The next morning, Irwin and Mark’s sleep was disturbed by a phone ringing. It wasn’t Irwin’s phone, and it certainly was not Mark’s phone. They checked. Mark sat up on the bed he slept in and saw a shadow sitting at his feet. Mark jumped screaming, thinking it was the ghost of Irwin’s uncle; waking up Irwin in the process. That was when Mark recognized Ricardo. He was casually sitting on the bed watching them sleep when his phone rang. Irwin and Mark were about to give him an earful when he gestured them to stop as he answered the phone. It was his father, Nathaniel. Irwin went ahead and firmly put both his hands on Mark’s unpredictable mouth to make sure he wouldn’t make any noise. Irwin didn’t want to let his uncle know he was with Ricardo and Ricardo knew that Irwin’s presence should stay hidden for the moment, especially with Mark there. 

Nathaniel seemed pleased to hear that his son was back home and was inquiring about his whereabouts. Surprisingly, Ricardo told the absolute truth without divulging anything about being with Irwin. Even Mark was impressed by how quickly the brat could find the right words. The conversation ended quickly enough and Ricardo hung up, flashing a satisfied and proud smile.

“That was good Ricardo” applaud Irwin. “You’ve become an even bigger liar than before”

“Of course, he’s a pro” added Mark as he was stretching.

“What the fuck are you doing in here man?” Asked Irwin furiously.

“How did he know we were in here?” Asked Mark Irwin.

“The bastard is a clairvoyant. He can see things, even sense things sometimes.” Answered Irwin.

“How did he get in?” Continued Mark.

“He can teleport as well. He is the only one in my immediate family with two distinct abilities… besides me.”

“So you told him what we are?!” Ricardo was deeply surprised, especially when his cousin hadn’t used any real magic in forever.

“It’s a long story. What did your father want exactly?”

“He is going to pick up uncle Samael from the airport later today, he wanted me to do some stuff for him while he is gone. But, in the end, he asked me to wait for him.”

“My father is here already?!” Irwin was overwhelmed by what his cousin had just announced. His reunion with his father was closer than he would have liked. 

“Okay, is that good or bad news?” Mark was panicking. “You guys are scaring me with all that intensity. I knew I shouldn’t have come!”

“Relax man, it will be fine.” Irwin himself wasn’t convinced by his own words.

“Don’t worry human, we won’t hurt you… much.” Ricardo's joke didn’t please anyone.

Irwin got up very fast, as did Mark. They quickly prepared themselves for the day that was upon them. Ricardo went into the kitchen to gather things for everyone to eat. The kitchen was slowly filling itself with the smell of coffee and cheese and burnt toast. It didn’t take very long for Irwin and Mark to join Ricardo for breakfast. Mark felt the tension between Irwin and Ricardo. Mark himself didn’t know how to behave in front of two potentially dangerous people, even if one of them was his best friend. After a cup of coffee and a delicious cheese sandwich, Irwin dramatically stood up and started questioning Ricardo.

“So, who knows I’m back?” 

“Just Aurélia, me, and Daisy. She’s the one who helped me bring the supplies we are eating.”

“Who is Daisy?” Asked Mark.

“She’s my sister’s handmaiden.” Answered Irwin. Then, he turned back to Ricardo. “Why would you involve her? She didn’t need to know Mark was here.”

“She doesn’t. But she will soon enough. Aurélia doesn’t know either. Hell, I didn’t know until I woke up a couple of hours ago.” 

“Your sister has a handmaiden? How fucking rich are you guys?” Mark was just beside himself.

“Pretty rich”, answered Ricardo. “But don’t get hung up by that.”

Irwin took a minute to think about how exactly he would introduce Mark to everyone. He knew the biggest challenge would be his dad and most of the elders. But it wasn’t like no human had ever penetrated the family domain before. The family had received many human guests over the years, there was a special protocol in place for such occasions. All the personnel working for the family was composed of humans– excluding one exception.

“Tell me, Ricardo, where’s Sikhumbuzo? Yesterday, when we got in Mark and me, he wasn’t there to greet us. Which is weird because, with his sharp nose, he should have smelled us coming long before we got out of that taxi.”

“Sick… who?” For Mark, it was like Irwin was speaking another language.

