Chapter 12
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"Come on, Danielle, wake up." Bright light blinded her. She covered her eyes and groaned.
"Can I just stay in bed?"
"No." Gail replied immediately. "Today is a day of celebration and we're going out."
"What?" Danielle exclaimed, sitting up in her bed.
"Are you deaf? We're going out."
"Why? We always stay home on this day."
"Well, this year is different. You officially made your entrance in the Fae world. And I sincerely think that it would benefit you to go out." Gail sat on her bed. "You've been wallowing in self-pity for the last two days. It's unhealthy."
"Gee, I wonder why." Danielle retorted. "I mean it's not like my mother came back or that I failed saving an innocent man. Or that my best friend and I aren't on speaking terms. There's no reason for me to wallow in self-pity."
"Danielle, honey, what happened to Noah wasn't your fault." Gail comforted her. "Your mother and Darcy tricked you. Now more than ever you need to be careful."
"It doesn't make me feel any better." She grumbled.
"As for Bo, you two need to talk. Dyson may be sweet on the eyes but he's not worth breaking a friendship over." Danielle looked up at her aunt pouting. Gail patted her leg. "Get up, clean yourself up and put on that dress."
"I can choose my own clothes."
"On any given day, I won't say no. But today, I'm making that choice for you." Gail got up and walked out. "Nothing against the tweed but it's La Shoshain. You have to look your best."
Danielle flopped back onto her bed with a groan.
"I kissed Dyson."
"What?" Bo stopped what she was doing.
"I kissed Dyson." Danielle repeated. "I—I didn't mean for this to happen. It just did. I—I…"
"You what?" Bo asked her.
"I am so sorry that I have done this to you." Dani said calmly. "But I don't regret kissing him. I have wanted this for a long time." She sighed deeply. "But the last thing I have ever wanted was to hurt you. I promise, Bo, I would never hurt you."
"Too late for that." Bo replied after a quiet pause. "You just did."
"Bo." Dani called after her. "Bo, please."
Danielle stepped in the Dal after Gail. Gail was wearing a black and white pantsuit. Very classic, very masculine but at the same time very feminine. Danielle was wearing a long blue dress. Simple, long sleeved, laced top and stopped right above her ankles. The tavern was crowded with Faes. From the Dark and the Light. Soft music was playing, the Faes were drinking and talking. There was a buffet displayed on the bar.
Gail disappeared as soon as they walked in. She had been whisked away by a Dark fae. Her aunt had been seeing this dark fae for several years. Meeting from time to time at the Dal, getting freaky on La Shoshaine. Danielle never really knew if both faes had true feelings for each other. She just knew that they enjoyed the time they spent together.
As for Danielle herself, she sat down at a table on her own. Sipped her fresh beer, all the while shoving food down her throat. Her third plate of meat was sitting in front of her when she caught sight of Bo and Kenzi walking up to the bar. She could have stood up and go talk to them. But she remained seated.
"I did not get you out of your bed so, you could wallow in self-pity here." Gail said flopping in the chair across her.
"Hi, Ellie." Danielle greeted the Dark fae.
"Little Hound." Ellie greeted her back. "What's going on with you?"
"Nothing." Danielle answered. "I'm just enjoying myself. Not wallowing in self-pity."
"Sure, that's also why you're shoving food in your face." Gail countered.
The music stopped, a chill ran up her spine, a wail resonated in the tavern. Deafening to the Banshee. More than to others.
"Fae, the celebration is over!" Trick declared to the assembly. "The celebration is over!"
"You're alright, sweetheart?" Gail asked Danielle, who was still holding her head.
"I should have stayed in bed." Danielle looked up to her aunt. She could still hear the wail.
"Come on! Let's go!" Trick was yelling to the Faes that was lingering. "I'll say it again. Anyone not of the five families, clear out! Come on!"
"Do we really have to stay?" Danielle complained.
"You heard the man." Gail replied.
"We both know that's not how it works." Dani countered.
"All banshees wail to announce death. Your powers may differ but the end result is the same." Gail told her. "Trick thinks she wailed for one of the Big Five because that's what they are known for."
"Historically, it always worked out that way." Ellie added.
