"Predawn callisthenics." "Awesome." "I'm sorry." "I couldn't sleep." " Wanna talk about it?" " No." "Nothing to talk about." "Right." "So the whole not-being-able- to-save-Lou-Ann-from-death-row... __.Vex-claiming-he-had-info- about-your-mom thing" " Never happened." " Well, someone thinks it did." "Your Fae pals are leaving messages on my cell phone." " Who is?" " Trick wants you to come to the bar." "Or does he not exist either?" " Come here." " What?" "We'll go for one drink." "I really need a break from the Fae and their shit." "And cue the Fae and their shit." "Snake." "You look good." " So you are alive." " Barely." " If you wanna talk" " No disrespect." "I'd rather not." "I'm only here because I wanted to say this face-to-face." "Thank you." "But right now, what I really need is a vacation." "Fae-cation." " Maybe this will help." " Seems like a hell of a party." "It's not a party. it's La Shoshain." " La-what-now?" " La-what-now?" "La Shoshain. it's the most sacred day of the year for a Fae." " I thought you should see it." " Seems like a party." "It is that one time of the year where Light and Dark Fae can get up close and personal with each other." "And some of them use it as an excuse to drink and" "How can I put this delicately?" "fornicate across party lines." "So it is a party." "I am really liking this Fae Day." "It's not Fae Day. it's" " La Shoshain." " La Shoshain." "Good. it's spiritual." "Sure thing, T-man." "You got any Fae Day cocktails, because we're gonna take two." "To go." " What was that?" " Fae." "The celebration is over." "The celebration is over." "That was a Banshee." "Don't they have something to do with--?" "Death?" "Yes, they do." "They predict it." "Someone in here is going to die, soon." "Life is hard when you don't know who you are." "It's harder when you don't know what you are." "My love carries a death sentence." "I was lost for years, searching while hiding only to find I belong to a world hidden from humans." "I won't hide any more." "I will live the life I choose." "Come on, let's go." "I'll say it again." "Anyone not of the Five Families, clear out." "Come on!" "The rest of you, first round's on the house." "So tell me about these Five Families." "Banshees wail only for the noble families." "Five human and five Fae." "And if you're not of noble blood, then you're safe?" "That's the theory." "You're awfully curious for someone who wants to take a break from us all." "Got your message." "Got a way of finding this Banshee?" "Yeah." "Give me a second." " I haven't seen you in a while." " I needed some space." " Lots to think about." " Booking agent's downtown." "Agent's human." "Tread lightly." "So you're gonna make her take back her scream?" "Banshees don't cause death." "They foretell it." "And they can't take it back." "But you can make a Banshee talk." "Tell you who the wail is for." "I'm gonna show you how." " Me?" " La Shoshain is a holy day." "We can't feed, use our gifts, or use violence." "You, being secular, aren't bound by those laws." " Ask nicely." " You'd be helping out." " Say "please."" " You don't know who your family is." "Maybe you have noble blood." " Maybe the Banshee wailed for you." " Close enough." "Kenzi." "You guys knock yourselves out." "This food isn't gonna eat itself." "It would be best if only the noble families stayed." "Hey, I could have noble blood." "Like if some duke boned my great-great-grandmother." " I am sure she was a real hot wench." " Fine." "Don't eat everything." "Get the hell out of my way!" "Is Trick gonna be okay?" "Give me a second." "I'll meet you in the car." "Excuse me." "What's all this?" " Lou Ann's." " Well, how did you end up with it?" "I intervened in her execution." "She left to go into hiding this morning." "Since when do you help the Dark?" "Lou Ann was the midwife at Bo's birth." "We owe her." "When are we gonna stop keeping Bo in the dark about who her mother is?" "As long as we can." " You're doing well." " No, I'm lying to her." "You chose to get emotionally involved." "Maybe you should too." " What do we do if Aife shows up?" " When she shows up." "There will have to be a reckoning." "Better go find that Banshee." "Sooner we find out who she cried for sooner they can plan for their death." "Surprised you're not taking the stairs." "I thought you couldn't use electricity on La