“Sikhumbuzo is the groundkeeper and head of security.” Answered Ricardo. “I understand, his name is weird. We call him Sik, S-I-K, for short. He’s been traveling with uncle Samael for the past month. They should be back together with my dad.”

“Why do you need security?” asked Mark. “You guys are witches, right? I assume you can defend yourselves?”

“Magi!” Corrected Irwin. “And we can.” Both Irwin and Ricardo answered rather nervously.

“What? Am I missing something?” Mark looked at them with puzzlement. “Tell me!”

“You better tell him now so he can prepare himself, you know, so he doesn’t shit his pants when he accidentally comes across Sik at night. Me, I’m going ahead and announcing your arrival.” Ricardo said with a somber tone while teleporting out of the Rosemary Manor.

Irwin looked at his friend with wide eyes. “Mark, there is no easy way to prepare you so I’ll just come out with it. Sikhumbuzo is a werewolf.”

Mark always had an open mind about the world. He believed in many things like ghosts and the afterlife. His open-mindedness was one of the things Irwin liked about him. Unconsciously, Irwin knew that was why it was easy for him to tell Mark about his family and the drama that came with it. However, Irwin knew that telling him about their groundkeeper could drive him over the edge. You see, Mark hated dogs for reasons he never told anyone. A werewolf, now, that wasn’t going to fly with Mark.

“I’m sorry Irwin, you said werewolf?”

“Yes. He’s not just our groundskeeper, he’s also an old friend of my dad’s. He keeps us safe from intruders and he’s quite efficient at it too.”

“You have a freaking werewolf as head of security and you’ve let me come here with you?!” Mark was furious. More than that, he was scared out of his mind.

“Don’t be so dramatic. He won’t hurt my friends.”

“Why do you even have a fucking werewolf? You don’t need one for god’s sake!”

“Werewolves are fast, strong, and loyal, they have great instinct and a flawless sense of smell. Not to mention the other senses. They make formidable guardians. We trust Sik with our lives and he is a great friend. You will like him, I’m sure.”

“Remember when I told you I hated dogs? I never explained why. I was attacked by a pack of wild dogs when I was little. We were visiting my grandparents in Texas. Suffice it to say that I never felt comfortable in the presence of dogs since then.”

Irwin giggled for a minute until he realized that Mark wasn’t laughing. “Sik won’t appreciate that you compared him to a dog.”

“My point exactly, he is worse! A whole other world of worse! Now that I know what he is, how do you think I’ll feel meeting him? You shouldn’t have told me. Ignorance is bliss.”

“I’m gathering that. Sorry, Mark. But better you know now…”

That was when 10 o’clock rang on the grandfather clock in the kitchen. Irwin realized he’d better go see his sister Aurélia and have a long overdue reunion with her. Mark was instructed to stay in the Rosemary Manor until it was okay for him to meet the rest of the family. 

The Benedicta Manor. The largest manor on the domain is located at its center and surrounded by a dwarf forest. It is where Irwin was born, and where he grew up with his three siblings. He truly missed his home, remembering himself running from his brother, casting spells on squirrels and lizards… His late mother organized a banquet in the front garden for Aurélia’s 10th birthday. 

As he arrived, Irwin saw the entire staff aligned on the front entryway to welcome him back. The governess of the manor, Ms. Moreau, welcomed him with open arms. She was like a second mother to him. Then there were the maids: Laetitia, Margerie, Félicité, Aceline, Camille, Daisy, Karla and Pierette. Then the butlers: Stephane, Éric, Jean-Pierre, Nicolas, Diallo, and Richard. The cook: Louis, the potion maker: Sylvain, the family doctor/healer: Elizabeth, the gardener: François, and his aids: Lily, Armando, Gregory, and Julien. The entire staff was happy to see him. Ms. Moreau guided him inside the manor. Not much had changed. Same halls, same pictures on the walls, same chandeliers, same carpet, same everything. They were now going into the second library on the second floor, where Aurélia was sitting with a book in her hands and a warm cup of coffee steaming on the low table next to her couch. 