"Maybe. Listen, you and Bo might be potential victims." Gail told her. "You need to find out for who the wail is for."
"Why Bo?"
"She doesn't know who she is or where she came from. She might be of noble blood." Gail said.
"True." Danielle nodded.
"Go and talk to her."
"She doesn't want to."
"Did she tell you that much? No." Gail said. "So, go."
Danielle glared at Abigail as the latter was waving her off. She mustered up her courage and started to walk towards Bo; The Succubus was currently talking to Trick. What would she say? Or how would she start a conversation? And what if Bo just ignored her? This could happen. And in walked Dyson.
She froze. This. She couldn't do. Talking to Bo or rather trying to talk to Bo was one thing. But talking to Bo and Dyson? She hadn't signed up for that. Kenzi was sitting on the bar, shoving food in her mouth. Danielle felt compelled to do the same. And that's what she did.
"Mind if I join you?" Danielle asked the human girl.
"D-girl." The girl exclaimed happily, jumping down and hugging the Banshee. "I've missed you, DeeDee."
"I've missed you too, Kenz." Dani smiled widely. She had missed her little human friend as much as she had missed the Succubus. Maybe even more.
"Where have you been?"
"At Gail's." Danielle replied as she started to eat. "I thought it best to leave some space to Bo."
"Well, you should come back." Kenzi said. "Bo's not mad and she misses you."
"I miss her, too. But I don't think that's a good idea." Danielle shook her head.
Only then did Danielle noticed the human girl standing at the bottom of her stairs. Kenzi looked at her friend with sad eyes. Danielle gave her a small smile that didn't quite reached her eyes.
"How much of this did you hear?" Danielle asked her.
"Enough to know that you don't regret kissing Wolf-Man." Kenzi said quietly. Dani shut her eyes briefly. "So…do you have feelings for him?"
Danielle sighed. "I don't know…Maybe."
"Oh, Dani." Kenzi hugged her best friend tightly.
"Kenzi." Bo called.
"Mnh! You guys knock yourselves out!" Kenzi waved them off. "This food isn't gonna eat itself!"
"It would be best if only the noble families stayed." Trick told her.
"Hey, I could have noble blood."
"No, you don't." Dani said.
"No, like if some Duke boned my great-great-grandmother." Kenzi continued as Trick walked away. "I am sure she was a real hot wench."
"Fine! Don't eat everything." Trick answered. "Get the hell out of my way!" He yelled to some of his customers.
Dani frowned at that. Trick didn't seem like the type to lose his temper. Dyson followed him as Bo walked in the opposite direction. She stopped when she saw the Banshee.
"Hi." Danielle greeted Bo half expecting the Succubus to ignore her.
"Hi." Bo greeted back. "Want to tag along?"
"Thanks but I don't think that's a good idea…"
"She'd be happy to." Gail answered for her.
"Gail…"
"Danielle, just go."
It was the most awkward ride of her life. Stuck between Dyson and Bo and no food allowed in the car. Why did Gail put her in that position? Sure, she wanted to fix her relationship with Bo. Make up for her mistakes. But be stuck in the car with Dyson was certainly not the way to do it.
As soon as they got out the car, Dani started her binge eating again. Bo frowned up at her. "What?" Dani looked at her. "You said no food in the car. So, I'm eating now."
"Where did you even get that?" Bo asked.
"I grabbed it from the Dal." Dani shrugged.
She rolled her eyes as she followed Dyson. "I'm surprised you're not taking the stairs. I thought you couldn't use electricity on La Shoshain." Bo said as they walked up to the elevator.
"Wrong culture." Dyson replied. "The rules are specific."
"Like what?"
"No powers, no fae-on-fae violence, no feeding on humans." Dani explained. "It's all about sacrifice."
"That sounds pretty heavy." Bo replied.
Dani could feel Dyson's stare on her but she did everything to ignore it. "Well, it's to commemorate the sacrifice made by the Blood King."
"Blood King, blood sacrifice…that's a whole lot of blood and not many details."
"Well, we're talking about stuff that happened over a thousand years ago. It's more myth than facts."