Shoshain." "Wrong culture." " The rules are specific." " Like what?" "No powers, Fae-on-Fae violence, feeding on humans." "It's about sacrifice." " Sounds heavy." "To commemorate the sacrifice made by the Blood King." "Blood King, blood sacrifice." "A whole lot of blood, and not many details." "We're talking about stuff that happened over 1000 years ago." "It's more myth than fact." " So there are stories, then?" "Yes, there are stories." "But all that really remains are the written laws." "Okay, but you must know one story." "Bo, read a book." "The cruise-ship circuit's nothing to sneeze at." "No, four words: "all you can eat."" "Yeah." "Yeah, you can sleep on it, in your crack house you call a home." "Stand-up comedians, it's like they wanna be miserable." "Okay, what can I help you with?" "Siobhan McManus." "We need to ask her a few questions about a gig she played." "Oh, Siobhan." "Yeah, she's a gorgeous girl." "She's a bit of a flake." "She called me, canceled all her bookings for the whole week." "If you find her, why don't you bring her to me and I'll wring her little neck, okay?" "Can I get you a coffee?" "Gesundheit." "We're gonna use your office for 20 minutes." "What?" "Death gives me an appetite." "See that guy?" "Almost 900 years old." "If anyone's checking out in the next little while, it's him." "You wanna start a death pool?" "Oh, so you gamble?" "If the stakes are right." "What do you got?" "This sucks." "All I wanted was to play the gig, get paid, get wasted, get laid." " I hate being made to talk." " If there's any other way we can get it out of you" " There isn't." "It's all buried in my stupid unconscious." "Make sure those are tight, chickyboo." "This gets messy." "Oh, please tell me you are not going to" " That will make her talk?" " Yeah." "My kind has a real bad allergic reaction to iron." "Oh, no." "No, no, no." "Back away with the liver shake." "I can't get physical today." "You force her to drink this." " What do you mean?" " I have the worst gag reflex." "Let's get this shit over with." "I am so sorry." " Is she okay?" " Just give it a second." "Is this Siobhan?" "It is the voice of the ancient mourners the grieving ones." " There has been a call to death." " We are bound to the old families." "We cry for their loss." " Which family?" " Kavanaugh." "Which Kavanaugh?" "The one named Shawn." " How long does he have?" " He will not live past sundown." "You might wanna step back." " Why?" "What happens now?" " Are you done yet?" "You're not done yet." "I got it." "Super." "Now I won't be able to get out of bed for a week." "Can you get me a towel or something?" "Okay." " Two." "That's the lucky pig, right?" " No, no, no." "Those are the wedding gifts, okay?" "Not even a pig steals from a wedding." "Fine." "And 12 is king." " Are you serious?" "It's good to be king." "Nice rolling, dude." "You working some dice voodoo?" " What the hell's your power?" " No, I'm just lucky." "I wouldn't use my abilities on La Shoshain." "That would be plain wrong." "Yeah, but I just wanna know with whom I'm having the pleasure, okay?" "So do you, like, eat corpses or have a detachable head or what?" "Really, it's not polite to ask." "Come on." "The Banshee." "I may only have a few hours to live." "Since you're dying." "I'm good with money." "How good?" "I attract wealth." " You don't say?" " Yeah." "I'm also really good with numbers." "So I do the books for some major charities around town." "Charities?" "Great." " You ever skim a little off the top?" " Do I look like that kind of guy?" "Just joshing you, man." "Joking about accounting fraud is like joking about a bomb." "Issues." " Kavanaugh." " Shawn Kavanaugh." "Not my time yet." "Take that, suckers!" "So who's Kavanaugh?" "How's it hanging, Shawny boy?" "I just found out I'll be dead by sunset." "I say you hunker down, get a few pints and just wait it out." "I know the old stories, okay?" "If a Banshee walls for you, that's it." "Your death finds you, no matter where you hide." "So, what are you gonna do about it?" "Die, I guess." "No, man." "You are gonna make a list of things you didn't get to do and you're gonna do them." " You think I should make a bucket list?" " Exactly." "Okay, so how about it?" "Any regrets?" "I have one." " Are Banshees ever wrong?" " Not that I know of." "If Fae aren't allowed to use powers how's