"This is where you live?" Ace asked Phury as the Escalade pulled up to the mansion.
"Yep. All the Brothers, except Hatrhed, do. She has a room, though."
"Wow," he said under his breath. Like all first-time visitors to the home of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, Ace craned his neck as he scrambled out of the SUV. It was a lot to take in.
Hatrhed bumped shoulders with him. "Come on. I'll give y'all the tour. It's pretty damned impressive."
A cold wind reminded them that winter was still threatening and sent them toward the front vestibule. There, V leaned in and eyeballed the scanner to unlock the door. Fritz beamed as they entered, taking coats from those that had them until he was nearly covered in a great pile of thick leather and soft wool.
Hatrhed gave Ace and Night the time they needed to take it all in, from the inlaid apple tree tile mosaic on the floor to the Michael Angelo-style painting of great warriors on the ceiling, held up by the enormous columns of green stone. She smiled and looked around herself. It was surprising how quickly she had become accustomed to it.
"Tarra!" Cormia, Phury's shellan, called from the second floor. "We didn't know you were coming!" She hurried down the stairs, trailed by several other females Tarra recognized as Chosen, to greet their sister.
"Yes, I came with Night and Mehnace... Ace."
"Oh? Who are they?"
Tarra hesitated but smiled when she realized there was no need to hide anymore. "The Scribe Virgin tasked me, centuries ago, to watch the Forgotten Brother Night in secret. So, today, as he returned to memory, I was with him as a witness at Lassiter's request."
Hatrhed's heart skipped a beat. "Does that mean you recorded my mahmen, too?"
Tarra's soft smile made Hatrhed's eyes water. "Yes, I did. Perhaps we could spend an afternoon or two speaking of her."
"I'd like that," Hatrhed managed to croak.
"She was beautiful and kind all the days of her life," Night shared in a low voice.
Hatrhed could only nod and blink, attempting to control the emotion that flooded her.
"You loved her," Tarra stated, catching Night's eye. "She was good for you."
"I did, and she was," he agreed.
She stepped closer. "I cried when you attempted to meet the sun after her death."
"Attempted?" Hatrhed squinted at him. "How does one 'attempt' to do that and live?"
Night rubbed his chest. "I took my shellan's body into the dawn, intended to die with her." He glanced at Ace. "I was not in my right mind."
Hatrhed stated the obvious. "But, you are still here."
He nodded. "I discovered I am a daywalker."
Her eyes widened. "Really? Wow. I... can't imagine that."
"Dad and I watch the dawn every morning," Ace shared with a proud smile before deflating. "Well, at least we do now. I guess that won't last much longer. Not after I transition."
Night cleared his throat and changed the subject. He looked pointedly at Hatrhed. "You were going to show us around?"
A smile lit her face. "Yes! What do you want to see first, the house or the training center?"
Night looked around. "The house. Who had it built?"
"Darius."
He sighed. "Darius. He's gone, too, isn't he? You, me, Tohrment, and Wrath are the only ones left from that time."
"Yeah." Hatrhed wanted to offer more, but what was there to say? "Hey, let's put all that aside right now." She threw them a convincing smile. "Come on. The rest of this floor is mostly bedrooms, but Wrath's study is on the second floor. We'll start there."
Hatrhed led the way up the stairs until they came to the open door of the study. The warm fire pulled them in, but Night stilled when he spied the great throne behind the hand-carved ebony desk.
"Is that...?" he whispered.
"The original?" Hatrhed asked. "To my knowledge, it is."
Night ran a hand along the edge of the desk, avoiding touching the throne. "I can remember Wrath the Fair sitting at this desk, on that throne. He was a male of worth, even without being King."
"His son has a lot of his sire's qualities with a bit more of his temper," she chuckled.
Night looked around, rubbing his scar, before settling on Hatrhed. "So, tell me, why did you run away?"
She blinked. It was not a question she'd expected. "Mahmen didn't tell you?"
"No. I asked once, and she said it was a private matter between you and the Scribe Virgin. I got the hint and never asked again."
Wrath's great bulk appeared in the doorway, accompanied by a smiling Beth, panting George, and squirming LW on Beth's hip. His voice echoed, even in the smaller room. "Hatrhed inherited her sire's skill."
Night rounded on her. "You can move? Like Assail?" He narrowed his eyes. "What is your price?"
Hatrhed shifted her weight and crossed her arms. "What's it to you?"
"Stop," Wrath ordered, nipping the impeding conversation in the bud with a raised hand. "Hatrhed has proven herself already. She doesn't have to repeat that for you, Night."
Night inclined his head. "Forgive me, Your Highness. I am out of line."
"Wrath. Call me by my name," the King insisted.
"Yes, Your—Wrath."
Beth placed a hand on her hellren's arm to further derail the conversation and turn the focus back to the remembered Brother. "Hi. I'm Beth. We came to introduce our son to you."
Night dropped to a knee and put a fist to the floor, and Ace scrambled to follow suit. "My Queen," he acknowledged.
She waved for them to stand, the Queen's Saturnine Ruby on her finger flashing in the firelight. "Oh, do get up. We're not that formal here." She hefted the young she carried. "This is Wrath, son of Wrath, son of Wrath. We call him LW for 'Little Wrath.'"
"An heir!" Night exclaimed, smiling as he and Ace stood.
"Sort of," Wrath beamed in return. "The Kingship is actually an elected position now. LW won't be forced to be King, though he's welcome to run for the office. When I'm dead."
"Wrath has been elected for life," Beth explained.
