Arabella tossed her curls. “We should be able to explore our boundaries safely like other kids who havenormaldads. Using your gifts is cheating.”
Aiden muttered under his breath, “She’s going to be terrifying when she’s older.”
Thomas chuckled. “She already is.”
They watched the family disappear up the stairs, the girls chattering at high speed, Lucas shaking his head in mock despair, August’s cape trailing behind him like a shadow. The last thing Thomas heard before they were out of earshot was Lucas’s weary voice:
“Yeah, yeah. Save it for your therapist.”
Thomas smiled faintly. For a moment, it almost felt like a normal family gathering, children laughing, parents scolding, the house alive with warmth. Almost. If you ignored the weapons hidden in the walls and the secret purpose waiting behind all this glitter and laughter.
Adam and Noah arrived next, dressed as…Sherlock and Moriarty. The irony was not lost on anyone. Their dogs bounded in ahead of them, a tangle of fur and chaos. Dexter, round as a pumpkin and twice as determined, heaved his rotund body up the marble staircase, nails clacking with each heroic step toward the sound of the children’s laughter.
“This is insane,” Noah said, sweeping his gaze over the crowd gathering below. “Fifty people, Dad.Fifty.”
“Fifty-two, actually,” Thomas corrected without missing a beat. “But who’s counting?”
“You are. Obviously.” But Noah was grinning, eyes bright despite the complaint. “Everything in place?”
“Everything.” Thomas’s gaze flicked to Aiden, who gave a subtle nod. “The guest of honor should arrive any minute.”
Noah groaned. “You’re still not going to explain anything to me? You’re starting to hurt my feelings. I can’t believe you planned this whole…thing without me.”
“Trust me,” Thomas said, voice smooth as glass, “once the games begin, you’ll be in charge, as usual. But until I’m certainour guest has entered the trap, I’m keeping this one close.But fear not.I always have a backup plan.”
“But we are gonna, like, get to kill someone, right?” Adam asked casually.
Noah turned toward him, scandalized. “What? Why would you say that?”
Adam shrugged, all lazy sin and amusement. “Just something the twins mentioned yesterday.”
Noah rounded on Thomas, jaw dropping. “You told the twins but not me?”
“Extenuating circumstances,” Thomas said mildly. “You’ll understand soon enough.”
Noah huffed, muttering something aboutfamily betrayal.
Thomas looked at Adam. “And you, no killing violence until its time.”
“No promises,” Adam added cheerfully.
Thomas smiled faintly. The chaos was almost comforting, like the hum of a well-oiled machine disguised as dysfunction.
The next four arrived together, Avi and Asa in their Jekyll and Hyde costumes, Avi sharp in a tailored Victorian suit, Asa in tattered clothing and smudged makeup that made him look like he’d clawed his way out of the grave. Behind them came Zane and Felix, dressed as Hades and Persephone.
Zane looked devastating in black and silver, the king of the underworld, dressed for judgment. Felix beside him was ethereal, pale silks flowing like smoke, the picture of mercy in contrast.
Thomas’s smile softened as he watched them enter. But beneath the admiration, he caught what others might miss. The way Zane’s smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. The way his hand clutched Felix’s just a little too tightly. The almost imperceptible flinch when someone laughed too loud nearby.
Thomas knew that look. Anticipation tangled with dread. It was the expression of a man who’d been brave for too long.
He excused himself from Aiden’s side and moved toward them, the crowd parting instinctively for him. “Zane,” he said quietly, drawing him aside while the others exchanged greetings. “You good?”
Zane’s answering smile was tight, automatic. “I’m fine.”
Thomas gave him a look that saidtry again.
Zane hesitated, then sighed. “Are we really doing this?”