the Banshee able to scream?" "Fae aren't allowed to use their powers voluntarily." "A Banshee's wail is complete reflex." "Every Fae knows that." "I'm trying to figure out if it's the Banshee or my ignorance that has put you in such a foul mood." "I'm not in a foul mood." "It's just that I've got a lot on my mind." "Early writings of La Shoshain and the Blood King." " Shut you up for a little while." " What language is this?" "Also available in translation." "Okay." "Hey, Shawn has something he would like to say." "Go ahead." " Yeah." "Hi." " Hi." "I've been thinking about my personal situation and what I'd like to do before my personal situation comes into full effect and whatnot." "And, see, there's also this family situation" "Shawn would like to reconcile with his asshole brother before he dies." " So, what's the deal?" " Liam's Dark Fae." "He turned his back on our Light Fae family more than 80 years ago." " Haven't seen him since." " That's too bad." "Yeah." "And this is my very last chance to tell him that it's all forgiven." "And you have six hours and 21 minutes to get him here." "I can pay you, okay?" "Whatever you want." "I won't need it any more." "Let's just call this one a freebie, okay?" "Where should I start looking?" "Liam feeds on human greed." "I know exactly where he is." "I'll stay." "Be my backup?" "This is my one day off from cops and Fae to drink in peace." "Oh, poor baby." "You're driving." " Should get it all right now." " Okay, what do I do with this?" "Excuse me." "Liam's been linked with pyramid schemes." "Looks like his latest one just toppled." "This is nothing but a scam!" "You're all frauds!" "Where's my money, you bastard?" "It's my life saving." "Please, give it back to me." "Don't play the market if you don't have the cojones." "Chop-chop." "I want this place gutted in an hour." " Liam Kavanaugh." " Hello, lovely." "You like sushi?" "I know a chef, trained under Nob..." "Holds a table for me every night." "Your brother, Shawn, wants to see you." "My brother is a self-righteous ass." "I want nothing to do with him." "Well, he says everything is forgiven." "He's the one who should be begging me for forgiveness." "I see." "He didn't tell you the story in which he completely screws me over?" "It doesn't matter." "A Banshee wailed for him." "He'll be dead by sundown." "Well, I look forward to reading his obit." "Triple 20." "I feel a perfect game coming on." "Yeah, man, your dart technique is amazing." "You should have gone pro." "The trick, my young apprentice, is to throw between heartbeats." "Once again, please." "Dude, when does the lame-o-go-round stop?" "I need to get off before I puke." "Come on." "I love this song." "The whole idea of when you're dying is to break out of your shell not throw on an extra coat of wax, okay?" "So think big, think bucket list." "Well, Mylene over there always fancied her, but never had the guts to tell her." ""Fancied"?" "Oh, my God." "All right." "Go get her, tiger." "Go get her." "I wanna see some tongue." "I wanna see some booty action." "Go." "Go." " Well, she was very kind about it." " Shot down, huh?" "Shitty." "No." "You know, no, it's good." "I'm glad I got that off my chest." "Thanks, Kenzi." "You're very odd and special, you know that?" "So, what else is on the bucket list?" "Well, speaking of romance, never kissed a human." "Don't push your luck, perv." "It's not like I was trying to keep anything from you." "I just didn't realise Liam still blamed me." "If you wanna reconcile, Shawn, we need the whole story." "I was 18." "Liam was 16." " Before his Gathering." " A Gathering is...?" "Coming-of-age ceremony where a Fae chooses Light or Dark." "You had one of those." "Tres Conan the Barbarian." "That was the old way." "These days, it's more like a Fae bar mitzvah." "Wow, maybe if I'd chosen a side, I could've scored some gifts." "Our family has always chosen Light." "Liam would've been no different." "He was a screw-up, but basically a good kid." " How screwed up are we talking here?" " Pretty bad." "Partying, stealing, getting into scraps." "Oh, yeah." "Sound like a disaster." "Like me, he was always a whiz with numbers." "Dad had hoped he'd settle down if he were given some responsibility." "He had us helping out with the books at the investment office." "And that's when money went missing." " How