"So, there are stories then?" Bo slapped her hands on Dyson's chest. Danielle tried to ignore the sudden stab of pain in her chest. She suddenly lost an appetite that she never really had but it didn't stop her from eating more.
"Yes, there are stories," Dyson said pulling Bo's hands off of his chest. "But all that really remains are the written laws."
"Okay, but you must know one story."
"Bo…read a book."
"No, four words: 'All you can eat'" The banshee's agent was saying when they stepped in. "Yeah, yeah, you can sleep on it in your crack house you call a home." And she hung up. "Stand-up comedians. It's like they want to be miserable or something. Okay, what can I help you with?"
"Siobhan McManus." Dyson said showing his badge.
"Mm-hmm?"
"We need to ask her a few questions about a gig she just played."
"Oh, Siobhan. Yeah, she's a gorgeous girl." The Agent smiled. "She's bit of a flake. She called me, uh, from the bus station, canceled all her bookings for the whole week." She stood up. "I'll tell you what, if you find her, why don't you bring her to me, and I'll wring her little neck, okay?"
Someone sneezed. "Uh, can I get you a coffee?" She offered as Bo walked up to the closet.
"Gesundheit."
"We're gonna need to use your office for about twenty minutes." Dyson told her.
Bo and Dani tied up Siobhan on a chair with tape. "This sucks." Siobhan complained. "All I wanted was to play the gig, get paid, get wasted, get laid. I hate being made to talk."
"Well, if there's any other way we can get it out of you…" Bo started.
"Well, there isn't, okay?" Siobhan answered. "It's all buried in my stupid unconscious. You, Aibell Banshee have it easy. No one questions you when you wail."
Danielle paused. "We all have our problems, Siobhan." Dyson briefly looked at her. He knew what she meant. He had been there when her mother had reappeared in her life.
"Whatever." Siobhan sighed. "Make sure those are tight, chicky-boo. This gets messy."
Dyson unwrapped some red meat. If Dani had to guess she'd say it was a liver. He droppped it in the blender.
"Oh, please, tell me you are not going to…" Bo started as switched the blender on.
"Her kind has a real bad allergic reaction to iron." Danielle explained.
"Have you?" Bo asked her.
"Thanks to generations of breeding, I don't. But yeah, it's a common thing among banshees." Danielle said.
"Good to know." Dyson handed them the blender. "Oh, no. N…n…n…no. Back away with the liver shake."
"I can't get physical today." Dyson shook his head. Bo looked at Danielle.
"I do respect the rules of La Shoshain." Dani said apologetically. "Sorry."
"Of all the days. You choose today." Bo sighed.
"You gotta force her to drink this." Dyson told Bo.
"What do you mean 'force?'"
"I have the worst gag reflex." Siobhan said. "Let's get this shit over with."
Bo took the liver shake from Dyson and the funnel, she would use to force the liquid down Siobhan's throat. "I am so sorry."
Bo poured the liquid into the funnel and it went down Siobhan's throat. Siobhan reacted violently. She thrashed around and groaned. Danielle shivered as cold fingers crawled up her arms and back. A cold breath in her ear whispered words she did not understand. Those weren't the voices that accompanied her. Those were the voices accompanying Siobhan. Her body reacted immediately. A rush of heat went down her arms and back and pushed the cold fingers and the cold breath away from her.
Siobhan had stopped moving. Her eyes had turned white. Dyson crouched down in front of the banshee.
"Is this Siobhan?" He asked.
"It is the voice of the ancient mourners, the grieving ones." Many voices answered. They came out of Siobhan's mouth but it did not belong to her.
"There has been a call to death."
"We are bound to the old families. We cry for their loss."
"Which family?"
"Kavanagh."
"Which Kavanagh?"
"The one named Sean."
Dyson looked up at Dani. She returned his gaze. "How long does he have?"
"He will not live past sundown."
Siobhan started to heave and gag. Danielle stepped back and pulled Bo next to her. "What happens now?" Bo asked her.
The agent chose that moment to step back into her office. "Are you done yet?" She asked as Siobhan threw up. The vomit landing on her agent. "You're done yet. I got it." And she walked back out.
