Page 11 of Resurrection
“This was what was causing all that trouble on campus?” Jamie asked as he leaned against the counter.
Sei nodded. “I suspect they were given the golem, though the spellwork might have been theirs. I’ll question them tomorrow. The police are supposed to bring them in.”
“This is some big magic for a couple kids not in the magic program,” Jamie pointed out like Sei hadn’t thought of that.
“Not kids,” Sei said. Though Jamie had hit fifty, he didn’t look older than thirty-five, or maybe Sei was just off as he’d gotten older too. Witches lived, on average, twice the mortal lifespan, so realistically they were all still kids, if they had witchblood at all. “They are all in their twenties.”
“You’re old, babe,” Kelly teased his husband. Jamie mock growled at him. “I still think you’re hot. Even if you haven’t gone silver.”
Jamie was just as blond as he’d always been, though his hair wasn’t as long anymore, it was barely shoulder-length. He had that sort of yellow brown shade of blond that looked good with his permanently tanned skin provided by his Native American mother. Sei and Jamie shared a father, but there wasn’t much of Dorien Merth in his face, only a hint in the bone structure. Even at fifty-one, Jamie was a handsome man who made people stop and stare.
“You’ve always had a daddy kink,” Sei teased Kelly.
Kelly laughed. “True. He can be my daddy anytime.”
“Gross,” Ki said as he passed through the kitchen. “Grown-up sex talk.”
Sei narrowed his eyes at his kid. “It’s different from teenage sex talk?”
Ki shook his head. “You don’t do sex talk. Just Uncle Jamie and Uncle Kelly. It’s not as weird or gross when it’s Sam, Luca, and Con.”
“Are they doing sex talk around you guys?” Jamie wanted to know.
“They live and breathe sex,” Kura said appearing in the opposite doorway. She bounded to Seiran and kissed his cheek. “Hi, Daddy. You look better.”
“Feel better,” Sei said between bites. “Might play in the arboretum before bed.”
“I’ll tell Kaine.” She reached out to touch his face, staring at him with more concern than a fourteen-year-old should have. Her dark hair was pulled back into a thick braid, and she was already showing the girl curves that made Sei have fits when she went out without one of her siblings. The way some men riveted on her made him want to turn them inside out with magic. “Sam called. Said he’s on his way over. Was mad that you weren’t answering your phone. I told him it got broken.”
“He going to take over the golem?” Kelly asked.
But that wasn’t something Sam normally did. He could take out the golem, burn it up and rip the death magic out of it, but he couldn’t unravel the mystery, and Sei needed to find the creator before any of that happened.
“I have no idea,” Sei said. He grabbed Sakura’s palm and kissed it before taking his empty plate to the sink. “Shouldn’t you be in bed? Beauty sleep and all that? It’s a school night.”
“It’s not that late. We have a test tomorrow.”
“And studying last minute will help how?” Sei narrowed his eyes at his twins.
“It’s not last minute,” Ki protested. “We are just reviewing the chapter. We’ve done all the work.”
“We have,” Kura agreed. “Kaine could probably ace this too. I just want it fresh in my head.” She held her arms out. “Besides we are already ready for bed.” And they both were in their pajamas, which was good since it was after ten.
“Where is Kaine?” Sei wanted to know, having not seen his youngest since before he got in the shower.
“With his father,” Ki said. “Bryar popped in after you vanished upstairs. Kaine’s been in a mood.”
“I’ll talk to him,” Sei promised. Kaine was sort of moody by nature. It was likely a fae thing as they were all sort of quick to jump to extreme ends of emotion. If something was bothering Kaine, Sei would have to call Bryar to work it out. He suspected it was difficult straddling two worlds. Even more so for someone as young as Kaine. Sei tried hard not to demand too much of his youngest. Kaine was a bit scattered on the best of days, but could be hyper-focused if necessary.
Could a magical being have ADHD? Sei would have to call the child therapist he had the kids see a couple times a year, and ask. Maybe she would have ideas to help Kaine.
The front door opened. Sei felt his wards ripple. It was a bit of welcoming and hesitation. His power said yes, we know these people, and still caution, there is power here. Sam.
“Seiran Rou,” Sam growled as he came into the kitchen like he owned the place. The trio had their own place now. In fact, several, as Luca had a skill for making money, and his lovers spent time working at various things that seemed to always do well for them. Sam had often said over the years that he felt Luca and Con had broken the curse he’d lived most of his life under. Sei began to think he needed someone to break his, too.
“Please come in,” Sei snarked.
Sam still looked barely legal. A perk of being a vampire. He didn’t age. Since Sei was tied to a vampire, he shouldn’t have aged either. Though since his vampire had gone to ground some time back, that meant the link was strained and barely existent most days, and Sei had actually grown up. More than just physically, though he had almost two inches in height on Sam now. At five-foot-eight, Seiran was far from the most imposing figure in the room. Sei felt like he didn’t look like a kid anymore, and his Asian heritage meant he also didn’t look thirty-six, but Sam would be forever young, nineteen, and unfinished. At least Sei felt like his body had a chance to do whatever the fuck it was going to do. Even if that didn’t mean he got muscles like Jamie or the lanky height of Sam’s lover, Constantine.