much?" " Thirty thousand dollars." "Now, that was a lot of money back then." "I was the one that was supposed to be setting the example for Liam." " He was my responsibility." " What did you do?" "I wanted to teach him a lesson, so I called the police." " Dick move, man." " But instead of facing the music he ran away from home as soon as he made bail, and he joined the Dark Fae." "The only one he kept in touch with was Mom." "She always doted on him." "But now she's dead." "So Liam's all alone?" "Look, Light or Dark I just want him to know that I still love him." "Before I'm gone." "Maybe you won't kick it." "I mean, what the hell is this Banshee's batting average?" "Whatever it takes, Shawn, I'll bring you your brother." "Better hurry." "Only a matter of time." "Sunset, to be exact." " It was a fluke." " It was fate." "You've still got some gonzo living to do." "I'm not letting you do it in a stuffy pub." "Okay." "What do you have in mind?" " Told you you were a natural." " I can't believe I'm doing this." " Like the car?" " Very much. it's breaking the law." "What are they gonna do, execute you?" "Get your ass in there." "All right." "Now twist the red one with the yellow one." "Now touch the black one to them." " Holy shit." " Oh, O.G. in the house." " Okay, don't stall it." " Maybe this is how I die." "In a fiery, mangled wreck?" "You sure you don't wanna take a pass?" "It is the fiery, mangly potential that gives it the thrill." "Okay, give her." " Yes!" " Giving her." "Okay, come on." "Step on the gas, Shawn." "Go." " Bo, I wanna" " I know." "Staking out some investment banker in a crappy parking lot is not your ideal La Shoshain." "Nowhere else I'd rather be." "Yeah, right." "Bo, I want you to know, I do what I can to protect you." "I know." "I trust you without a second thought." "Mr. Sparkly-Conversation, however, you are not." "Sweet cheese muffins." "What are we doing here?" "Thought I should see my dad one last time." "Noble blood, huh?" "Nice gig." " Hey, Dad." " Shawn." " Did we schedule an appointment?" " No, sir, I just wanted to drop by." "My son seems to have lost his manners." " Patrick Kavanaugh." " Yo." "Kenzi." "What brings you two?" "A Banshee." "Banshee wailed for me." " You sure?" " Yes, sir." "How long?" "Sundown." "Doesn't give you much time to get your estate in order." "I'll call Henry to verify your will is up to date." "No." "That's not how I'm gonna spend my last afternoon." " You don't wanna leave a mess behind." " Who cares if I do?" "All my life I've fallen in line." "I've done what's been expected of me just to earn your respect." "A Kavanaugh prides himself in maintaining control." "A friend of mine has shown me that a dead man gets to go a little crazy." "That's what I'm gonna do with the rest of my time." "I just wanted to come say goodbye." "Tell you I love you." " I'll send the details for the funeral." " Shawn." "Shawn." "I do care, of course." "Shawn always did overreact." "Liam too." "Got that from his mother." "Now if you'll excuse me." "I'll let you get back to your important work." "Betting on the fights, huh?" "Bobby Bell, he's a long-shot loser." "He's old and tired and has no heart whatsoever." "Did you know the Blood King wrote all the rules that govern Fae society?" " Yep." " This is really cool." "During the First World War, French and German Fae soldiers put down their weapons and secretly celebrated La Shoshain together." "Heart-warming, isn't it?" "Kenzi's headed home." "Hey, there's our mark." " Rodger Dodger." "You coming?" " I think you're good." "Hey." "That's a nice car." "Either you didn't hear me, or you're looking to invest." " And I don't see a check book." " I've got something better than that." "Hey." "Let's do some blow and get crazy." "Sure, sure." "Maybe after you come with me to see your brother." " Can you do that for me?" " I don't wanna watch Shawn die." "Maybe the Banshee was wrong." "Maybe there's nothing to worry about." "He better die." "I sure paid enough for it." "Hey, babe, just forget Shawn, okay?" "He's already history." "You put a hit out on your brother?" "Why?" "All I do is destroy lives." "I'm a worthless piece-of-shit monster." "All because I chose the Dark over the Light." " Because of Shawn." " That was 80 years ago." "And that's how long I've been waiting for Mom to die." "So that I could