Bo chuckled. "Super. Now, I won't be able to get out of bed for a week." Siobhan complained. "Can you get me a towel or something?"
Bo and Dani glanced at each other wearing small smiles. As if nothing had happened between them.
"Kavanagh." Dyson called in the Dal.
"Sean Kavanagh." Bo said.
Glass shattered on the ground, surprising the assembly. An old fae laughed. "Not my time, yet." He flipped them all the bird. "Take that suckers."
"So…who's Kavanagh?" Kenzi asked. And the man sitting across her raised his hand.
Danielle was back at it. She was at the bar eating again. Gail and Ellie had disappeared. Kenzi was trying to comfort Sean and Bo was talking with Trick. No one was bothering her about her binge eating. And she was liking it that way.
"Are you on a new diet?" Dyson asked, sitting next to her.
"I'm not talking to you right now." She said between two bites. "And no, I'm not on a new diet."
"I see." Dyson nodded after ordering a drink.
"You see what?" She stopped looking up at him.
"You think it was a mistake." He whispered in her ears.
She pushed him away. "A: don't do this." Dyson chuckled. "B: It wasn't a mistake. It's just complicated between Bo and me, now. And I don't want to make it any worse. So, shoo."
"Shoo?" Dyson scoffed. He leaned into her. "From where I'm standing, Bo is doing okay. And you're the one who's making things complicated."
"I'm not complicating things." Danielle took an angry bite from her sandwich.
"Okay. Uh. Hey. Sean has something he would like to say." Kenzi said behind her. "Go ahead."
"Uh, yeah…hi." Sean stammered. "I've been thinking about, you know, my…uh…my personal situation and what I'd like to do before my personal situation comes into full effect and…and whatnot a…and, see, there's also this, uh, this family situation…"
"Sean would like to reconcile with his asshole brother before he dies." Kenzi helped him.
"So, what's the deal?" Bo asked him.
"Liam's dark fae. He turned his back on our light fae family more than eighty years ago. I haven't seen him since." Sean explained.
"It's too bad." Bo replied.
"Yeah and this is my very last chance to tell him that…it's all forgiven."
"And you have exactly six hours and twenty-one minutes to get him here." Kenzi reminded her.
"I…I can pay you, okay, whatever you want." Sean said. "I…I won't need it anymore."
"Let's just call this one a freebie, okay?" Bo declined his offer. "Where should I start looking?"
"Liam feeds on human greed." Sean replied. "I know exactly where he is." And he left.
"I'll stay." Kenzi told Bo.
"Be my back up?" Bo asked Dyson after Kenzi and Sean had left her.
Danielle was willing herself to disappear from sight. "This is my one day off. From Cops and fae to drink in peace."
"Aw, poor baby." Bo said mockingly.
"You're driving."
The Succubus walked up to Danielle. She grabbed the Banshee's sandwich and put it down. "No food in my car and you don't get to take it with you."
"You want me to come with you?"
"You got something better to do?" Bo asked her, Danielle briefly glanced at her sandwich. "Apart from eating?" Danielle shrugged. "Let's go, then."
They were met with chatters, people moving things around, too busy to even pay attention to them.
"Liam's been linked with pyramid schemes in the past." Dyson explained to them. "Looks like his latest one just toppled."
"This is nothing but a scam." A man shouted, held between two security guards. He was struggling as they took him out of the office. "You're all frauds! Where's my money, you, bastard? It's my life savings. Please? Give it back to me."
"Don't play the market, if you don't have the cojones." Another man called after him. Before he turned around and said, "Chop, chop, people. I want this place gutted in an hour!"
"Liam Kavanagh." Bo called him.
"Hello, lovelies!" He greeted with a smirk. "You like sushi? I know a chef, trained under Nobu." He started walking away from them. Bo and Danielle glanced at each other before they both followed him. "Holds a table for me every night."
"Your brother Sean wants to see you." Bo told him.
"My brother is a self-righteous ass." Liam spat out. "I want nothing to do with him."
"Sean said everything is forgiven." Danielle told him.
He scoffed. "He's the one who should be begging me for forgiveness." Bo and Danielle looked at each other confused. "Oh, I see he didn't tell you the delightful story in which he completely screws me over."
