“Would anyone like wine?”Declan asked.In the end Mom, Dad, Elizabeth, Robert, and Hester had wine.The rest of us drank water, soda, or tea, except for Declan who poured himself a beer.
“Darling, these dishes are stunning,” Mom lifted the plate to study it.“Are these the ones you shipped home from England?”
I nodded, taking the serving bowl that was passed to me.“I was so excited when I got to unbox them.”
Faith looked up at the light fixture.“It’s the same wisteria.Did you get that in England too?”
“My gifted daughter made those glass branches and bunches of flowers,” Dad announced.“She did that today.”
Frank stared at the light, then turned to me.“Specialty light fixtures?Arwyn, we could sell so many of those.It’s art but it also serves a function.”
“All art serves a function,” my dad contended.
Frank nodded and looked down at his plate.
I patted my dad’s hand.“Frank is my gallery manager.”Faith looked up and grinned at her brother.“He’s giving me ideas for things I could make and sell in the gallery.”I turned to Frank.“That’s a great idea.”I twirled a finger at my forehead.“And now I’m thinking of designs.”
Relaxing, Frank took a bite of his steak.My dad did too, after inspecting it closely.He didn’t eat a lot of beef.
“Tell me,” Dad said.“Who are these Swans and why are they threatening my daughter?”
It fell to Mom and Bracken to explain a lot of it, though Elizabeth chimed in a few times.Taken as a whole, their grudge was incredibly stupid and petty, but here we were.Wicche families had been infighting for centuries.This wasn’t new.
“So they’re using black magic,” Dad said.“And they killed this person whose arm you found in the forest?”
I nodded.
“All right.”He patted my hand.“I will kill them for you.I won’t allow anyone to threaten my daughter or my granddaughter.”
The rest of the table stilled at that proclamation.
I flipped my hand over to hold his.“Thank you.Very much.Really.But you can’t just kill them.”
“Of course I can.”The affront in his tone almost had me laughing.Almost.
“I misspoke,” I said.“Youcan.I’m asking you not to.We can’t kill everyone who has an issue with me.And it’s not only me.They have an issue with all Coreys.”
Faith’s eyes were wide, watching the conversation go back and forth.Frank, on the other hand, was trying not to laugh.
Dad glanced around the table.“If they benefit from my actions, it is of no consequence to me.I do this for you alone.”
“And I appreciate that very much,” I told him.“But you killing off a whole wicche family is not the answer.We’re working to stop them, and we’re going to report them to the Wicche’s Council.If the censure or penalty comes from the counsel of wicche families, it will be more meaningful.If you kill them all, it will only turn more families against us.”
He slammed his fist on the table.“Then I will deal with all ofthemtoo.”
Thankfully, Declan had built us a sturdy table.
Everyone had stopped eating and were exchanging looks, waiting to see if I could derail a mass murder.
I leaned over and kissed my dad on the cheek.I’d done it before and knew I wouldn’t be dropped into a vision.“Thank you, truly, but I need you not to do that.You’re always so wonderful about helping me when I need it, but I don’t need you to do that.It may seem less efficient, but I’d like you to let us handle it.”
He still looked angry but was listening.“Then why am I here?”
“Because you’re my dad and I invited you.”I squeezed his hand.
He stared at me a moment then nodded, forking up another bite of steak.
Everyone at the table let out a quiet breath of relief.