kill Shawn without breaking her heart." "What did you send after your brother?" ""Drive fancy car." Check." ""Tell off Dad." Check." " Check." ""Overdose on grease."" "That's actually on my list." "Never mind." "What's next?" "Well, if there were time, I'd suggest skydiving." "Skydiving." " Friend of yours?" " No." "Yours?" "Run!" " What is that thing?" " A Goblin." "They have no respect for any Fae or human rules." "They like inflicting pain." " We're not gonna die quickly." " We're not dying, period." "You won't." "I'll give myself up." "Don't be stupid." "Let's go." "Banshee wailed for me." "I can't escape death." "I won't drag anyone into my fate." "Especially not someone as wonderful as you." "You dickhead." "I don't believe in fate." "You make your own future." "Fight for it." "You cannot fight a Banshee's prediction." "We can." " Kenzi." " Bo, watch out!" "There's a" "Where'd he go?" "Hey." "Hey, you okay?" "Dyson, hey." "I thought you weren't allowed to use violence today." " Only to protect a life." " Complicated set of rules." "Actually, it's pretty intuitive." " Where did it come from?" " Your brother hired it." " To kill me?" " He's been holding a bit of a grudge." "But this ..." "This is too far." " Shawn, it's okay." "You're safe now." " No." "No." " Where is he now?" " We left him at his office." "You're gonna be fine." "Want some water?" "I'll get some water." "I'm willing to bet the Goblin Disposal Agency is closed today." "We'll do this by the book." " Report it to The Ash." " Great." "Love that guy." "This time, he's your best friend." "He'll call in a cleaner and lodge a protest with The Morrigan." "Because once the Goblins take on a hit, they do not stop." "Do you think she'll step in?" "Liam made an unsanctioned hit against the Light on the most sacred of Fae holidays." "Powers that be are gonna come down on him heavy." "The powers that be better get to Liam before Shawn does." "I think he took your crossbow." "It's La Shoshain." "You hurt me, that is a big no-no." "At least I went through an intermediary." "Coming after me is one thing." " Putting people I care about in danger?" " Oh, really?" "You're putting more value on people than on rules?" "Well, it's about time." " You don't have it in you." " Let's find out." "Agallamh." " I invoke Agallamh." " What?" "You know, Agallamh." "The rule by which any Fae can force warring parties to sit down for peace talks on La Shoshain." "It has to be obeyed." "I read it in Trick's book." " I can get the book." " We know." " No one has invoked Agallamh" " In forever." " You wanna know why?" " Probably not." "Because the person who calls for the talks forfeits her life if they fail." "But it's La Shoshain." "It's not violence." "It's a sacrifice." "Really should've skipped to the end, huh?" " Invoking Agallamh is not a game." " I know." "The most sacred ceremony on the most sacred day." "A distillation of everything the Blood King stood for, all he achieved." "It'll probably end in your death." "That is why I need your help to do it right." "Of course." "The Agallamh is opened." "It shall not be closed except by sacrifice." "Don't dawdle." "Shawn's death is called for sundown." "If he dies before the Agallamh is closed, it will be considered a failure." " And your life will be forfeit." " Who kills me?" " I think you need to get a volunteer." " What?" "Is there one from the community who will step forward as the Claymore?" "I'll be your Claymore." "Thanks." "I think." "Yes." "Yeah, I called the police on Liam after I found out he stole Dad's money." "I was a stupid kid." " Should I be killed for that?" " Retort?" "Making me look bad in the eyes of our parents?" "Ruining my life by falsely accusing me?" "Yes, my brother deserves to die." "Falsely accusing?" "But you took the money." " Hey!" " I didn't!" "Thou shalt not address the interlocutor directly." "You speak to me, not him." " My brother did take the money." " I did not." "Dad gave the combination of the safe to nobody but us." "I sure didn't take it." "It was in your character." "See that?" "Always judging." "You are just like Dad." "Hey, that's enough." "That is enough." "Get your gun out." "I've fulfilled my obligations to the Agallamh." "It's finished." "How many of these creeps did you hire?" "First the Claymore kills you and then the Goblin takes care of