"It doesn't matter. A banshee wailed for him. He'll be dead by sundown."
"Well, I look forward to reading his obit."
"I'm sorry. It's not like I was trying to keep anything from you." Sean apologized to Bo. "I just didn't realize Liam still blamed me."
"If you want to reconcile, Sean. We need the whole story." Bo replied.
"I was eighteen. Liam was sixteen. Right before his gathering." Sean started.
"And the gathering is?"
"It's the, uh, coming of age ceremony where a fae chooses light or dark." Sean explained.
"Hey, you had one of those. Trés 'Conan the Barbarian.'" Kenzi commented.
"That was the old way." Dani said. "Nowadays, it's more like a bar mitzvah. Except it's for faes."
"Oh, wow. Maybe if we had actually chosen a side, we've could have scored some gifts." Bo said.
"Well, everyone in our family has always chosen light. Liam would have been no different." Sean continued. "He was a screw up but basically a good kid."
"How screwed are we talking here?" Kenzi asked him.
"Pretty bad…Partying, stealing, getting into scraps."
"Oh, yeah. Sounds like a disaster." Kenzi mocked him. Bo and Dani smiled at her tone.
"But, like me, he was always a whiz with numbers." Sean said. "You know, dad had hoped that he settled down if he were just given some responsibilities. So, he had us both helping out with the books at the investment office. And that's when money went missing from the safe."
"How much?" Dani asked.
"$30,000." He answered. "Now, that was a lot of money back then, and I was the one that was supposed to be setting the example for Liam. He was my responsibility."
"What did you do?" Bo asked.
"I wanted to teach him a lesson. So, I called the police."
"Dick move, man." Kenzi groaned.
"But…but then, instead of facing the music, Liam…he ran away from home as soon as he made bail and he joined the Dark Fae. The only one of us he ever kept in touch with was mom. She always doted on him. But now, she's dead."
"So, Liam's alone." Kenzi said.
"Look, light or dark, I just want him to know that I still love him…before I'm gone."
"Maybe, you won't kick it." Kenzi offered hopeful. "I mean, what the hell is this banshee's batting average?"
Dust fell on the table as the ceiling above their heads cracked. They all looked up at once. Chandelier was swinging and threatened to fall on their heads. The four of them moved out of their chairs and away from the table. Moments before it fell and broke the table in two.
"Whatever it takes, Sean. I'll bring you your brother." Bo promised.
"Better hurry."
"Tell me," Bo started as she, Dyson and Danielle sat in the car, waiting for Liam. "You were raised by a fae and you never had a gathering?"
"I was supposed to have one." Danielle answered. "We lived in Seattle at the time. My choice was already made."
"Light." Bo said.
"Yeah, like my dad, like Gail, like my mother." Danielle sighed. "But…a few days before it happened, my mother made an appearance. Knocked on our day, claimed she was coming for my gathering."
"Did she hurt you?"
"No. But the threat she was posing was enough for Gail. She moved us to another state and decided that I was not to be in contact with any fae. Except her." Danielle looked at Bo. "And my gathering never happened."
"Welcome to the club." Bo smiled at her.
Maybe, she was complicated things. Bo didn't seem angry or bitter. She genuinely wanted Danielle on this case with her. She acted as she always did with Danielle. She acted as a friend. And Kenzi did tell her that Bo wasn't mad. And yet, Danielle couldn't help but feel guilty. She truly didn't regret the kiss. But kissing Dyson was betraying Bo. And after what happened with Lauren. Bo didn't need this.
"Did you know that the Blood King personally wrote all the rules that govern fae society?" Bo said out loud.
"Yep." Danielle and Dyson answered at the same time.
"And, look, this is very cool." She continued. "During the first world war, French and German fae soldiers put down their weapons and secretly celebrated La Shoshaine together."
"Heartwarming, isn't it?" Dyson commented.
Bo's phone rang. "Kenzi's headed home." She informed them.
"Hey, there's our mark." Dyson nodded to the perking lot. Liam walked up to his car.
"Roger Dodger. You coming?"
"I think it's best if there's only one of us." Danielle told her.
