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TOBI

Tobi scratches Baby’s head. He drinks his own cup of bark tea, hoping it will wreak its miraculous effects. He is sprawled, exhausted on Harok’s lap. He leans back against the big, familiar body.

“Very well,” says Damon to Jemel and as he does so, Lukas and Elric appear in the room, making no secret of their dishevelled clothing and mussed hair. Elric is leaning on Lukas’s arm as if drunk. His mouth is red and swollen. Lukas’s shirt is unfastened and he is grinning.

Inez’s dog, who has been snuffling around on the floor for treats, bounds over to them and Elric shrieks with delight and bundles her into his arms, burying his face in her fur and cooing to her that she is a good girl.

In Ambolk, Harok says, “This is the other brother? The traitor?”

Tobi nods. “He’s the one who killed Selim.”

Harok narrows his eyes. “The Shard can feel him.”

“Is that good?” Tobi says as he watches Lukas and Elric make their way around the room, greeting the assembled company.

“I don’t know. Perhaps the Shard is angry with him for spoiling his plans so he is forced to inhabit Atticul. But perhaps not. What I feel is a pull. The Shard is drawn to him. Ur-Durik is drawn to him.”

Tobi half-turns and strokes Harok’s chest. “I hate that you still have that thing inside you.”

“Ah, Suskara,” Harok says, a coo that is clearly the offer of a kiss. Tobi leans in and takes it.

Harok’s mouth is soft against his. Despite how long it has been since they have been home, he still tastes darkly of the forest. Of green leaves and sunshine filtering through them.

When the kiss breaks, leaving Tobi slightly breathless, he realises Lukas has made his way around the room to him. He looks up at the smiling, half-undressed man standing before him. One hand and a hook on his hips.

Elric is still clinging to him.

“Tobi,” Lukas says. “I swear by Zai’s holy prick, little brother, you are the same size you were when I last saw you.”

Tobi slips off Harok’s lap and stands. “I assure you I have grown.” Lukas is not a tall man himself, only half a head taller than Tobi, but Tobi notes he is the shortest of the five of them.

Of the five of them. They are all here. His brothers. His two older brothers, his two younger brothers. Even Ferra, his only sister, is here. All of Rafus’s surviving children in one room, excepting the one who is possessed by a demon.

And they are plotting to kill that demon. Kill the demon and, inevitably, its host.

Lukas shrugs. “Maybe a little,” he says, as if he is unsure about Tobi’s claims to have grown at all.

Kerik is standing to greet Lukas too. He holds out a hand. “Kerik, we’ve not met before.”

Lukas looks Kerik up and down. “Not quite. I remember your birth. A handsome babe. I recall your mother had great plans for you. “

“She did,” Kerik says solemnly, “but none so great as my true path.”

“Your true path? Indeed. I understand that magic in the temple was down to you?”

Kerik nods. “I am the Magician.”

Lukas seems to notice Perl for the first time, standing beside Kerik. “And speaking of magic,” he looks to Perl, “we meet again.”

“Lukas Darekul,” Perl says, sounding a little wary.

Lukas grins. He looks from Perl to Kerik and back again as if what he is seeing makes perfect sense.

Tobi notes Lukas has been avoiding greeting Damon. They fought in the temple like one man united, but Tobi knows Lukas disobeyed Damon to assassinate Selim. He had spoken often with Kerik, Perl and Harok about how Damon might react when he sees Lukas again.

But Damon says nothing as Lukas turns to him, simply opens his big arms and embraces him.

Lukas laughs. He’s still laughing as Damon leans back, holding Lukas at arms length to look at him, eyes glittering.