Follow Through

[Hayden]

Nox had skipped town.  Avoided everything he had going while following him the past few months.  It was easy to stay on top of him.  Even if he wasn't exactly on top of him as he'd have liked.  But the kid was better at his job that Hayden gave him credit for. Maybe he had let down his guard and let Nox slip through his fingers.  But it didn't matter, he knew one thing he'd be heading back home.  Why?  Hayden had observed his behavior leading up to the disappearance.  Something was up -- and more so than him not wanting to do the job.

Hayden hopped the next flight to Moscow and waited for Nox and the girl to show up.  Hayden never saw Nox come back from his new apartment.  But he saw the girl through the windows often enough.  She only left once and it was enough to verify that she was there.

With a little bit of research and confirmation from his cousin, this was a new place for Nox.  He hadn't been there before.  Interesting...

It took a few days to prepare the poison.  Not because he didn't have the materials to do so, but it took a few days to find the trigger.  

This little godling that Nox referred to kill was allergic to shrimp.  Easy enough to trigger.  And Hayden had gotten the gift created and off to the Nox's apartment via courier.  Hayden watched from a nearby vantage point -- a safe house his father owned almost next door.  The irony.

[Nox]

The hospital was a fucking joke. He was grateful for Jensen's healing. He was far more energetic than he'd have imagined after they let him go. It didn't help he'd wandered off, but that was worth it too.

Now he was home. And he had things he wanted to do. Things he did before anything else. Nox locked himself in his office that Sage build, And with a lot of help from his friend over the phone they accomplished everything he needed. And he would deliver it to Kallisti and drop it off at Raffe's door before he went in search of Oriena. He had to take care of that too. The horde was pulling at him, tugging at him, and if he wasn't in such an energetic mood it might be difficult to stave them off this long.

Nox searched his home for Sae and found her lying in bed, no one bothered her, a box of chocolates gone sat by her hands, but something was wrong... he jostled the girl and she didn't move. He took her pulse and sighed. "Fucking Atharim."

Nox gathered the girl and the chocolates and carried her with a weave down stairs and out the back to the garden. He looked around and decided to weave an illusion so no one saw the body sink into the earth. He whispered a prayer and left before anyone else in the house knew he was there. Or at least before they knew he was gone.

Nox stopped by Kallisti and dropped off a box with a note on top in front of Raffe's door.

Raffe,

I know I walked out. I fucked up in so many ways. But, inside contains my 'boom-box over the head' grand gesture to try and win back that second chance -- or third or fourth -- or whatever it is by now. God I hope it's only a second chance I'm asking for. I want to say everything here, show you everything inside, but you need time. But you know me, I gotta get it out or it'll eat me alive -- so here it is -- When YOU are ready to look.

There are three promises I will never break.
- I will always love you, no matter what.
- I am always here for you, no matter what.
- You are family! No Matter What.

~Always, Nox

And then he sent Oriena a text

Where you at? Need to see you.