"Suit yourself." She said as she left.
Danielle and Dyson kept their eyes on Bo as she questioned Liam. Her hands on his face, probably using her powers. After a few exchanges, Bo pulled her hands away from him. Dani and Dyson glanced at each other, frowning at the gesture. Bo placed her hands back on Liam and they talked some more. And then Bo walked back to the car. More like rushing to the car.
"What happened?" Danielle asked her.
"We need to get Kenzi and Sean." Bo started the car.
"Why?"
"He put a hit on his brother."
They rushed up the stairs that led to the clubhouse. "Kenzi!" Bo called immediately as she stepped in.
"Bo, watch out! There's a…" A goblin appeared behind Danielle.
He attacked Dyson. "Dyson!" Danielle yelled. The goblin turned on her and Bo. He swung his leg at them. Bo pushed Danielle out of the way. The Goblin attacked her still. And then he disappeared.
"Where did he go?" Bo looked around her. The goblin appeared behind her and kicked her back. And disappeared again. He appeared again and slapped Bo. The latter fell onto the ground. But before he could attack, Dyson fired. The bullets hit him in the back and he fell on the ground. Lifeless.
Danielle rushed to Dyson. "Dyson, you're alright?" She crouched down.
"I thought you weren't allowed to use violence today." Bo reminded him.
"Only to protect a life." Dyson groaned.
"Complicated set of rules." Bo commented.
He fired his gun again. "Actually, it's pretty intuitive." Danielle's hand went to his face and his grabbed her neck. Their foreheads briefly touched. And briefly, Danielle did not worry about the guilt she was feeling or may feel afterwards. They were alright.
"But where did it come from?" Sean asked.
"Your brother hired it." Bo replied.
"To kill me?"
"He's been holding a bit of a grudge." She said.
"But…this…this is too far!" Sean angrily said.
"Sean, it's okay. You're safe now." Kenzi tried to reassure him.
"No, no. Where is he now?"
"We left him at his office."
"Come here, you're gonna be fine. You want some water. I'll get you some water." Kenzi pulled Sean away.
"I'm willing to bet the Goblin disposal agency is closed today." Bo said as they crouched down over the Goblin's dead body.
"We do this one by the book." Dyson said. "We report it to the Ash."
"Great, love that guy." Bo dryly said.
"I don't like him either but right now, he's our best friend." Danielle retorted. "He'll call in a cleaner for this, and he'll probably lodge a protest with the Morrigan. Goblins are persistent little bastards. Once they took on a hit, they do not stop until they kill their mark."
"Well, do you think she'll step in?" Bo asked her.
"Liam made an unsanctioned hit against the Light." Dyson answered. "On the most sacred of fae holidays. The powers that be are gonna come down on him heavy."
"The powers that be better get to Liam before Sean does." Kenzi told them. "I think he took your crossbow."
They went back to Liam's office. Sean was aiming the crossbow at Liam when Bo called,
"Agallamh. I invoke Agallamh."
"What?"
"Bo…" Danielle's voice held a warning.
"You know, Agallamh…the rule by which any fae can force warring parties to sit down for peace talks. On La Shoshain, it has to be obeyed." Bo explained. "I read it in Trick's book. I can get the book."
"We know what it is." Dyson stepped in.
"No one has invoked Agallamh in…"
"…in forever."
"Do you want to know why?" Dyson asked her.
"Probably not."
"Because the person who calls for the talks forfeits her life if they fail." Dyson explained.
"But it's La Shoshain." Was her answer.
"It's not violence, it it's a sacrifice." Danielle told her.
"Really, should've skipped to the end, uh?"
"You let her do what?" Gail asked Danielle.
"I didn't let her do anything." Danielle retorted.
"Well done, little Hound." Ellie raised her glass at Danielle. Which only earned her a glare.
"You know what will happen if she fails?"
"That's why she won't fail." Danielle assured Gail.
The Agallamh had opened. A circle was traced around Sean and Liam with powder. The brothers drank from the same cup. Bo used the candle to burn the powder. Forcing both Kavanaghs to get closer, in the circle.
"The Agallamh is opened." Bo declared. "It shall not be close except by sacrifice."
