nox pressed his hands together and batted his eyelashes.
The demon was immune. “You’re pushing your luck.”
Nox’s lip wobbled. “Pretty please? I’m sure it wouldn’t be difficult to send a few of your demon minions to chat up some of Hugh’s demon minions… They don’t have to know why you’re checking on Dùbhghlas or who you’re sharing information with.”
“Very well,” Smoak sighed. “I’ll let you know if there’s demonic gossip about Dùbhghlas and any new nightmares in his entourage. But let’s keep it at that. Consider me a…technical consultant and only contact me when you’re stuck.”
“Deal!” Nox said quickly and pointed at Clancy. “Let’s say we were going to do a training montage. Where would we do it and which version of “Sweet Dreams” are we going with: the original Eurythmics version or the Weezer cover?”
Clancy blinked at him, then looked at Nelson and Merlin. “I didn’t understand anything he said after ‘training montage.’”
“I can’t help you,” Nelson said, shrugging, but Merlin looked thoughtful as he tapped his chin.
“While I do enjoy Weezer…I think the original version is more exciting.”
“You’re right.” Nox nodded and rubbed his hands together. “Now that that’s been sorted, what are we thinking for lunch?”
“I’m out,” Smoak declared before he vanished.
Clancy groaned and rubbed his temple. “Gods help us.”
“Tacos?” Everly suggested obliviously, making Nox cheer.
“I could go for some tacos,” Merlin said as he turned back to his board.
An exuberant discussion followed with the twins arguing about who could eat more tacos in one sitting and Niall and Shelby debating which kind of tacos was superior: street, birria, crunchy, rolled, soft... Tighe informed everyone thathe had never tried tacos and the Fomorians and Dùbhghlas were immediately forgotten. It was nowimperativethat Tighe received a comprehensive education on the various types of tacos and try as many as possible.
“I’ll find a takeout menu,” Nelson announced, resigned to his other role as errand man.
For reasons Nelson had yet to understand, most magickal people didn’t know how to drive.
Chapter Four
The following evening, Nox was still baffled at the fact that Tighe had existed for approximately thirty-six years without ever trying a taco. That injustice had been rectified and Nox was planning to ride the emotional high of witnessing Tighe’s introduction to one of mankind’s greatest creations until the holidays.
“Do you think Tighe’s ever had hot chocolate or seen a Christmas tree in person?” he asked, reclining against the edge of his desk and nursing a tumbler of Irish whiskey. He was blissfully full of leftover tacos and was thinking about turning in for the night.
“Probably not,” Nelson answered distantly. Knowing him, he was probably thinking about other, more serious things. Nox would see what he could do about that.
Clancy chuckled into his glass. He was lounging on the sofa with his legs stretched and crossed while Merlin hunted for something on the bookshelves.
“We’ll have to invite Tighe to help us decorate,” Merlin said, then spun and Dubh jumped and hissed at the corner, just before Smoak appeared.
“Stand down, imp, feline,” Smoak muttered, furious as he searched the room and pointed at Nox. “We need to talk.Alone,” he added and swung his head at the terrace doors.
“Good news, I take it,” Nox joked weakly, gesturing for Smoak to follow him. He got the door and waved him out. “I’ll be fine,” he whispered when Nelson started to protest and bowed his head at Merlin and Clancy, dismissing them for the evening. “It’s already late. We’ll catch up in the morning.” They didn’t look pleased as Nox closed the door behind him and grimaced at the irate demon pacing on his terrace. “That bad?” he asked, earning a stinging glare from Smoak.
“I don’t think it could get any worse.”
“Oh?”
Smoak swore in several languages at once as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “You know those sources I was supposed to check in with, those demons up at Beartown?”
“Sure…” Nox didn’t like where this was headed. “What about them?”