my brother." "There will be no violence in my house." "Well, take them outside, then." "Closure." "Put it to the community." " I put to the" " Wait." "Stall for time, okay?" "I have a plan." "Give me more time." "Okay." "I put to the community that we take a short recess." "I believe we're allowed one every four hours." "So all in favour?" "Great." "Then smoke them if you got them." "You could save her." "It's time." "Give me a moment." "I said it's time." "Let's do this." "I call the Agallamh back to order." "Yeah." "My petition for closure still stands." "Do I have a second?" "Gee, thanks." "Okay, then." "Under the rules of the ritual of the sacred Agallamh on this sacred La Shoshain, I with due reverence to the Blood King" "I mean, there was a fine king, am I right?" " Closure." " Okay." "I put the motion of closure to the community." "No." "No way." "Negatory." "We're here." "I submit myself to the sacred summons of the Agallamh." "Though I don't see what good this will do." "Well, let's swear you into the inner circle and find out." "All right." "Ask your questions." "I only have one." "Why did you steal $30,000 from your own safe?" "That's ridiculous." "I remind the witness that speaking a falsehood is punishable by death." "So I'll ask you again." "Why did you steal $30,000 from your own safe?" "I have my vices." "I keep them under control." " What did you do?" " It was gambling debts, wasn't it?" "That's your thing, right?" "Use investor money to cover your losses?" "Move cash around so no one notices?" "Liam here is a real chip off the old block, Pops." "You boys had no reason to be at the safe that weekend." "You should never have known." "I was being thorough, Dad." "Just like you taught me." "You let me take the fall." " You let them lock me up." " I bailed you out the very next day." "I didn't expect you to be a baby and go running off and joining the Dark." "All this time." "I couldn't tell anyone." "Your mother would have left me." "Think of what it would have done to the family name." "You put your own reputation ahead of the happiness of your sons." "It's an illness." "Gambling's a disease." "I would like to recognise the error I made in assuming my brother's guilt." "This is the family pendant." "It is the symbol of the birthright." "One day, when he passes you will have control over the family holdings." "You deserve it." "With my sacrifice, I move for peace." "The sacrifice has been offered." "Do you offer one in return?" "I'll pay back as much as I can to the people I've ripped off if Dad moves Mom's grave to neutral ground so I can visit it." "I will." "Then I also call off the hit." "Then we have a peace." "I move for closure." "I second the motion." "Thanks for not giving up on me." "Sundown, Bo." "You saved him and you beat the Banshee." "We beat the Banshee." "It was a fifty-fifty effort." "If we're being honest, I'd peg it more at 30-70." " All you did was read from a book." " Well, who put her life on the line?" "Who was the one who didn't know she was putting her life on the line?" " What about Dad?" " I don't know." "Treatment, I guess, if he can be talked into it." " Good peace." " Long peace." "Does this mean we're cosy with the Fae again?" "Let's just say I haven't completely written them off." " Thank you very much." " Could you be driving something that makes you look like more of an asshole?" "How are the chicks supposed to know I'm rich if I don't stand out, right?" "Where's my money, Kavanaugh?" " Shawn." " He ruined my life." "You stupid shit." "Are we even now?" "Shawn." "Oh, my God." "Just hold on." "Hold on, okay?" "I told you so." "No." "No." "How are you doing, Kenzi?" "Cool." "Kind of restless, though." "Maybe we can find some death metal to just thrash out to or something." "What's that?" "The lucky pig wins everything except the wedding gifts." "Bo didn't crumble." "Even in the face of death, she kept it together." "Would you have killed her?" "Would you have used your blood to save her?" "She's strong." "She deserves to know more." "I'm not ready." "She is." "You've gotta start believing in her." "She could amount to something." "For her sake, I hope not." "Those of us who rise to prominence tend to bring a great deal of pain on ourselves." "I know." "To the Blood King." "And all you've sacrificed." "Please don't ever call me that."