"Don't dawdle. Sean's death is called for sundown." Trick reminded her. "If he dies before the Agallamh is closed, it'll be considered a failure. And your life will be forfeit."
"Who kills me?" Bo asked him.
"I think you need to get a volunteer." Kenzi told her.
"What?" She read the book as she said, "Is there one rom the community who will step forward as the claymore?"
"I'll be your claymore." Dyson stepped forward.
"Thanks…I think."
"Yes. I call the police on Liam after I found out he stole Dad's money. I…I was a stupid kid." Sean started. "Should I be killed for that?"
"Retort."
"For making me look bad in the eyes of our parents. And for ruining my life by falsely accusing me. Yes, my brother deserved to die." Was Liam answered.
"Falsely accusing?" Sean repeated in disbelief. "But you took the money."
"I didn't…"
"Hey!" Bo snapped. "Thou shall not address…" She read from the book. "…the…the interlocutor directly. You speak to me. Not him." She the clarified.
"My brother did take the money." Sean said again.
"I did not."
"Dad gave the combination to the safe to nobody but us." Sean talked directly to his brother. "Okay, I sure as hell didn't take it and it was in your character."
"You see that?" Lia retorted. "Always judging. God, You're just like dad."
"Okay. That's enough!" Bo stopped them.
"That is enough." Liam nodded. He then looked at the Claymore. "Get your gun out. I've fulfilled my obligations to the Agallamh. It's finished." Liam then clapped twice.
"How many of these creeps did you hire?" Kenzi asked him as a goblin appeared behind her and Bo.
"First, the Claymore kills you and then the goblin takes are of my brother."
"There will be no violence in my house." Trick warned Liam.
"We'll take him outside then." Liam replied. "Closure. Put it to the community."
"It seems that your friend has failed, Little Hound." Ellie whispered in Danielle's ear.
"I, uh, put to the comm…"
"Wait!" Kenzi interrupted her. The Human leaned into Bo and whispered something to her.
"I put to the community that…" Bo said as Kenzi was leaving, "…we take a short recess. I believe we're allowed one every four hours, so…all in favor?" Danielle, as the others, raised her hand in favor. "Great. Then smoke 'em if ya got 'em."
"You spoke too fast, sweetie." Gail smirked to Ellie. Danielle glared at both of them before joining Bo.
"Where did Kenzi go?" She asked her friend.
"She said she has a plan and ask me to buy her time." Bo explained nervously.
"Hey, you're doing great so far." Danielle reassured her.
"I don't even know what I'm doing." Bo retorted. "What was I even thinking?"
"Bo, you were thinking that you'd help Liam and Sean patch up their relationship. Before Sean dies." Danielle said. "Sure, you should have read up 'til the end but…it's gonna be fine."
"It's time." Liam said. Bo and Danielle glanced at each other. Danielle nodded. In a last attempt to reassure the Succubus. "I said it's time. Let's do this."
"I call the Agallamh back to order." Bo announced.
"Yeah, yeah. My petition for closure still stands." Liam said impatiently.
"Do I have a second?" Bo snapped at him. An elder fae behind her raised her hand. "Gee, thanks." Bo took a deep breath. "Okay, then. Under the rules of…the ritual of…the sacred Agallamh." Bo, as much as Danielle, was keeping a nervous eye on the door. Waiting for Kenzi to come back. "On, uh, on this sacred…La Shoshain, I…well, with due reverence to the Blood King. I mean, there was a fine king. Am I right?"
"Closure!" Liam said again.
"Okay." Bo glared at him. "I put the motion to the community."
"No. No way. Negatory. We're here." Kenzi said rushing in, followed by white haired man.
"I submit myself to the sacred summons of the Agallamh, though, for the life of me, I don't see what good this will do." He declared.
"Well, let's swear you into the inner circle and find out." Bo said quickly. Kenzi whispered something in her ear.
"All right. Ask your questions."
"I only have one." Bo replied. "Why did you steal $30,000 from your own safe?"
"That's ridiculous." He scoffed.
"I remind the witness that speaking a falsehood is punishable by death, so I'll ask you again, why did you steal $30,000 from your own safe?"