"Elected!" Night shook his head. "So many changes. For the better?"
Wrath nodded. "Very much so."
Momentarily satisfied, Night hefted a hand on Ace's shoulder. "This is Mehnace... Ace for short."
"Hi," Ace said with a little wave at LW, who hid against his mahmen, making the adults chuckle. Everyone loved LW, and it seemed the Night and Ace would be no exception.
"You said you had sons, as in plural," Wrath reminded him. "How many more? Where are they?"
"One more, Rhetribution, also from Fleur. He's with Hatrhed in the colony."
Wrath's brow wrinkled. "Rhetribution." He turned to Hatrhed. "Is that the Rhet you've recommended for training?"
"It is." She took a breath. "And, now's the moment I admit I have a confession," she admitted, standing taller, but crossing her arms.
Wrath rubbed his eyes under his wraparounds. "Didn't we just go through a bunch of this? There's more?"
"Oh, come on. Give me a break here! It wasn't my secret to tell. I wanted to afford that courtesy to Rhet, should it ever arise." She glanced at Night. "I've remembered you all this time."
Night nodded. "So Lassitor told me. By order of the Scribe Virgin. But why?"
"I can only assume it was to offer him shelter when he needed it. We value him quite a bit; he's as good a fighter as a mechanic. I recommended him wholeheartedly for the training program."
Night closed his eyes and sighed. "Do you think he'll ever forgive me?"
Ace wrapped an arm around him. "It'll be okay, dad."
Night dropped an arm across the shoulders of his youngest son. "I hope so. He's angry at being deceived. Fleur and I didn't share our past with him, so it came as a shock when we finally did." He looked down at Ace. "I'm sorry that I chose to do the same with you."
"You didn't know that you would ever come back, dad. I get it."
Night clutched his son to him. Wrath and Hatrhed shifted their weight, uncomfortable with the moment's intimacy. They were happy to be distracted by Fritz as he made his presence known.
"Excuse me, Your Highness," the doggen interrupted as he bowed. "Last Meal will be served in ten minutes."
Wrath beamed. "Excellent! How many do we have for the meal?"
Fritz lit up, a proud smile spreading across his face. "We brought in another table! The Chosen have volunteered to care for the young and will be seated there. Everyone will be in attendance."
Wrath's smile wavered, and Beth squeezed his arm. He cleared his throat, and everyone pretended they didn't see the Tough Guy King on the verge of tears. "Darius would have approved," he said quietly.
Fritz waited until the moment had passed before asking, "Your Highness, will our guests be overdaying with us? Might I show them to some guest rooms?"
Wrath beamed at Night. "Well? You two want to stay for a while? Fritz can find you clothes and whatnot."
Night was about to refuse and give excuses when Tarra slipped into view beside Beth, reaching for LW. His heart skipped a beat when she smiled at him as she took the heir onto her own hip. He smiled in return. "Yes, I do believe we will stay since we are invited."
Wrath nodded as he turned to leave. "Come on down when you're ready."
Night stepped forward to watch as Tarra trailed behind the couple. He didn't miss it when Tarra glanced back at him and... Oh my... Did she blush? He beamed as he turned to follow Fritz, who opened the door to an immaculately decorated room in royal blue.
There was a little too much gilded gold in the decor for Night's liking, but he'd sooner die than tell the doggen that. He didn't know Fritz at all, but anyone with eyes could see the pride the servant had in his home. Who was he to poke at that? There was a similar room in grey and silver next door for Ace.
"I hope these are to your liking. Now, who would you like to wear?" the doggen asked.
"Who?" Ace repeated before glancing at Night.
"Yes. Designer. Whose clothes do you like to wear?"
"Oh. Um... The North Face? Timberland? Wolverine?" Ace offered, unsure of himself.
The doggen took it in stride. "Very good. Jeans, boots, and flannel, then?"
"Perfect!" Night smiled. "We'll feel right at home."
Those being Fritz's magic words, he puffed his chest. "We will have a selection ready for you after Last Meal. You might like to change at that time before joining the house in a game of pool or darts." He held the door for the two of them. "Allow me to escort you to the dining room. The mansion can seem quite the maze until you have made the rounds a time or two."
Ace gave his dad a wide-eyed look, to which Night simply shrugged. He put an arm around his son's shoulder and whispered, "I don't know about all this formality either, but we're here with the King, so..."
"Right. Rich and famous. Well, rich, at least. Check," Ace whispered back.
If the foyer, study, and bedrooms hadn't been impressive enough, there was no mistaking the decadence that was the King's dining room. Night was acutely aware that, even though his home training was good, he might not quite add up to the formality of the occasion. He rolled his neck and tried to relax; he was sure that he could imitate those around him enough to get by.
He and Ace were seated next to Hatrhed, who, in turn, sat next to Autumn and Tohr at the King's right hand. Beth, on his left, led into V, who was being surprisingly tender with a female at his side. The table seemed to stretch on forever, the seats filling with battle-rugged Brothers, beautiful females, and other guests. The doggen had set a smaller but no less impressive table for the Chosen, several of whom seemed enamored with a young in her lap.
His breath hitched seeing Tarra at the table with the other Chosen. She was looking up at Phury, who gestured her aside for a moment to talk. His heart sank; Phury had mentioned being the Primale. By tradition, that gave him first rights to claim her time and attention, and it seemed that he had set his sights on Tarra. When she smiled at him brightly and nodded enthusiastically, Night turned away. Give it up, Night. She is not yours.