Finally, the cat was cornered. It melted into blackness and reformed as Viktor, crouched in the corner wearing the same clothes as before. He held his hands up in surrender with a shit-eating grin on his face.

“Okay, okay, you win.”

“What have you been up to?” Dullahan growled.

“Light stalking,” Viktor explained quickly with a bemused chuckle.

“Light!” I snapped.

“Okay, heavy stalking. Heavy petting too and in more ways than one,” he said with another shit-eating grin. He finally lifted himself off the ground and leaned against the wall, pretending he hadn’t been a scared cat in a corner a second ago. Dullahan said nothing, just loomed menacingly.

“Look,” Viktor sighed, looking at his nail beds, “why are you freaking out? It was my job to keep an eye on her. I did my job.” Dullahan’s hand shot out, grasping the other man's throat and lifting him off the ground until his shoes were dangled off the ground. Viktor looked only mildly irritated to be held by his throat in mid-air.

“You said you couldn’t get into her house,” Dullahan growled. “We could have captured her sooner instead of spending time laying traps.”

“Hardly,” Viktor rasped, struggling to talk past the choke hold. “Leprechaun magic is tricky, you know that. I couldn’t waltz in with the intention to kidnap.”

“But you could waltz in with the intention to spy?”

“Apparently,” he growled back, starting to look angry. Dullahan glared at him and I watched as he squeezed Viktor’s neck a little harder. Viktor ground his teeth and I watched as the edges of his body began to shake a little as if he was just a tiny bit out of focus.

“Is that everything you want to fess up to, Puca? I won’t like finding out you’ve lied about more. That you’re up to more of your games,” Dullahan said. Viktor snapped his teeth as Dullahan got closer. As if he was an animal attempting to attack. His strange shadow was growing on the wall behind him, a smile stretched over it as twisted horns curled in circles. What in the Hell was he?

“Do you really want to fight?” Viktor asked, the faintest of Irish accents bleeding into his words. “Ya know how that ends,” he said, laughing. Dullahan kept glaring at him.

“Would your boy like that?” Viktor asked, leaning forward. I saw horizontal pupils vibrating in the golden glow of his eyes and shivered. Dullahan sighed and dropped him.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Dullahan grumbled.

Whatever dynamic this group had would be fascinating to figure out some other time.

“Look, I’ll agree to help you three,” I said and they both stilled in shock and swiveled their heads at me. “On one condition.” I crossed my arms and smiled.

“What condition?” Dullahan grumbled.

“I want the Tower. The deed in my name. I want to be the sole owner.” I looked at Viktor as I said it.

“Leprechauns,” Dullahan grumbled.

“You want the building?” Viktor asked, a smile sliding up his face. I nodded. “Then you would promise to help us as long as it takes?” He glided closer to me.