Ms. Moreau left them alone as Aurélia angrily looked up to see who it was that was bothering her. The expression on her face completely changed when she saw Irwin, standing at the door. She couldn’t believe her long-lost little brother had come back from his exile. For a minute, she froze in her seat. Irwin saw that she didn’t know what to do, so he went to her instead. She finally had the strength to stand up as he came next to her. They embraced each other for what seemed a long time. It was like a weight had lifted off his shoulder, Irwin was so very happy to be back.

“I’ve been waiting for you for two weeks now.” She started. “What took you so long?”

“I had things to do. Loose ends to tighten up. Why are you speaking English to me? Is that because I’ve been to the states?”

“Why are you answering in English?”

“Force of habits.”

A long silence imposed itself on the conversation. Aurélia didn’t know what to say to her little brother. “I’m sorry” came to mind but she just couldn’t say it. It just wasn’t enough. Irwin himself didn’t know what to say. But by looking into each other’s eyes, they knew they were both sorry about what had happened, they knew they both were sad and grieving for their late brother. They weren’t angry at each other, not anymore, not now that Irwin was back. There was no point in dwelling on the subject.

“What are you reading sis? Resurrection et Immortalité?”

“Huh… I’m looking for a way to…” Aurélia was caught trying to find a spell to resurrect their brother.

“Bring Lithael back?” Irwin finished her sentence. So much for not dwelling.

“I’ve been entertaining the idea for a couple of years now.”

“You know it’s a taboo, right?”

“Fuck all that. I don’t care what the consequences may be. If I can bring him back, I will. That’s actually why the elders are trying to ship me off to South Africa, to occupy me.”

“Ricardo told me. And what did father tell you?”

“I spoke with him before he left with Sik about a month ago. He didn’t give me a straight answer but he did say that he needed me there.”

“So like him. I hate it when he is all cryptic and shit. When are you supposed to leave and check in with the committee?”

“In a few days. Maybe a couple of weeks.”

“So, I don’t have much time to catch up with you then.”

“If you had come the moment I called for you…”

“Sorry Aurélia, I just couldn’t come.”

Someone knocked on the door. It was Daisy, Aurélia’s handmaiden. She was announcing that they had visitors. It was Ricardo and his sisters. They came to formally welcome back their cousin. Aurélia was a bit annoyed but she couldn’t help it. People were bound to hear about Irwin’s return. Many would wish to see him. Close family members were first on the list. They both left the library with Daisy, heading to the private lounge downstairs, next to the kitchen.  

Ricardo was standing next to an opened window, smoking an electric cigarette. His three sisters were watching him from the sofa, annoyed. Irwin was the first to speak, embracing his cousins. Aurélia greeted them at a distance, sitting on a chair next to the door that led into the kitchen. They went on and briefly talked about Irwin’s experience in North America and how Ricardo documented almost everything from a distance with his ability as a clairvoyant. That last bit put Irwin in a sour mood but he couldn’t help now that it was done. Listening to all of them talking, Irwin joined Ricardo in the smoking.

Samael Demahy De Chevenelles and his twin brother Nathaniel never had their respective children associate with each other ever since they were little. The fact that most of Samael’s children were slightly older did not arrange the thing. As a result, both sides of the family saw each other as rivals. Irwin and Ricardo are always competing with one another. Aurélia, being the oldest, only saw Nathaniel’s children as mere kids and never attempted to socialize with them outside family gatherings. However, as all the children grew up, they learned to respect each other and how to be a family. After Lithael’s death, all family members, except for Samael and Nathaniel, were deeply saddened and bonded in their pain. As Samael and Nathaniel’s children were the closest, Ricardo and his sisters felt very guilty and responsible for what had happened. Especially because Nathaniel, their father, was also responsible for the death of Aurélia and Irwin’s brother. Priscilla, the oldest of Nathaniel’s children, felt so ashamed that she entirely gave up on her magic. Ricardo, the second born of Nathaniel’s children, went mute for an entire year in protest. Mea and Rosalia, the last two of Nathaniel’s progeny, decided to leave the French domain before being forced to return by their father.

But now, Samael and Nathaniel’s children were all standing together for one reason and one reason only: to figure out what their respective fathers were up to now that Aurélia had been chosen to replace Samael at the International Committee of MagiKind based in South Africa. 

Only, Irwin had other plans.