"I have my vices." He answered. "I keep them under control."
"What did you do?" Sean asked his father.
"It was gambling debts, wasn't it?" Kenzi said. "That's your thing, right? Use investor money to cover your losses, move cash around so no one notices? Liam here is a real chip off the old block, pops."
"You, boys, had no reason to be at the safe that weekend." He said to his sons. "You…you should never have known."
"I was being thorough, dad. Just like you taught me." Sean countered.
"You let me take the fall." Liam said next. "You let them lock me up."
"I bailed you out the very next day." He retorted. "I d…I…I didn't expect you to be a baby and go running off and joining the Dark."
"All this time?"
"I…I…I couldn't tell anyone!" Their father tried to defend himself. "Your…your mother would've left me. I…think…think of what it would've done to the family name!"
"You put your own reputation ahead of the happiness of your sons." Bo said.
"It's an illness." He breathed out. "Gambling's a disease."
"I would like to recognize the error I made in assuming my brother's guilt." Sean said and Danielle smiled softly. Pride swelling in her chest as she looked at Bo. "This is the family pendant." Sean took off his necklace and handed it to Liam. "This is the family pendant. It is the symbol of the birthright. One day when he passes, you will have control over the family holdings. You deserve it." He then looked at Bo. "With my sacrifice, I move for peace."
"A sacrifice has been offered. Do you offer one in return?" Bo asked Liam.
"I'll pay back as much as I can to the people, I've ripped off…" Liam nodded. "If dad moves mom's grave to neutral ground so I can visit it."
"I will." His father agreed.
"Then I also call off the hit." And the Goblin disappeared.
"Then we have a peace. I move for closure." Bo smiled.
"I second the motion." The Claymore declared.
Kenzi hugged Sean tightly. "I knew you could do it, Bo." Danielle smiled at her friend.
"Sundown, Bo." Kenzi said as their little group walked in the alley behind the Dal. "You saved him and you beat the banshee."
Danielle walked behind them and next to Dyson. "For someone who didn't know what the Agallamh was, she was great, wasn't she?"
"She was." Dyson retorted.
"I really don't regret it." She looked up at the Shapeshifter. "I just…don't want to hurt Bo. You understand, right?"
Dyson stared down at her. "I do."
"Does this mean we're cozy with the fae again?" Kenzi asked her arm on Bo's waist.
"Well, let's just say I haven't completely written them off." Bo replied.
"Thank you very much." Dyson said.
"Where's my money Kavanagh?" A man, the same that had been dragged away from Liam's office, shouted pointing a gun at Liam. He fired.
Sean shielded his brother and was hit instead of Liam. Dyson disarmed the man and pushed him away. Kenzi, Bo and Danielle all rushed to Sean.
"Are we even now?" Sean asked his brother as blood colored his teeth and mouth.
"Sean, oh my god, just hold on." Kenzi begged him. "Hold on, okay?"
"I told you so." He breathed out. One last time.
The banshee was right. Sean Kavanagh died by sundown.
It had broken Kenzi's heart. She and Sean had become really close. There was probably more than just friendship.
"Hey." Bo greeted the Banshee as she sat at the counter.
"Hey." Danielle replied. She had changed out of her dress. And put on sweat pants and a black tank top. "I thought that Kenzi might love some comfort food. Want one?" Bo grabbed one of the muffins that were sitting on the counter.
"So, are you staying?" Bo asked her.
"For the night. If you don't mind?" Danielle shrugged.
"Or you could just come back. You know, this is your home too." Bo clarified.
"You're not mad?" Danielle asked her. "After what I did?"
"I was. In the beginning. And you kissed Dyson. You didn't kill anyone." Bo retorted. "Plus, you and Dyson have been dancing around each other for a while now."
"What?" Danielle chocked out.
"Dan, I'm a Succubus. Reading sexual chi is one of my talent." Bo walked around the counter. "And yours, around each other, had been off the charts."
"I beg to differ. But you really are okay with this?" Danielle asked her.
Bo threw her arms around Danielle. "I am." She kissed the Banshee. "Also, I like it better when we're together."
"Me too."